Assistant General Counsel

Basic Qualifications

Juris Doctor is required. In addition, a minimum 4 years’ experience practicing law, preferably with a law firm or the U.S. government is required.

CLEARANCE REQUIREMENTS:

Department of Defense Top Secret security clearance is preferred at time of hire. For those candidates who do not currently have a clearance, it will be required that it be sought once onboarded. Due to the nature of work performed within our facilities, U.S. citizenship is required.

Responsibilities for this Position

General Dynamics Mission Systems has an immediate opening for an Assistant General Counsel.  The position provides an opportunity to enhance the performance and profitability of an organization that supports some of our nation’s fundamental defense services.  General Dynamics Mission Systems employees work closely with esteemed customers to develop solutions that allow them to carry out high-stakes national security missions.The Assistant General Counsel will oversee the legal affairs of the organization, providing expert legal guidance and support to ensure compliance with laws and regulations, mitigate risks, enable the company to smoothly transact, and protect the company's interests. This role requires a strong understanding of commercial law, excellent analytical skills, and the ability to manage multiple legal matters simultaneously. The Assistant General Counsel will work closely with various departments to provide strategic legal advice and support business operations.

REPRESENTATIVE DUTIES AND TASKS:

• Reporting to the Associate General Counsel, provides sophisticated legal and strategic advice to the lob GM’s and other high-level senior managers of the Company
• Provides leadership and advice on significant governmental and commercial activities to shape, foster, and preserve the Company’s business plans and strategy.
• Accountable for developing, adapting, and executing legal and commercial strategies to achieve key business objectives.
• Provides strategic legal and commercial input to drive financial results and to meet the Company’s financial obligations.
• Negotiates significant governmental and supplier transactions, strategically important sales efforts, and any contractual disputes.
• Participates in M&A diligence activities and helps to shape entity acquisition/divestiture strategy  
• Oversees and drives litigation strategy and key settlement negotiations, often as the lead negotiator.
• Leads significant negotiations with governmental and commercial entities on a wide variety of subject matter including REA’s, ECP’s, and other contracts changes. 
• Oversees and manages the day-to-day operations of the legal department.
• Supports senior legal counsel in providing legal and strategic advice to line of business GMs and other senior managers.
• Provides high-level support for significant negotiations with governmental and commercial entities on various subjects, including REAs, ECPs, and other contract changes.
• Conducts preliminary research and supports M&A diligence activities.
• Leads the drafting, reviewing, and negotiating important legal documents and contracts.
• Identifies and mitigates legal risks to protect the organization's interests.
• Participates in the execution of legal strategies to support financial objectives.
• Ensures compliance with all applicable laws, regulations, and internal policies.
• Manages relationships with external legal counsel and other third-party service providers.
• Travel may be required.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

KNOWLEDGE SKILLS AND ABILITIES:

• Very strong understanding of legal principles, procedures, and strategic legal frameworks.
• Experience with intellectual property, cybersecurity, data privacy and/or government contracts
• Effective leadership, negotiation, and strategic thinking skills.
• Very strong organizational and project management abilities.
• Very strong analytical and problem-solving skills
• Very strong communication skills, both written and verbal.
• Very strong ability to lead and work collaboratively with cross-functional teams
• Enhanced proficiency in legal research tools and Microsoft Office Suite

PREFERRED DEGREE TYPES AND EXPERIENCE:

• A three-year Juris Doctorate degree from a well-regarded, accredited law school
• A four-year Bachelor degree from a well-regarded, accredited college or university
• Active member of a state bar association
• Minimum of 4 years of combined of legal experience at a highly regarded law firm, judicial clerkship, or the United States Department of Justice
• Natural ability to easily engage with, and provide strategic advice to, line of business GM’s and other company leadership
• Natural ability to lead, persuade, and inspire team members and colleagues
• Exceptional litigation and/or negotiation skills
• Ability to thrive in high pressure situations and to be commercially-oriented
• The highest level of analytical skills and propensity to take a team-based approach
• Ability to thrive in a fast-pace governmental and commercial environment.
• Willingness to travel when needed to our various locations
• Expertise in commercial transactions and related negotiations.
• Basic or advanced knowledge of government contracts, licensing, and intellectual property law is preferred
• Exceptional communication and social skills
• Position will be based at our headquarter offices in either Chantilly, VA or Scottsdale, AZ depending upon the applicant’s choice and company needs

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Combined Salary Range

Company Overview

General Dynamics Mission Systems (GDMS) engineers a diverse portfolio of high technology solutions, products and services that enable customers to successfully execute missions across all domains of operation. With a global team of 12,000+ top professionals, we partner with the best in industry to expand the bounds of innovation in the defense and scientific arenas. Given the nature of our work and who we are, we value trust, honesty, alignment and transparency. We offer highly competitive benefits and pride ourselves in being a great place to work with a shared sense of purpose. You will also enjoy a flexible work environment where contributions are recognized and rewarded. If who we are and what we do resonates with you, we invite you to join our high-performance team!

Equal Opportunity Employer / Individuals with Disabilities / Protected Veterans