[Hiring] General Counsel @AE Studio

Role Description

We need our first in-house lawyer. Demand and our own expansion have outpaced what we can handle today:

• Research grants closing
• Government and national-security work opening up
• University and lab partnerships forming
• Shift toward outcome-based commercial work

All of it carries real legal weight and business urgency, and today it sits largely on the founders' shoulders, backed by excellent outside counsel.

You'd start by learning what already works here and helping scale it, then improving and adapting it as new opportunities arise. The timing is the real opportunity: we're 10 years in, established and growing fast, and right at the start of a major inflection point. You'd be here during a step change.

What you'll work on:

• Shifting the commercial business toward outcome-based and productized work, shaping deal terms.
• Helping win major research grants to fund foundational AI Alignment work.
• Shaping first-of-their-kind partnerships with government agencies, research labs, and universities.
• Expanding government work, opening new contracts and programs.
• Managing intellectual property, including ownership, licensing, protection, and publication.
• Handling steady in-house workstreams: NDAs, vendor agreements, employment, corporate governance.

Qualifications

• Strong generalist with solid fundamentals and judgment from real experience.
• Ability to pick up new areas quickly and excel in them.
• Real business sense with practical guidance on risk.
• Flexible negotiator who knows which terms are worth fighting for.
• Clear translator of complex business dynamics into strategy.
• No-job-too-small instincts, handling tasks without ego.
• Technical background or deep experience with technology and technical people.
• AI-native way of working, utilizing the latest AI tools with care for confidentiality.
• Strong organizational and process skills with an ownership mentality.
• Creativity and hunger to find the best answers.
• Real partnership with outside counsel.
• Alignment with fast-paced, high-variance operational style.

Requirements

• JD from an accredited law school, with active, good-standing membership in the California bar (open to exceptional out-of-state candidates).
• Real strength in commercial transactions and technology/AI work.
• Ideal: experience across IP, nonprofit, grants, and government.
• Substantial in-house experience and/or strong firm training.
• Complete integrity and discretion with sensitive matters.
• Comfort in a fast, ambiguous, high-ownership environment.

Benefits

• Good-faith base salary range (full-time) is $225,000 - $300,000, plus variable compensation and equity participation.
• Remote-first with flexible schedules.
• Health insurance.
• Free lunches at the office.
• Weekly knowledge-sharing talks.
• Annual team retreat.
• Regular performance-based raises.
• Diversified employee equity program.