Lean Contract Jobs in Washington (NOW HIRING)

Zeno Power is the leading developer of nuclear batteries - compact power systems that provide reliable, clean energy in frontier environments. By harnessing the heat from radioisotopes, Zeno's batteries power critical missions on Earth, in space, and at sea. To bring this technology to market by 2027, Zeno is seeking out purpose-driven and innovative professionals who are comfortable working in a startup environment. Team members will have a direct impact in enabling commercial and national security missions from the depths of our oceans, to the surface of the moon, and in austere environments here on Earth. Zeno is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer and is committed to attracting, retaining, and developing a highly qualified, diverse, and dedicated work force. We do not discriminate in hiring on the basis of sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, color, religious creed, national origin, physical or mental disability, protected Veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law.

Zeno Power is seeking a detail-oriented and proactive Senior Contracts Management Paralegal to support the Legal team in our Washington, DC office. This role will work closely with the Chief Regulatory and Legal Officer, counterparties, and inside and outside counsel to manage a broad range of corporate and contracts matters as Zeno scales through its next phase of growth as a commercial and national security supplier of radioisotope power systems.

The ideal candidate is highly organized, comfortable managing competing priorities in a fast-moving environment, and eager to build infrastructure, process, and deep subject-matter fluency across corporate governance, commercial and government contracts, and other key corporate needs in an exciting and complex field.

• Support day-to-day contract management, including contract intake and organization, processing, and negotiating and redlining under attorney direction.
• Partner with counsel to develop and maintain contract negotiation playbooks for common agreements (e.g., NDAs, services agreements, vendor contracts), and support legal research on related matters.
• Assist with transaction-related regulatory filings and compliance documentation, including CMMC, CFIUS, and other government-contracting-related submissions.
• Stand up a contracts lifecycle management system (CLM) and create and update contracts management processes and guidance.
• Help prepare diligence materials and manage data rooms for fundraising, M&A, or other strategic transactions.
• Support export control compliance workstreams (ITAR/EAR), including recordkeeping, screening, and coordination with the Legal and IT teams on classification and access-control matters.
• Work closely on corporate governance matters, including board meeting logistics, resolutions, consents, cap table documentation, entity minute books, and maintenance of corporate formalities across Zeno's entities.
• Assist with IP-related matters, including coordinating with outside counsel on filing actions and managing our patent database.
• Support employment and litigation matters, including organizing personnel-related legal documentation, litigation holds, and investigation logistics.
• Own administrative aspects of the Legal function, including calendaring key deadlines (POA&Ms, filing dates, contract renewals), maintaining trackers, and flagging upcoming obligations proactively.

• 6+ years of paralegal experience, ideally a portion of which in-house, supporting corporate and transactional work; including experience with government contractors, aerospace/defense, and/or other regulated industries.
• Strong familiarity developing and implementing contract lifecycle management systems, writing related guidance, and training staff.
• Experience managing corporate governance documentation and general corporate legal operations.
• Exposure to government contracting compliance frameworks (e.g., CMMC, FAR/DFARS) and/or export control regimes (ITAR/EAR) is a significant plus.
• Exceptional organizational skills and follow-through, while independently ensuring consistent execution and attention to detail across multiple priorities and deadlines.
• Exercises sound judgment and discretion when handling highly confidential and sensitive information, including personnel matters, intellectual property, and investor materials.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, and capable of producing clear, well-organized summaries and documentation while effectively engaging with counterparties.
• Comfortable working directly with senior leadership and outside counsel in a lean, fast-paced startup environment.
• Proficiency with standard legal and productivity tools (e.g., CLMs like Ironclad, Microsoft Office/Google Workspace, Confluence and Jira).

• Position requires in-office presence in Washington, D.C. (Mt. Vernon/Chinatown) on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays; remote work is optional on Mondays and Fridays.
• Travel: Limited travel required, up to 5%
• Motor Abilities: Sitting and/or standing for extended periods, bending/stooping, grasping/gripping, fine motor control (hands)
• Physical exertion and/or requirements: Minimal, with ability to safely lift up to 15 pounds
• Repetitive work: Prolonged
• Special Senses: Visual and audio focused work
• Work Conditions: Stairs, typing/keyboard, standard and/or sitting working environment of >8 hrs./day

The anticipated salary band for this position is $110,000 - $135,000. The final job level and compensation will be determined by various factors such as a candidate's relevant work experience, years of relevant experience, skills, qualifications, certifications, and other business considerations.

In addition to competitive compensation, we also offer a generous benefits package, which includes:

• Stock options
• Flexible paid time off
• 401k plan with employer match
• 16 weeks of paid family leave
• 11 observed company holidays
• Employer HSA contributions
• Life insurance
• Transit benefits to put toward commuting expenses
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• Relocation assistance
• Professional development
• Employee recognition program
• Company-sponsored ClassPass benefit to support employee wellness
• Dog friendly office

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the functions. While performing the duties of this position, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear. Specific vision abilities required by this position include close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, and the ability to adjust focus. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

This job description in no way states or implies that these are the only duties to be performed by the employee(s) incumbent in this position. Employees will be required to follow any other job-related instructions and to perform any other job-related duties requested by any person authorized to give instructions or assignments. All duties and responsibilities are essential functions and requirements and are subject to possible modification to reasonably accommodate individuals with disabilities. To perform this job successfully, the incumbents will possess the skills, aptitudes, and abilities to perform each duty proficiently. Some requirements may exclude individuals who pose a direct threat or significant risk to the health or safety of themselves or others. The requirements listed in this document are the minimum levels of knowledge, skills, or abilities. This document does not create an employment contract, implied or otherwise, other than an "at will" relationship.

Applicants for employment at Zeno Power must be a U.S. person. The term "U.S. Person" means (i) a U.S citizen or U.S. national; or (ii) any natural person who is a U.S. Lawful Permanent Resident (i.e., holds a Green Card), as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(20) or as a "protected individual" defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3) (i.e., admitted as a refugee or is granted asylum).