With an increasing number of international partnerships and agreements SGAC is forming with industry, academia, government, and non-governmental organisations, as well as reforms to SGAC’s internal governance and structure, it has become necessary to have additional expertise within the Executive Office to review legal documents that would impact the organisation for years to come.

SGAC is seeking a volunteer member with expertise in managing the legal affairs of an international non-governmental not-for-profit organisation, contracts, memoranda of understanding, and institutional documents to join our Office of the General Counsel inhouse Legal Team as Co-Lead

Deadline for applications: 25 February 31 March 2022

Responsibilities:

  • Serve as a Co-Lead to the Office of the General Counsel
  • Review SGAC memoranda of understanding, statements of intent, contracts, and other agreements;
  • Manage the day to day legal affairs, including tax and reporting obligations, of an international non-governmental not-for-profit organisation with registered offices in the U.S and Austria;
  • Provide SGAC with support with potential legal issues (e.g.: violation of the bylaws or the code of conduct);
  • Provide support for long term projects such as project group activities requiring legal input;
  • Examine ongoing agreements that are about to expire/up for review;
  • Support the constant improvement of SGAC’s governance by undertaking reviews of the SGAC Bylaws, Statute, and other institutional documents. 
  • Identify areas of improvement within SGAC internal process documentation to ensure long term organizational stability and take on administrative tasks connected with the registration, intellectual property, and the financing of the organisation (endowment etc.)

This volunteer role reports to the SGAC Chairs and Executive Director and is part of the SGAC Executive Committee. It includes significant consultation with the SGAC Chairs, Executive Director, Operations Manager, Treasurer, and the Strategic Partnerships Team.

Estimated time commitment: 2 – 3 volunteer hours of SGAC work per week

Location: As with all SGAC positions, meetings and work will be completed virtually. Communication skills and ability to respond in a timely manner are vital.

Necessary Qualifications and Skills

  • SGAC membership: registration on the SGAC website and 33 years of age or less at the moment of the application
  • Must have a law degree. A license to practice law in any U.S State, or other common law or civil law jurisdiction is not a requirement, but would be considered favourably 
  • Hands-on experience with legal contract documentation & review in a non-academic capacity
  • Experience and/or knowledge of U.S not-for-profit laws, including, but not limited to, reporting requirements of a US 501c3 organisation, administrative filings of Board Members, and taxation,  is desirable.
  • Interest in applying legal background in the aerospace sector
  • Business/professional fluency in English
  • Ability to respond quickly and efficiently to emails
  • Awareness of international cultural cooperation principles, concepts and techniques
  • Strong attention to detail
  • Familiarity with the SGAC mission and its objectives
  • Teamwork capacity and proven leadership skills
  • Understanding of the global space sector landscape is preferred but not necessary

Benefits

As part of the SGAC Office of the General Counsel, you will have the opportunity to network with space industry professionals, academics, and organisations. The successful applicant will also have the opportunity to enhance his/her leadership, business development and management skills, and grow his/her skill sets to work with an international, interdisciplinary, and multicultural team.

Benefits of this position include:

  • Meeting and working with young space sector leaders from around the world
  • Building leadership skills and other skills that are directly translatable to your career
  • Shaping and the strategies, practises and procedures of an international organisation
  • Having a significant impact on SGAC’s image on the international stage
  • Contributing to the growth and sustainability of the organisation

This is a voluntary role and has no monetary compensation. Appointment is for a term of 2 years, with the option to extend for a second term.

How to Apply

To apply for this position, please complete our Vacancy Application Form by Thursday, 31 March 2022, with the following documents as attachments:

  • A Letter of Intent (maximum 1 page)
  • Your CV (maximum 2 pages)
  • List of three past experiences and how they have prepared you for this role (maximum 1 page)

Only complete applications will be considered. For any questions, please feel free to contact the present General Counsel, Hamza Hameed at [email protected]. 

Application Timeline

Applications Open: 1 February 2022
Application Close: Extended 31 March 2022
Review of applications: 31 March – 10 April 2022
Interviews of selected applicants: 11 – 16 April 2022
Announcement of Results: 20 April 2022