Director of Contract Negotiation and Administration

K2 is building the largest and highest-power satellites ever flown, unlocking performance levels previously out of reach across every orbit. Backed by $450M from leading investors including Altimeter Capital, Redpoint Ventures, T. Rowe Price, Lightspeed Venture Partners, Alpine Space Ventures, and others - with an additional $500M in signed contracts across commercial and US government customers - we’re mass-producing the highest-power satellite platforms ever built for missions from LEO to deep space.

The rise of heavy-lift launch vehicles is shifting the industry from an era of mass constraint to one of mass abundance, and we believe this new era demands a fundamentally different class of spacecraft. Engineered to survive the harshest radiation environments and to fully capitalize on today’s and tomorrow’s massive rockets, K2 satellites deliver unmatched capability at constellation scale and across multiple orbits.

With multiple launches planned through 2026 and 2027, we're Building Bigger to develop the solar system and become a Kardashev Type II (K2) civilization. If you are a motivated individual who thrives in a fast-paced environment and you're excited about contributing to the success of a groundbreaking Series C space startup, we’d love for you to apply.

The Role

You will be responsible for building and supporting the Legal function as we launch into the next phase of our hyper-growth. This role will partner directly with the co-founders and leadership team to support company growth and ensure K2 Space provides the best employee experience for our stellar team.

As Director of Contract Negotiation and Administration, you will own a pipeline of $1B+ in public and private contracts, leading negotiations end-to-end across commercial and USG deals, partnering directly with the co-founders to close the agreements that fuel K2's growth. This will be the third hire on the K2 Space legal team and has significant growth potential.

Responsibilities

• Review, draft, and negotiate a variety of commercial contracts, including procurement/supply chain agreements, subcontracts, vendor agreements, consulting agreements, and purchase orders

• Work hand-in-hand with K2 Space’s Supply Chain team to refresh template documents, navigate supplier negotiations, and manage procurement/supply chain issues arising out of IP disputes, late delivery, failure to meet contractual specifications, and similar contentious matters

• Streamline the NDA process, including refreshing templates, establishing escalation points, centralizing NDAs, and creating processes to speed up the NDA lifecycle

• Create document storage protocols and single sources of truth for contract documentation, NDAs, and other key documents

• Lead USG contracting compliance, including assisting in the preparation of USG proposals and the administration of USG contracts, managing K2 Space’s SAM registration and similar USG contracting compliance obligations, and rolling out required policies and procedures

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in Business or applicable technical field

• An active security clearance

• 7+ years of relevant experience as a contracts manager

• Demonstrated experience managing a high-volume contracts portfolio across both government and commercial clients

• Direct experience drafting and negotiating a variety of commercial contracts, including some combination of procurement/supply chain agreements, subcontracts, vendor agreements, consulting agreements, and purchase orders

• Familiarity with INCO terms, customs issues, import regulations, and other regulatory matters impacting procurement/supply chain

• Direct experience administering USG contracts

• Direct experience drafting and negotiating NDAs - bonus if it’s been in the aerospace, engineering, or technology industries

• Strong organizational skills

Nice to Have

• A JD

• Experience working in the USG as a USG contracts administrator

• Experience in the space or aerospace industries

• Knowledge of ITAR and EAR

Compensation and Benefits:

• Base salary range for this role is $165,000 - $215,000 + equity in the company

• Salary will be based on several factors including, but not limited to: knowledge and skills, education, and experience level

• Comprehensive benefits package including paid time off, medical/dental/vision coverage, life insurance, paid parental leave, and many other perks

If you don’t meet 100% of the preferred skills and experience, we encourage you to still apply! Building a spacecraft unlike any other requires a team unlike any other and non-traditional career twists and turns are encouraged!

If you need a reasonable accommodation as part of your application for employment or interviews with us, please let us know.

Export Compliance

As defined in the ITAR, “U.S. Persons” include U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents (i.e., Green Card holders), and certain protected individuals (e.g., refugees/asylees, American Samoans). Please consult with a knowledgeable advisor if you are unsure whether you are a “U.S. Person.”

The person hired for this role will have access to information and items controlled by U.S. export control regulations, including the export control regulations outlined in the International Traffic in Arms Regulation (ITAR). The person hired for this role must therefore either be a “U.S. person” as defined by 22 C.F.R. § 120.15 or otherwise eligible for a federally issued export control license.

Equal Opportunity

K2 Space is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with K2 Space is governed on the basis of merit, competence and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status.