Legal Counsel
The future of defense will be decided by those who field intelligent machines at scale. At Scout AI, we’re developing Fury, the first robotic foundation model for defense, to give U.S. forces overwhelming, adaptable, and autonomous power across every domain. Fury enables human operators to command fleets of robots through natural language, and empowers those machines to sense, decide, and act together as one. This mission will ask everything of us: urgency, precision, and relentless work.
The Role We are seeking to hire our first Legal Counsel to lead legal strategy related to government contracting, regulatory compliance, and operational safety. This role will help ensure our products, partnerships, and contracts meet federal requirements while enabling the company to move quickly and responsibly. You’ll work closely with leadership, engineering, operations, and external partners to support government-facing programs and ensure compliance across the organization.
Responsibilities
Lead legal support for U.S. government contracting activities
Draft, review, and negotiate contracts with federal agencies, primes, and subcontractors
Advise the company on compliance with federal procurement rules and regulations
Support regulatory strategy for AI, robotics, and safety-critical systems
Develop and maintain internal compliance programs and policies
Provide guidance on export controls, security requirements, and data handling
Partner with engineering and product teams on safety, risk, and regulatory frameworks
Manage government audits, compliance reviews, and legal risk assessments
Coordinate with outside counsel when necessary
Help build scalable legal and compliance infrastructure as the company grows
Support immigration matters and global mobility as the team grows
Oversee insurance coverage, claims, and overall risk management
Advise on employee and people-related matters, policies, and investigations
Lead intellectual property strategy, filings, protection, and licensing
Negotiate and manage vendor, supplier, and commercial agreements
Support corporate governance, board matters, and entity management
Areas of Focus
Government contracting such as Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR), Other Transaction Authority (OTA), and related U.S. Government contracting frameworks
Subcontractor agreements with Prime suppliers to the U.S. Government
Technology compliance and regulatory readiness in areas such as CMMC, Facility Clearance (FCL), and handling of TS/SCI
Instituting proper guidelines and processes for product safety and operational risk, including being a part of developing the product safety case to be approved by proper government entities
Export controls and national security regulations
Responsible AI deployment in regulated environments
Other contract reviews such as teaming agreements and capital formation documents
Qualifications
J.D. from an accredited top-tier law school and active U.S. bar membership
Experience with government contracting law and federal procurement
Strong understanding of FAR, DFARS, or related regulations
Experience advising technology companies or startups is a plus
Experience negotiating contracts with government agencies or prime
Experience with defense, aerospace, robotics, self-driving, or other related AI companies
Familiarity with safety-critical systems or regulatory frameworks related to emerging technologies
Experience with export controls (ITAR/EAR)
Experience building compliance programs at a startup or scaling company
Must be a U.S. Person due to required access to U.S. export controlled information or facilities
Passion about defense of the United States and its allies
May be expected to obtain and hold a U.S. Top Secret security clearance
Why Join Scout
Work on the world’s most important frontier, ensuring U.S. and allied dominance in the age of intelligent machines
Be a core part of a team building the first defense-specific robotic foundation model
Collaborate with some of the top engineers in autonomy, AI, and national security
See your work deployed on real systems
Help define the future of intelligent defense systems
Backed by Draper Associates, Booz Allen Ventures, PerotJain and other top investors
Benefits
Competitive compensation package including base salary and bonus
Generous equity participation in company growth
Premium medical, dental, and vision plans with $0 paycheck contribution
Competitive PTO and company holiday calendar
Catered lunch daily and fully stocked kitchen
EV charging
Relocation assistance (depending on role eligibility)
The stated salary range below represents an estimated base pay only and reflects consideration of multiple compensation factors. Final salary offers may differ depending on factors including, but not limited to, relevant experience or training background, specialized skills, and business needs. Most full-time positions also include highly competitive equity awards, which form part of Scout AI's overall compensation package. In addition, Scout AI provides comprehensive, top-tier benefits to full-time employees.
US Salary Range $190,000 — $255,000 USD