--- title: 'General Counsel & Vice President, Legal and Regulatory Affairs at Kepler Communications' canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/general-counsel-vice-president-legal-and-regulatory-affairs-kepler-761sg6eq6wv0' type: 'job' last_seen: '2026-10-17' --- # General Counsel & Vice President, Legal and Regulatory Affairs at Kepler Communications - **Company:** Kepler Communications - **Location:** Canada - **Employment:** full-time - **Work type:** remote - **Posted:** 2026-09-30 - **Last confirmed live:** 2026-10-17 - **Apply:** https://jobs.lever.co/kepler/4f75cdff-c889-4722-891c-a50829272260 ## Job description At Kepler Communications, we're not just imagining the future of on-demand space connectivity - we're leading it! Our mission is to provide real-time on-orbit connectivity for critical missions, enabling a new era of data-driven intelligence and innovation. With 33 satellites launched to date, Kepler operates the first commercial optical data relay constellation, enabling real-time, continuous space communications while supporting advanced on-orbit compute and hosted payload capabilities. Industry-leading technology is only part of the story. What sets Kepler apart is our team: bold thinkers, skilled builders, and passionate problem-solvers who thrive on pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in space. We believe great ideas come from diverse perspectives, and we’re committed to creating an environment where you can grow, lead, and make a global impact. If you’re ready to reach higher, move faster, and do work that shapes the future space economy - this is your launchpad. Come build the future with Kepler! What We Offer: - Competitive compensation with a robust equity plan to share in our success. - Comprehensive coverage for health, dental, and vision insurance—including dependents. - Unlimited vacation, supportive parental leave policy, and company-wide holiday shutdown. - Semi-annual company-wide parties and frequent in-office team events. - Relocation packages available for approved roles. - $1,500 annual professional development fund to support your growth. - Fully stocked Toronto office kitchen with snacks, drinks, games and top-notch kitchen appliances. - Town Halls, Celebration Calls, and Company-wide events to stay connected and engaged. - We’re a certified Great Place to Work®, seven years in a row! The General Counsel & Vice President, Legal and Regulatory Affairs serves as Kepler's executive leader responsible for all legal, regulatory, compliance, government affairs, and corporate governance activities worldwide. This individual will serve as a trusted advisor to the CEO, executive leadership team, and Board of Directors while leading the company's legal strategy in support of rapid growth, international expansion, government contracting, satellite licensing, spectrum management, and strategic commercial initiatives. The successful candidate will oversee both Legal and Regulatory Affairs teams and will help shape company strategy by proactively identifying legal and regulatory opportunities and risks. Key Responsibilities: Executive Leadership: - Serve as a strategic advisor to the CEO, executive leadership team, and Board of Directors on legal, regulatory, governance, and business matters - Develop and execute Kepler's global legal and regulatory strategy aligned with company objectives - Lead and develop a high-performing Legal and Regulatory Affairs organization - Build strong partnerships across Engineering, Product, Sales, Finance, HR, Security, and Operations - Present regularly to executive leadership and the Board regarding legal, regulatory, compliance, and policy developments Legal Leadership: - Lead all corporate legal matters including commercial contracts, strategic partnerships, customer agreements, supplier agreements, employment law, intellectual property, litigation management, privacy, cybersecurity, and corporate governance - Oversee mergers, acquisitions, investments, financing transactions, and other strategic corporate initiatives - Manage corporate structure and legal entities across multiple jurisdictions - Ensure compliance with domestic and international laws affecting Kepler's business - Develop scalable legal processes, templates, and governance frameworks appropriate for a high-growth technology company - Manage outside counsel globally while optimizing legal spend - Advise leadership on legal risk and develop practical business-focused solutions Regulatory Affairs: - Lead and evolve Kepler's global spectrum strategy, including frequency planning, ITU coordination, national licensing, and global market access - Oversee regulatory engagement with agencies including the FCC, ISED Canada, Ofcom, BNetzA, the ITU, and other international regulators - Direct spectrum filings, licensing, coordination activities, and interference mitigation strategies supporting Kepler's satellite constellation and future technologies - Monitor evolving international regulatory frameworks and represent Kepler in global policy discussions including the ITU, CEPT, CITEL, and other industry forums - Protect and expand Kepler's spectrum assets while supporting long-term growth and innovation Government & Public Policy - Develop and lead Kepler's global government relations strategy - Build relationships with government agencies, regulators, industry associations, and policymakers - Support strategic government and defense business initiatives - Represent Kepler externally on legal, regulatory, and policy matters - Help influence legislation and policy supporting commercial space operations Compliance & Risk: - Lead enterprise compliance programs - Oversee export control, sanctions, anti-corruption, privacy, government contracting, ethics, and corporate compliance - Maintain governance processes supporting Board operations - Identify enterprise legal and regulatory risks and develop mitigation strategies - Support internal investigations and risk management activities Leadership Responsibilities: - Lead Legal and Regulatory Affairs teams. - Recruit, mentor, and develop high-performing professionals - Establish priorities aligned with business strategy - Manage outside counsel and regulatory consultants globally - Foster collaboration across all business functions Required Skills & Qualifications: - Juris Doctor (JD) from an accredited law school - Licensed to practice law in the United States or Canada - 15+ years of progressively responsible legal leadership experience - Significant experience supporting executive leadership and Boards of Directors - ## Experience