Position Summary:
The Vice President & Deputy General Counsel is a key member of the Legal leadership team, responsible for providing strategic legal guidance and operational oversight across the organization, with a particular emphasis on government contracts law, commercial law, intellectual property, and technology licensing. This role partners closely with executive leadership, business units, and external stakeholders to ensure legal compliance, mitigate risk, and enable business objectives in a dynamic, innovation-driven environment. This role combines deep legal expertise with sound business judgment to enable innovation, growth, and mission success.
Key Responsibilities:
- Government Contracts Law:
- Advise on all aspects of federal government contracting and Other Transactions, including bid and proposal processes, contract negotiations, compliance with FAR/DFARS and other regulations, and dispute resolution.
- Support Senior Vice President of Contracts as needed to review, draft, and negotiate contracts and agreements to support STR's business operations, and to ensure that all contracts comply with legal requirements and mitigate risk.
- Oversee internal policies and training to ensure compliance with government contracting requirements.
- Manage investigations, audits, and responses to government inquiries.
- Commercial Law:
- Draft, review, and negotiate a wide range of commercial agreements, including sales, procurement, distribution, and service contracts.
- Provide counsel on commercial transactions, UCC, risk management, and dispute resolution.
- Support business development initiatives and strategic partnerships.
- Intellectual Property & Technology Licensing:
- Oversee the protection, management, and enforcement of the company's intellectual property portfolio, including patents, trademarks, copyrights, and trade secrets.
- Advise on IP strategy, licensing, technology transfer, and open source compliance.
- Negotiate and structure complex technology licensing and collaboration agreements.
- Leadership & Team Management:
- Serve as a trusted advisor to the Chief Legal Officer and executive leadership by translating complex legal issues into practical business guidance, balancing legal risk with operational objectives, and enabling informed decision-making.
- Support the Chief Legal Officer in advising executive leadership and the Board of Directors on governance matters, corporate policies, delegated authorities, committee support, and regulatory obligations.
- Represent the company in interactions with external counsel, government agencies, and industry groups.
- Risk Management & Compliance:
- Identify, assess, and mitigate legal and regulatory risks across the organization.
- Develop and implement policies, procedures, and training to promote legal compliance and ethical conduct.
- Advise business leaders regarding legal and regulatory compliance across labor and employment, privacy, ethics, cybersecurity, investigations, export controls, intellectual property, procurement, and corporate governance.
- Other:
- Support M&A, real estate, and environmental needs.
- Provide practical legal guidance on workplace policies, internal investigations, employee discipline, leave management, and organizational change initiatives while balancing legal risk with business objectives.
Qualifications:
- Juris Doctor (JD) from an accredited law school; active membership in good standing with a state bar.
- Minimum of 15 years of relevant legal experience, including significant in-house counsel or law firm experience in government contracts, commercial law, intellectual property, and technology licensing.
- Deep knowledge of federal procurement laws and regulations (FAR/DFARS), commercial contracting best practices, Other Transactions, and IP law.
- Demonstrated experience negotiating complex agreements and managing high-stakes legal matters.
- Proven leadership and team management skills.
- Excellent judgment, communication, and interpersonal skills.
- Ability to work collaboratively and strategically in a fast-paced, matrixed environment.
- Ability to obtain a TOP SECRET (TS) security clearance.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Experience in the aerospace & defense and technology industries.
- Prior experience as a Deputy General Counsel or in a senior legal leadership role.
- Familiarity with international contracting and cross-border IP issues.
Full-Time Salary Range: $295,000-$415,000
The salary range listed is based on external market data. Offers are based on factors, such as but not limited to, the candidate's experience, education, training, key skills/critical skills, security clearances, and prevailing market and business conditions.
