In-House Legal Counsel

About the Role

Astra is seeking a highly skilled In-House Legal Counsel to advise cross-functionally in a mission-driven aerospace environment. You will serve as a trusted advisor to business leaders, providing strategic legal guidance on a broad range of matters critical to an aerospace company operating in a complex regulatory and commercial environment. What You'll Do

• Lead and support M&A transactions through due diligence, deal structuring, negotiation, and post-closing integration, coordinating with external counsel, investment bankers, and senior leadership.

• Draft, review, and negotiate commercial agreements (development, licensing, NDAs, SaaS, government/defense contracts); develop standard templates and playbooks; advise on interpretation, obligations, and risk mitigation.

• Manage vendor/supplier negotiations including MSAs and SOWs; collaborate with Supply Chain/Procurement; identify and mitigate legal/commercial risks; resolve disputes in line with company interests.

• Administer equity program using Carta (option grants, RSUs, exercises, 409A valuations); ensure securities law compliance for issuances and secondary transactions; serve as primary legal point of contact for board/investor equity matters.

• Provide regulatory and compliance guidance for FAA, ITAR, EAR; monitor regulatory developments; assist with internal policies and training.

• Provide general legal advisory on employment, IP, data privacy, litigation management, and governance; manage outside counsel and legal spend; support board meetings and corporate records. What We're Looking For

• J.D. from ABA-accredited law school; active California State Bar membership.

• 7–10 years of legal experience, with a mix of top-tier law firm and in-house roles; demonstrated M&A experience including due diligence, drafting, negotiations.

• Extensive contracts experience across commercial, technology, and/or government/defense agreements; hands-on vendor negotiations; proficiency with Carta for equity management and cap table maintenance.

• Excellent communication skills; ability to translate complex legal issues into actionable business guidance; ability to manage high-volume workload with minimal supervision.

• Experience using AI tools (e.g., ChatGPT, Claude) for efficiency and workflow. Nice to Have

• Experience in aerospace, defense, aviation, or highly regulated tech; familiarity with ITAR, EAR, FAR/DFARS, FAA.

• Securities law, corporate governance, or financing transactions background; experience with venture-backed or publicly traded company growth. Compensation & Benefits

• Salary: $198,150 – $264,176 per year; USD. Benefits include health, vision, dental, 401(k); equity; lunch and snacks. Reasonable accommodations available during application/interview process.

• ITAR compliance: position requires eligibility under U.S. export controls; background checks and government regulations apply.