Associate General Counsel, Labor & Employment

Hadrian - Manufacturing the Future

Hadrian is building autonomous factories that help aerospace and defense companies manufacture rockets, satellites, jets, and ships up to 10x faster and up to 2x cheaper. By combining advanced software, robotics, and full‑stack manufacturing, we are reinventing how America produces its most critical parts.

We’re accelerating our mission with the launch of Factory 3 in Mesa, Arizona, a 290,000-square‑foot facility creating 350 new jobs. We are expanding rapidly to support thousands of future hires, launching Hadrian Maritime to expand into naval production, and introducing a Factory-as-a-Service model that delivers complete systems instead of individual parts.

Hadrian is backed by leading investors including T. Rowe Price, Lux Capital, Founders Fund, and Andreessen Horowitz, our fast‑growing team is united around reindustrializing American manufacturing for the 21st century and beyond.

The Role

The Associate General Counsel, Employment & Corporate will report to Hadrian's General Counsel and will serve as the company's go‑to legal advisor on employment, labor, and corporate matters, with a particular focus on supporting a large, non‑exempt workforce across multiple facilities in different geographies.

This is a strategic, hands‑on role for a senior attorney with significant employment and labor law experience who likes to build and thrives in a high‑growth, fast‑paced environment. You will partner closely with the General Counsel and People and Operations teams to advise on workforce compliance, policy development and implementation, and labor and employment risk management.

What You’ll Do

• Advise on all aspects of labor and employment law, including:
  • Wage and hour compliance
  • Hiring, termination, and performance management
  • Policies, handbooks, and employment agreements
  • Leaves of absence, accommodations, and workforce issues
• Support workforce planning initiatives
• Partner with cross‑functional teams (People, Finance, Operations) to operationalize employment law compliance in a fast‑paced advanced manufacturing environment
• Draft, review, and negotiate employment agreements and related documents
• Develop and maintain policies, playbooks, trainings, and guidance for managers and employees
• Serve as a subject matter expert on HR and employment law best practices, ensuring compliance with federal, state, and local laws
• Support any internal investigations or audits

What We’re Looking For

• JD from an accredited law school and active bar membership
• 10 - 15+ years of experience practicing employment law, preferably with exposure to non‑exempt / hourly workforce matters in‑house and/or in a law firm environment
• Experience supporting a manufacturing, industrial, or operational workforce is highly desirable
• Strong knowledge of federal, state, and local employment laws, including wage and hour, leave, and accommodations compliance, as well as labor practices
• Hands‑on experience building and advising on compliance systems
• Hands‑on experience drafting policies, employment agreements, training materials, and compliance documentation
• Strong judgment and ability to advise senior leadership on strategic and operational decisions
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills

What Sets You Apart

• Experience in high‑growth or startup environments
• Experience with multi‑state hourly workforce compliance
• Familiarity with California employment law
• Exposure to corporate governance, entity management, and operational compliance
• Prior in‑house counsel experience supporting People/HR teams in large ops organizations
• Ability to translate complex legal requirements into practical guidance for managers and employees
• Track record of building scalable processes and documentation to support rapid organizational growth

Compensation

For this role, the target salary range is $250,000 - $300,000 (actual range may vary based on experience). This is the lowest to highest salary we reasonably and in good faith believe we would pay for this role at the time of this posting. We may ultimately pay more or less than the posted range, and the range may be modified in the future. An employee's pay position within the salary range will be based on several factors, including, but not limited to, relevant education, qualifications, certifications, experience, skills, geographic location, performance, and business or organizational needs.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, vision, and life insurance plans for employees
• 401k
• Relocation support may be provided for certain situations, based on business need.
• Flexible vacation policy

ITAR Requirements

To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) you must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. Learn more about the ITAR here.

Hadrian Is An Equal Opportunity Employer

It is the Company’s policy to provide equal employment opportunity for all applicants and employees. The Company does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race inclusive of traits historically associated with race (including, but not limited to, hair texture and protective hairstyles, such as braids, locks and twists), color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), gender identity, gender expression, transgender status, national origin (including, in California, possession of a drivers license), ancestry, citizenship, age, physical or mental disability, height or weight, medical condition, family care status, military or veteran status, marital status, domestic partner status, sexual orientation, genetic information, exercise of reproductive rights, any other basis protected by local, state, or federal laws, or any combination of the above characteristics. When necessary, the Company also makes reasonable accommodations for disabled candidates and employees, including for candidates or employees who are disabled by pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions.