Head of Legal and Compliance

Company

Machina Labs is a smart manufacturing company backed by major investors in AI and Deep Tech (Innovation Endeavors, Nvidia NVentures, Lockheed Martin Ventures), founded in 2019 and based in Los Angeles, CA. We are on a mission to build the factory of the future through the development of modular manufacturing solutions that allow our customers to rapidly produce and iterate on their designs utilizing our robotic sheet metal forming platform. Using our first-of-its-kind software and robotics solution, we are delivering unseen innovation to industries such as aerospace, automotive and space exploration. At Machina Labs, we believe anyone can become a crafts(wo)man and bring that attitude to our work every day, come and join us!

About the Role

As our first in-house legal hire, the Head of Legal and Compliance will establish and lead the legal function at Machina Labs. You’ll work closely with the executive team and the various departments, building and owning our legal strategy, compliance, risk management, and government contracting support. This role is critical as our work with the leading defense primes and the Department of Defense continues to expand. You’ll build scalable legal and compliance infrastructure to support our growth and help the company navigate complex regulatory environments.

Responsibilities

• Draft, review, and negotiate contracts with U.S. government agencies, defense primes, and commercial customers.
• Manage the full lifecycle of government contracts, including FAR/DFARS compliance, flow-downs, and risk mitigation.
• Support business development and engineering teams in crafting compliant proposals and agreements.
• Design scalable systems for contract review and lifecycle management.

• Own and maintain the company’s compliance programs, particularly ITAR, EAR, NIST 800-171/CMMC, and related defense industry regulations.
• Serve as the point of contact for regulatory agencies and compliance-related audits or certifications.
• Monitor evolving federal procurement and export control policies and advise leadership on impact and strategy.
• Develop internal training programs and policies to reinforce compliance culture across the company.

• Partner with outside counsel to support corporate legal matters, including intellectual property, equity, HR, fundraising, and general risk management. While not expected to lead these areas directly, you will coordinate internally and externally to ensure legal alignment and operational efficiency.

• J.D. from an ABA-accredited law school and active membership in a U.S. state bar (California preferred).
• 8+ years of legal experience, including significant exposure to government contracts and defense industry compliance.
• Experience working in or with defense contractors, government agencies, or law firms that service aerospace and defense clients.
• Deep understanding of ITAR, EAR, DFARS/FAR, and other relevant U.S. regulatory frameworks.
• Ability to operate independently, build systems from scratch, and wear multiple hats in a fast-paced, startup environment.

• Prior in-house legal experience at a high-growth startup or small company, especially in dual-use or advanced technology sectors.
• Familiarity with cybersecurity compliance frameworks (e.g., CMMC).
• Experience scaling legal and compliance functions in rapidly growing organizations.
• Excellent judgment, clear communication, and pragmatic problem-solving skills.

Machina Labs is an Affirmative Action and Equal Employment Opportunity employer and considers all applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, or status as a protected veteran in accordance with state and federal law. 

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