Associate General Counsel – Technology, AI, IP & Legal Operations

Systems Planning and Analysis, Inc. (SPA) delivers high-impact, technical solutions to complex national security issues. With over 50 years of business expertise and consistent growth, we are known for continuous innovation for our government customers, in both the US and abroad. Our exceptionally talented team is highly collaborative in spirit and practice, producing Results that Matter . Come work with the best!

We offer opportunity, unique challenges, and clear-sighted commitment to the mission. SPA:
Objective. Responsive. Trusted.

SPA seeks an experienced attorney to serve as Associate General Counsel for Technology, AI, Intellectual Property, and Legal Operations. This role sits at the intersection of business and law, driving the development and implementation of AI-enabled processes and tools within the legal department and across SPA’s divisions. The successful candidate will partner closely with the Office of the CIO and SPA technologists to advance innovation, operational excellence, and compliance in a defense and intelligence context.

This is a new position and will be the second full‑time hire for the SPA legal department. The successful candidate will have the ability to mentor and influence the legal team, helping to shape job descriptions, roles, responsibilities, and objectives. They will have the opportunity and be expected to work on a broad range of exciting and novel issues and may be asked to expand into areas they have not previously worked in.

This is a highly‑visible role that will have daily interaction with senior executives and employees at all levels of the organization across multiple disciplines. The primary place of performance will be hybrid from SPA Headquarters in Alexandria, VA with occasional travel.

• Advise on legal matters related to technology, AI, IP, and data protection/privacy, with a focus on defense and intelligence service provider requirements.
• Lead and support the design, development, and deployment of AI‑enabled legal processes and tools for SPA’s legal department and broader business operations.
• Collaborate with SPA’s CIO, IT teams, and technologists to ensure legal compliance and operational alignment with SPA’s AI strategy.
• Provide guidance on regulatory, licensing, and data processing and protection issues.
• Support SPA’s business objectives by integrating legal risk management into technology and AI initiatives.
• Develop and maintain policies and procedures for data protection, privacy, and ethical use of AI.
• Advise on AI governance aligned to NIST AI RMF and DoD (and other federal government agency) Responsible AI Tenets, including policy, model risk, testing/red teaming, human in the loop controls, and enterprise usage guidelines.
• Develop and implement IP strategy and operations—trade secrets, licensing, open source compliance, commercialization of software and associated tools, and coordination with outside counsel on patent filings—ensuring defensibility of AI enabled products and services.
• Foster cross‑functional collaboration and drive change management for legal operations transformation as a trusted advisor.

• Compliance & Ethics:
  Uphold SPA’s standards for objective, responsive, and trusted advice to our clients, ensuring compliance with government contracting requirements and ethical conduct in all business dealings.
• Operational Excellence:
  Drive continuous improvement in legal operations, leveraging AI and technology to streamline workflows and enhance efficiency across SPA’s business units.
• Innovation & AI Enablement:
  Advance SPA’s AI strategy by developing and deploying innovative legal tools and processes that support both the legal department and broader business…