Senior Counsel, Export Controls & Cybersecurity

Hadrian is building autonomous factories that help aerospace and defense companies manufacture rockets, satellites, jets, and ships up to 10x faster and up to 2x cheaper. By combining advanced software, robotics, and full-stack manufacturing, we are reinventing how America produces its most critical parts.

We’re accelerating our mission with the launch of Factory 3 in Mesa, Arizona, a 290,000-square-foot facility creating 350 new jobs. We are expanding rapidly to support thousands of future hires, launching Hadrian Maritime to expand into naval production, and introducing a Factory-as-a-Service model that delivers complete systems instead of individual parts.

Hadrian is backed by leading investors including T. Rowe Price, Lux Capital, Founders Fund, and Andreessen Horowitz, our fast-growing team is united around reindustrializing American manufacturing for the 21st century and beyond.

The Senior Counsel, Export Controls & Cybersecurity will serve as Hadrian’s subject-matter expert on ITAR, export controls, sanctions, and cybersecurity compliance, responsible for designing, implementing, and enforcing a scalable compliance framework across the company.

This is a high-impact role for an experienced in-house attorney or specialist law firm practitioner who has operated as the primary export compliance owner for a regulated business. You will partner closely with executive leadership, engineering, IT, security, HR, and operations to enable growth while ensuring compliance across hiring, travel, data access, technology controls, and cybersecurity obligations in a highly regulated advanced manufacturing environment.

• Serve as Hadrian’s primary legal owner for ITAR, EAR, sanctions, and export-related compliance

• Design, implement, and continuously improve Hadrian’s export compliance program, policies, and internal controls

• Draft, enforce, and maintain policies related to:

  • ITAR / EAR compliance

  • Technology Control Plans (TCPs)

  • Foreign national access

  • Data access and system permissions

  • International travel and visitors

• Advise on export classification, jurisdiction, licensing strategies, exemptions, and disclosures

• Oversee compliance related to:

  • Hiring and onboarding

  • Sanctions and trade restrictions

  • International travel and assignments

  • Cloud systems and databases containing controlled technical data

  • Data security and transfers

• Partner with Security, IT, and Engineering on cybersecurity, system access controls, and segregation of export-controlled data

• Support cybersecurity and data protection obligations tied to government, defense, or regulated programs

• Develop and deliver training for employees, managers, and leadership on export and cybersecurity compliance

• Support audits, investigations, and regulatory inquiries as needed

• Monitor regulatory changes and proactively assess impact on business operations

• Manage outside counsel and consultants for specialized export, sanctions, or cybersecurity matters

• JD from an accredited law school and active bar membership in at least one U.S. jurisdiction

• 7–10+ years of experience specializing in export controls, ITAR, sanctions, and related compliance matters

• Experience functioning as an in-house export compliance attorney or a law firm attorney specializing deeply in export controls and regulatory compliance

• Deep working knowledge of, ITAR and EAR, sanctions regimes, export licensing and compliance frameworks

• Proven experience building, implementing, and owning an export compliance program

• Experience advising on cybersecurity, data access, and technology controls in regulated environments

• Strong business judgment and ability to translate regulatory requirements into practical, scalable solutions

• Excellent communication skills and comfort advising senior leaders

• Ability to operate autonomously in fast-paced, high-growth environments

• Prior in-house experience as the primary export compliance owner at a manufacturing, aerospace, defense, or hardware company

• Experience supporting engineering-heavy or data-intensive organizations

• Familiarity with government, defense, or national security-adjacent programs

• Experience designing and enforcing Technology Control Plans in practice

• Experience partnering deeply with IT, Security, and HR on access control and foreign national issues

• Builder mindset with a track record of creating durable compliance systems, not just advisory memos

• Ability to balance regulatory rigor with execution speed in a scaling company

Compensation

For this role, the target salary range is $220,000 - $240,000 (actual range may vary based on experience).

This is the lowest to highest salary we reasonably and in good faith believe we would pay for this role at the time of this posting. We may ultimately pay more or less than the posted range, and the range may be modified in the future. An employee's pay position within the salary range will be based on several factors, including, but not limited to, relevant education, qualifications, certifications, experience, skills, geographic location, performance, and business or organizational needs.

• Medical, dental, vision, and life insurance plans for employees

• 401k

• Relocation support may be provided for certain situations, based on business need.

• Flexible vacation policy

• Equity

To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) you must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. Learn more about the ITAR here.

Hadrian uses AI-assisted tools in our recruiting and hiring processes to help our team work more efficiently. This may include tools that help organize and analyze recruiting data, as well as an AI-powered notetaker that can record and transcribe interviews and help coordinate feedback. These tools support our team and are not used to make hiring decisions. All candidate evaluations and hiring decisions are performed by humans. If an interview will be recorded, you will be notified in advance and may opt out at any time with no impact on your candidacy. Candidate data processed through these tools is subject to the same protections described in our Privacy Policy.

It is the Company’s policy to provide equal employment opportunity for all applicants and employees. The Company does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race inclusive of traits historically associated with race (including, but not limited to, hair texture and protective hairstyles, such as braids, locks and twists), color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), gender identity, gender expression, transgender status, national origin (including, in California, possession of a drivers license), ancestry, citizenship, age, physical or mental disability, height or weight, medical condition, family care status, military or veteran status, marital status, domestic partner status, sexual orientation, genetic information, exercise of reproductive rights, any other basis protected by local, state, or federal laws, or any combination of the above characteristics. When necessary, the Company also makes reasonable accommodations for disabled candidates and employees, including for candidates or employees who are disabled by pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions.