Description:

A Defense Product Company is a defense technology company with a mission to transform U.S. and allied military capabilities with advanced technology. By bringing the expertise, technology, and business model of the 21st century's most innovative companies to the defense industry, A Defense Product Company is changing how military systems are designed, built and sold. A Defense Product Company's family of systems is powered by Lattice OS, an AI-powered operating system that turns thousands of data streams into a realtime, 3D command and control center. As the world enters an era of strategic competition, A Defense Product Company is committed to bringing cutting-edge autonomy, AI, computer vision, sensor fusion, and networking technology to the military in months, not years.

A Defense Product Company's Legal Team seeks a Compliance Director with a focus on the full spectrum of cUAS, AI, and robotics regulatory issues. This includes everything from providing legal oversight to product development, giving legal guidance to existing business areas, to crafting legal and business strategies. The Legal Team partners closely with customers, outside counsel, and business partners across the organization to support business development and day-to-day legal operations.

A Defense Product Company is a fast-growing company at the early stages of growth. Consistent with this fast growth, members of A Defense Product Company's Legal Team must be resourceful, creative, and eager to take ownership of complex matters. The Compliance Director role will require creativity and resourcefulness to navigate the US Government's broad set of compliance laws and regulations, with a singular focus on helping A Defense Product Company deploy its path-making technology into operational settings for the United States and its allies. In addition to helping managing aviation, spectrum and export control compliance, you will work on all other aspects of A Defense Product Company's business, from negotiating license and services agreements, facilitating the supply chain, advising on product development, to international expansion. Experience across all of these areas is not expected, but a willingness to learn and adapt is.

The Compliance Director will be expected to take responsibility for both significant, material projects, which will have a significant impact on the company's business as well as larger process and strategic planning for the Compliance team. A Defense Product Company is growing from a tech startup to a manufacturing powerhouse and the Compliance Director will play a critical role in scaling our operations. Our team is passionate about the law and policy of defense technology and you should have an independent interest in the key issues in this field. A Defense Product Company fosters a diverse, collaborative, culture with tremendous opportunities for ownership and professional growth.

What You'll Do:

Report to the Senior Director to provide support and oversight over programmatic, helping to develop and implement compliance programs and procedures to ensure adherence to relevant laws, regulations, and industry standards.
Ensure process scale with the company alongside the other domain-specific Compliance attorneys while helping the Compliance team keep the impact on engineering teams to an minimum and optimizing on speed to market.
Drive customer growth by managing the regulatory requirements to develop, deploy and operate A Defense Product Company products. Use your expertise in compliance to help the Business Development, Proposal, and Engineering Teams efficiently capture new contracts, grow existing contracts, and ensure timely and uninterrupted performance. Assist in the strategy development for new business.
Manage relationships with Government regulatory agencies. High-trust professional relationships with Government regulatory offices are critical to A Defense Product Company's continued success, and you will be called upon to develop and foster these relationships throughout your tenure.
Work on all legal aspects of A Defense Product Company's business, from negotiating license and services agreements, facilitating the supply chain, advising on product development, to international expansion. You will represent the legal team in relationships with outside counsel, vendors, engineers, executives, customers, and regulators.
Represent the company in regulatory inquiries, audits, and investigations, ensuring timely and appropriate responses to regulatory authorities
Represent the Senior Director of Compliance and other compliance attorneys within the company to expand the Compliance team's ability to provide in-person guidance and support across a variety of compliance issues.
Represent the Senior Director of Compliance and other compliance attorneys

Required Qualifications:

A mix of

5+ years of experience with export controls, including jurisdiction and classification analysis and license applications for both the EAR and ITAR (or UK or EU equivalents)
5+ years of experience with spectrum management laws and regulations (US, UK, or EU)
5+ years of experience with aviation laws and regulations (US, UK, or EU)

The judgment and initiative required to own multiple projects from end-to-end, whether guiding engineering teams through the lifecycle of an export license or handling unexpected legal issues that may arise in defense or start-up companies
Strong communication and interpersonal skills with a proven track record of managing complex legal matters and providing strategic advice to senior management.
Quick learner and able to contribute to the broader start-up legal function, including topics that may be completely new to you: everything from IP and litigation to financing, securities, compliance, and employment law, depending on the needs of the day
U.S. Person status is required because the role requires access to export controlled information
Licensed to practice law in CA or DC
Wiling and able to work in A Defense Product Company's CA office
Willing and able to travel at least 15% of time

Preferred Qualifications:

Pre-law school professional experience
Combination of law-firm and in-house/government experience
Experience working with the Department of Defense while in private practice
Experience with engineering, software, or other technology
An interest in the law and policy of AI, UAV, spectrum and trade control with opinions about what is right or wrong in the field and how to fix it
Engineering background in the software, mechanical, or electrical engineering fields
Engineering background, particularly in the electronics, radar, or radio spaces