Overview
An exceptionally well-funded seed-stage startup focused on building AI systems to discover new physics at scale is seeking a Chief Operating Officer. This role serves as a strategic partner to the CEO, responsible for building the operating backbone of the organization and running it as a tightly integrated, agent-augmented entity.
The mission is to discover and commercialize transformative physics breakthroughs at scale using artificial superintelligence, ensuring safety, verifiability, and broad public benefit.
Responsibilities
- Develop and advance the legal function as the first in-house legal hire, building on the existing foundation and determining which legal functions should be internalized as the organization grows.
- Establish contracts, processes, and playbooks that scale with the company and avoid bottlenecks.
- Lead negotiation and structuring of complex agreements with sophisticated enterprise customers across compute infrastructure, energy, and related industrial sectors.
- Innovate deal structures to transition agreements from pilot phases to production and from early contracts to large, long-term commitments, while protecting intellectual property and limiting downside risk.
- Support fundraising efforts by partnering with leadership and investors during financing rounds, managing corporate housekeeping, cap table and equity hygiene, entity and governance structure, and documentation.
- Maintain a fundable posture for the organization and support board and governance matters on an ongoing basis.
- Manage employment and people-related matters including offer letters, equity grants, contractor and employee classification, immigration support, policies, and employment issues arising from rapid hiring.
- Establish and oversee the intellectual property program, including invention assignment, trade secret protection, patent strategy in coordination with technical leadership, and open-source policy.
- Ensure compliance with regulatory requirements related to physics research, large-scale computing, and energy work, including export controls, data protection and privacy, safety, and sector-specific regulations.
- Provide fast, practical, and risk-calibrated legal advice to support business progress, knowing when to engage specialist outside counsel.
Requirements
- Proven experience building or substantially developing a legal function, ideally as a sole or near-sole in-house lawyer.
- Strong commercial contracting skills with experience negotiating complex, high-value enterprise deals.
- Experience supporting or leading venture financing rounds, with understanding of diligence and maintaining a fundable corporate posture.
- Working knowledge of employment law in fast-growing companies, including hiring, equity, classification, and policy development.
- Solid grounding in intellectual property relevant to deep technology, including trade secrets, invention assignment, patent strategy, and open source.
- Familiarity with regulatory landscapes affecting advanced technology, including export controls, data privacy, and safety.
- Ability to operate efficiently in fast-moving environments, providing clear answers and moving initiatives forward without bureaucratic delays.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience in deep tech, hardware, energy, or compute infrastructure companies, or other regulated technical fields.
- Familiarity with export control regimes such as EAR/ITAR and national-security considerations related to advanced compute, physics, and energy.
- Background advising on AI, data, or emerging technology regulatory issues.
- Experience managing outside counsel panels cost-effectively.
- Admission to practice law in Massachusetts or eligibility for in-house registration.
Location and Compensation
- This position is based in Boston, with remote candidates considered on a case-by-case basis.
- Competitive compensation package including salary, benefits, and meaningful early-stage equity.
The organization is an equal opportunity employer valuing diverse perspectives in building platforms for AI-driven discovery.