Legal Counsel, IP Transactions

Legal Counsel, IP Transactions

Anduril Industries is a defense technology company with a mission to transform U.S. and allied military capabilities with advanced technology. By bringing the expertise, technology, and business model of the 21st century's most innovative companies to the defense industry, Anduril is changing how military systems are designed, built and sold. Anduril's family of systems is powered by Lattice OS, an AI-powered operating system that turns thousands of data streams into a realtime, 3D command and control center. As the world enters an era of strategic competition, Anduril is committed to bringing cutting-edge autonomy, AI, computer vision, sensor fusion, and networking technology to the military in months, not years.

About The Job

Anduril is a fast-growing company. Consistent with this fast growth, members of Anduril's Legal team must be resourceful, creative, and eager to take ownership of complex matters. The IP & Tech Transactions Counsel will need deep substantive expertise in IP licensing and other tech transactions, sharp commercial instincts, and the project management skills to drive complex, multi-stakeholder deals to closure on tight timelines — all in service of helping Anduril deploy its path-making technology into operational settings for the United States and its allies. Comfort operating at the intersection of cutting-edge technology (AI/ML, autonomy, computer vision, sensor fusion) and complex government and commercial customer requirements is essential.

What You'll Do

• Be a key member of Anduril's dynamic Legal team
• Serve as the primary legal point of contact on IP licensing and other complex technology transactions, advising on deal structure, IP strategy, and risk.
• Structure IP ownership, licensing, and rights allocation across complex multi-party arrangements — including joint development, OEM/reseller, government-prime/sub, and platform integration deals — balancing Anduril's need to protect core technology with commercial and operational requirements.
• Advise on IP and data issues unique to AI and autonomous systems — including training data rights, model and weights licensing, foundation-model and third-party AI usage, output ownership, and the interaction between commercial IP terms and government data rights.
• Draft, review, and negotiate a wide variety of technology and IP agreements, including inbound and outbound technology licenses, software and SaaS agreements, data licenses, master collaboration and co-development agreements, joint development agreements, OEM and reseller agreements, strategic alliance and teaming agreements, evaluation and proof-of-concept agreements, MNDAs, and the IP and technology aspects of M&A and joint venture transactions.
• Develop and own scalable processes, templates, and playbooks for IP and other technology transactions.
• Report to the Corporate / M&A Lead, while partnering with IP, Privacy, Export Control, and Government Contracts colleagues within Legal, and with outside counsel, to deliver coordinated advice on deals that span commercial, regulatory, and national-security considerations. You'll be a resource to, but not a part of, the Intellectual Property Legal Team that is responsible for Anduril's Intellectual Property portfolio.

Required Qualifications

• JD from a top-tier accredited law school
• 6+ years of experience practicing IP licensing and other technology transactions at a top law firm and/or in-house at a technology company, with substantial direct experience drafting and negotiating complex IP / tech transactions agreements.
• Active membership in good standing with the bar in at least one U.S. state, with the ability to become authorized to practice in California (e.g., through California Bar membership or California Registered In-House Counsel status).
• Demonstrated expertise in IP ownership and rights allocation, open source software issues, and IP/data terms in complex strategic transactions.
• Proven ability to thrive in a high-volume, rapidly evolving environment, expertly juggling a substantial portfolio of diverse projects and driving them to completion with urgency and precision.
• Demonstrated capacity to go above and beyond, anticipating needs, proactively identifying solutions, and taking initiative to overcome obstacles to ensure project momentum and strategic outcomes.
• Exceptional negotiation, drafting, and verbal communication skills with meticulous attention to detail.
• High level of proficiency with legal research platforms, contract lifecycle management systems, and other collaboration/project management software. Adept at leveraging IT solutions for legal workflow optimization and efficiency, and quickly adapting to new technologies.
• Ability to provide clear, pragmatic, and business-focused risk analyses and recommendations to executive leadership in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong commercial judgment and the ability to translate technical and IP concepts for business stakeholders
• Willing and able to work in Anduril's Costa Mesa, California office full-time. Our team thrives on in-person collaboration so remote/hybrid is not available.
• Willing and able to travel at least 25% of time

Preferred Qualifications

• In-house experience preferred, not required
• Experience with AI/ML, autonomy, robotics, or other emerging-technology licensing and partnerships, including familiarity with training data rights, model licensing, and AI output / IP ownership issues
• Familiarity with U.S. government IP and data rights frameworks (e.g., FAR/DFARS data rights clauses, technical data and software rights, SBIR data rights, CRADAs and OTAs)
• Experience with a variety of complex commercial transactions adjacent to IP licensing — including M&A strategic alliances, joint ventures and co-development arrangements, OEM and platform-integration deals, and strategic supply and manufacturing transactions
• Experience with Defense companies, Robotics, Technology, or other manufacturing-heavy companies.
• Technical background or fluency (e.g., engineering, computer science, or equivalent industry experience) sufficient to engage substantively with Anduril's engineering teams
• Active Secret clearance

US Salary Range

$191,000 - $235,000 USD

The salary range for this role is an estimate based on a wide range of compensation factors, inclusive of base salary only. Actual salary offer may vary based on (but not limited to) work experience, education and/or training, critical skills, and/or business considerations. Highly competitive equity grants are included in the majority of full time offers; and are considered part of Anduril's total compensation package. Additionally, Anduril offers top-tier benefits for full-time employees, including: