Team and Role Overview:  

Relativity is creating the first autonomous rocket factory. Our vision is to build the future of humanity in space -- starting with rockets. We have an ambitious mission, and we understand that it takes a team to achieve it. Our team is driving towards our mission of launching our first 3-D printed rocket to orbit in 2021.

Our Government and Commercial Contracts Counsel will join our close-knit legal team and partner closely with other teams, including Business Development, Regulatory Affairs and Launch & Infrastructure, and Engineering & Manufacturing to drive and negotiate contracts that have a big impact on the company. You will help support and build Relativity’s government contracting function as we continue to acquire government contracts for launch and other services. We will rely on your contracting prowess and experience in the space or aerospace & defense industry to demonstrate strong business and legal judgment and get contracts to the finish line. You are unafraid to help leaders and employees see the big picture, you deliver legal advice with confidence and you are comfortable advising on decisions with significant legal and commercial implications. You are willing to present creative solutions to challenges you come across and tackle tough issues, all while being driven by a strong ethical compass and legal considerations.

This role will be reporting directly to the Assistant General Counsel.

The Mission/Outcomes and Objectives:

You will be advising the company on a broad range of commercial and government contracts. Among other things, you will:

• Serve as subject matter expert on FAR, DFARS, and other agency laws and regulations pertaining to government contracting;
• Negotiate, draft and advise on:
  • government contracts;
  • commercial contracts, including service agreements, statements of work, material supply agreements, hardware purchase agreements, software license agreements, marketing agreements, facilities agreements, and NDAs;
  • real property leases;
  • agreements involving handling intellectual property and data rights; and
  • customer sales contracts.
• Collaborate with regulatory counsel to implement government contracting best practices, including FAR and DFARS compliance;
• Execute agreements swiftly while ensuring protection of company’s interests;
• Collaborate cross-functionally and ensure appropriate visibility across functions; and
• Seek creative solutions to difficult problems and come up with proactive solutions and strategic advice on matters of company opportunities and growth.

Minimum Required Skills and Competencies:

• JD degree from an ABA-accredited law school.
• Admitted to and member in good standing of California bar, or else other state Bar with ability to become registered in-house counsel in California promptly upon joining Relativity
• 5+ years of relevant work experience at a top-tier law firm or corporate legal department
• Experience advising on, negotiating, drafting, and handling compliance with government contracts.
• Strong knowledge of government contracting (including government procurement regulations)
• Experience in space or aerospace & defense industries.
• Experience negotiating and drafting complex commercial contracts and technology transactions.
• Detail-oriented problem solver with ability to think about the big picture.
• Excellent communication skills and ability to translate complex legal issues to layman terms with ease.
• Skillful drafter and issue-spotter who takes both legal and business risks into consideration.
• Strong knowledge of space, intellectual property and contract laws and regulations.
• Demonstrated ability to work efficiently and manage demanding workflows and competing deadlines.

Nice to haves:

• Familiarity with export control laws.
• In-house experience at a dynamic and fast-paced emerging-growth company.
• Experience negotiating commercial real estate contracts.
• Top secret clearance.

About Relativity Space

Relativity is building humanity’s multiplanetary future. We invented a new approach to design, build, and fly our own rockets, starting with Terran 1 – the world’s first entirely 3D-printed rocket. We fuse 3D printing, artificial intelligence and autonomous robotics to pioneer the factory of the future. Disrupting 60 years of aerospace, Relativity offers a radically simplified supply chain, building a rocket with 100x fewer parts in less than 60 days.

Relativity Space has raised over $1.3 billion, most recently at a $4.15 billion valuation, from iconic investors including Baillie Gifford, BlackRock, BOND, Coatue, Fidelity, General Catalyst, ICONIQ Capital, K5 Global, Mark Cuban, Playground Global, Social Capital, Tiger Global, Tribe Capital, Y Combinator, and 3L. Our customers include major global satellite providers and we have been awarded launch contracts by NASA and the Department of Defense’s Defense Innovation Unit.

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.