Director, Real Estate and Commercial Counsel

About the Team: 

Relativity Space’s Legal team is nimble and entrepreneurial, filled with collaborative team players with deep domain expertise dedicated to each other’s and the company’s success. The team sits at the epicenter of business activities and decision-making and is responsible for identifying and managing risks across the organization to ensure Relativity is adequately protected through its rapid growth. Team members manage the full suite of legal and regulatory issues, including intellectual property, employment, licensing, procurement, government contracting, vendor and customer contracts, trade compliance, corporate transactions, and governance, among other business-enabling responsibilities. Unique to Relativity’s fast-paced, high-growth environment, the team works across many departments to support Relativity's ambitious goals. Additionally, the company is in a formative phase, with enough structure to build from and still plenty of room for you to define what’s next. If you want to be on the front lines of a rapidly evolving commercial space industry, Relativity is the place for you.

We are looking to add an exceptional Director, Real Estate and Commercial Counsel to focus on driving large-scale, infrastructure projects from start to finish. You will be a strategic partner to Relativity’s Infrastructure & Facilities Team and other executive and ownership teams on high-visibility, high-impact development projects, including acquiring and leasing land, building and renovating factories and commercial buildings, building launch and test sites, installing utilities, and developing and updating transportation infrastructure (e.g., water, roads). You will also support procurement of equipment, gods, and services related to enabling use of facilities at various sites, including construction materials, manufacturing and building equipment, and utilities services

About the Role:

• Lead legal strategy and execution for infrastructure projects needed to expand the Company’s business operations, including strategy and execution of legal requirements.
• Draft, review, and negotiate a wide variety of commercial agreements, including purchase and sale agreements, leases, construction agreements (with architects, contractors, etc.), easements, maintenance agreements, and related instruments.
• Advise internal stakeholders on land use, title, entitlements, permitting, and zoning for infrastructure development.
• Partner with cross-functional teams in engineering, test and launch operations, manufacturing, and finance to support new site acquisitions, construction, and facility buildouts.
• Implement scalable practices for managing infrastructure project risks, contract compliance, and long-term infrastructure planning. 
• Negotiate other types of commercial contracts, including supply chain and IT procurement, as needed.

About You:

• JD from an accredited law school and active bar membership in at least one U.S. state.
• 7+ years of post-JD experience
• 3+ years of relevant experience at a top law firm. 
• Excellent contract negotiation, drafting, and project management skills. 
• Strategic thinker who thrives in a fast-paced, innovative environment.
• Motivated, self-starter with the ability to wrangle disparate stakeholder groups.

Nice to haves but not required:  

• Proven experience driving large-scale real estate, infrastructure, or construction projects from start to finish, with domain expertise in key subject areas.
• Ability to translate legal complexity into practical guidance for technical and operational teams. 
• In-house experience partnering closely with business and ownership teams at a rapidly scaling, operationally complex company.
• Oriented to considering the business implications of your legal advice, with a keen sense of contextual risk calibration.