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Salary: USD 213,800 - 285,000 / annual
Rocket Lab is seeking a Senior Legal Counsel II to support its Legal Department and cross-functional teams at its Long Beach, CA headquarters. This role is ideal for an experienced attorney with expertise in contract drafting, negotiations, dispute resolution, and regulatory compliance. You will provide strategic legal advice to senior management of a publicly traded company performing U.S. Government contracts, ensuring compliance while supporting growth and innovation.
Key Responsibilities:
Leadership & Strategic Advisory: Serve as a trusted advisor to senior leadership and business unit heads; translate business objectives into clear legal strategies and pragmatic risk mitigation. Lead contract and trade compliance teams, setting goals, coaching performance, and fostering accountability. Manage external counsel relationships and budgets, reviewing legal bills and controlling costs. Establish and continuously improve legal processes, policies, and templates to scale support across the enterprise.
Commercial and Government Contracts: Draft, review, and negotiate a broad range of agreements, including prime contracts with the U.S. Government, subcontracts, Master Service Agreements, IP licensing, NDAs, real property leases, and strategic partnership agreements. Create and implement contract playbooks, fallback positions, templates, and clause libraries to streamline cycles. Collaborate with business teams to balance risk with speed-to-value while maintaining visibility into obligations and renewals.
Compliance and Trade Compliance: Advise on global trade compliance frameworks including sanctions screening, EAR/ITAR classifications, licensing, technology transfers, restricted party screening, and customs valuation/origin/marking. Develop and maintain policies, SOPs, and training; support audits and investigations; remediate findings. Monitor regulatory developments and industry trends; proactively update policies and training.
Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner with Finance, IT/Security, HR, and Operations on pricing, revenue recognition, indemnities, data protection, employment matters, supply chain, quality, and logistics.
M&A and Corporate Transactions: Design and execute legal due diligence plans covering contracts, operations, IP, privacy/security, labor & employment, environmental, anti-bribery/anti-corruption, sanctions/export controls, material contracts, and litigation. Coordinate cross-functional integration including risk remediation, policy harmonization, contract novations, and entity governance. Manage outside counsel efficiently, balancing cost, speed, and risk.
Requirements:
- Juris Doctor (JD) from an accredited law school
- Active membership in the California State Bar or Registered In-House Counsel (RIHC)
- Minimum of 15 years of legal experience
- Proven experience as in-house counsel or at a top-tier law firm
- Experience in negotiating contracts, non-disclosure agreements, and IP licenses
- Ability to obtain a DoD Top Secret security clearance
- U.S. citizenship, lawful permanent resident status, or eligible to obtain required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State and/or Department of Commerce (ITAR compliance)
Desirable Qualifications:
- Strong written and verbal communication skills
- Experience managing a team of professionals
- Extensive knowledge of Government contracts, FAR, and DFAR
- Experience supporting DoD and NASA prime contracts and/or subcontracts
- Familiarity with ITAR and Export Administration Regulations
- Ability to adapt to fast-paced changes and shifting priorities
- Willingness to travel domestically and internationally as needed
