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 RoleWe are seeking to bring in-house 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.

Scout AI prefers in-office work but will consider hybrid or remote arrangements for key contributors.

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

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), handling of TS/SCI, etc. 
• 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

Additional Responsibilities

• 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.

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 primes.

Nice to Have

• 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.
• Security clearance or experience working in cleared environments (not required).

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)