negotiating complex commercial agreements - Strong knowledge of corporate governance and international business law - ## Experience managing legal teams and outside counsel - Exceptional communication and executive presentation skills - Occasional on-site presence at the Toronto HQ location Bonus Points: - Experience within aerospace, satellite communications, telecommunications, or other highly regulated technology industries - Deep understanding of spectrum regulation, satellite licensing, FCC, ISED, ITU, and international regulatory frameworks - ## Experience supporting government and defense programs - Familiarity with export controls (ITAR, EAR, CGP) and government security requirements - Experience working in venture-backed or high-growth technology companies - Experience with international corporate structures and global operations Employment Equity & Accommodation Statement Kepler Communications is an equal opportunity employer committed to building a diverse and inclusive workplace. We welcome applications from all qualified individuals, including women, Indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities, members of visible minorities, and people of all sexual orientations and gender identities. If you require accommodation during any stage of the recruitment process, please contact our People & Culture team at accommodation@kepler.space, and we will work with you to meet your needs. ## About Kepler Communications ## Company Overview - **One-liner**: Building an internet-for-space communications infrastructure with a hybrid optical and RF satellite constellation for real-time data relay. - **Entity Type**: Private (Series C, $92M raised) - **Headquarters**: Toronto, Ontario, Canada - **Founded**: 2015 - **Founders**: Not publicly disclosed (founded by a group of graduate students) ## Core Business - **Primary industry**: Space communications / Satellite telecommunications - **Target customers**: B2B, government (space agencies, defense), satellite operators (LEO and beyond) - **Mission**: “Delivering on-orbit data at lightspeed… modernize communications to missions in LEO and beyond.” ## Products & Services - **Kepler Network (Optical Data Relay Constellation)**: A hybrid optical and RF satellite network providing always-available, real-time connectivity for space-to-space, space-to-ground, and air-to-space communications. Supports SDA-compatible optical terminals, IP mesh networking, and hosted payloads. Data throughput up to 2.5 Gbps (Tranche 1), with 100 Gbps planned for Tranche 2. - **RF Satellite Constellation**: A fleet of 21 RF satellites with proven flight heritage, offering global coverage for mission-critical communications. - **Hosted Payloads & On-Orbit Compute**: Customers can host payloads on Kepler satellites and leverage on-orbit processing capabilities. - **Priority Spectrum Holding**: Services that grant operators access to Kepler’s regulatory filings and spectrum rights. ## Market Standing - **Valuation/Market Cap**: Not disclosed - **Key Metric**: Annual Revenue ~$13M (LinkedIn estimate) | Total Funding >$200M (since 2016) - **Notable Investors/Partners**: IA Ventures (lead, Series C), Costanoa Ventures, Canaan Partners, Tribe Capital, BDC Capital’s Industrial Innovation Venture Fund; partners include Tesat-Spacecom, General Atomics, Cailabs, Space Development Agency (SDA) - **Growth Signals**: Headcount grew 28.7% YoY to 183 employees; launched first tranche of optical relay satellites (10 satellites) in January 2026; awarded prime position on SDA’s HALO contract (Oct 2024); demonstrated first bidirectional air-to-space optical link (Sept 2025) and space-to-ground optical laser link (May 2025); 39 active job postings (yearly increase of 160%). ## Competitive Advantages - **Vertical Integration**: In-house production facility for satellite design, build, test, and deployment – rare among commercial space companies. - **Patented Technology**: Tested and deployed on 33 satellites in orbit, providing proven flight heritage. - **SDA Compatibility**: Built to SDA optical communication standards, enabling interoperability with any SDA-compatible spacecraft and eligibility for U.S. defense contracts. - **IP Mesh Networking**: Demonstrated on-orbit networking using standard internet protocols, allowing multiple satellites to communicate over a single ground link. - **First-Mover in Optical Data Relay**: One of the few commercial operators with an operational optical relay network in LEO. ## Strategic Focus - **Deploy Tranche 2** (target ~2028) with 100 Gbps optical links, backward compatible with Tranche 1 and supporting both SDA and European ESTOL standards. - **Expand on-orbit compute capacity** with higher GPU density for edge processing. - **Grow defense and government customer base** through SDA contracts and international partnerships. - **Scale the optical constellation** to provide global, always-available connectivity for space missions. ## Why Work Here - **Culture**: Values drive, empathy, and agility; described as “passionate” and “collaborative” with a focus on making an impact in space communications. - **Work Model**: Hybrid – full-time regular positions based in Toronto, Ontario. Some roles may require on-site presence for satellite production and testing. - **Engineering Environment**: Vertical integration means engineers work across the full lifecycle – design, production, testing, and deployment – solving complex challenges in optics, RF, thermal management, and software. - **Growth Trajectory**: Rapid headcount growth (28.7% YoY) and major contract wins signal strong momentum; 39 open positions across engineering, manufacturing, product, and program management. - **Hiring Process**: Human recruiters are involved at every step; AI tools assist with initial screening but do not replace human judgment. - **Diverse Team**: Employees across 10 countries, with a majority in Canada (65%) and growing presence in the US, UK, and Europe. ## Sources 1. [Kepler About Page](https://kepler.space/about/) 2. [Kepler Careers Page](https://kepler.space/careers/) 3. [LinkedIn Company Profile](https://linkedin.com/company/kepler-communications-inc-) 4. [Kepler Jobs on Lever](https://jobs.lever.co/kepler) 5. [New Space Economy Company Profile](https://newspaceeconomy.ca/2026/04/24/kepler-communications-company-profile/) ## Other roles at Kepler Communications - [FPGA Digital Design Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/fpga-digital-design-engineer-kepler-communications-toronto-06zbekgzz5nn) — Toronto, Canada - [Software Engineering Intern (January 2027)](https://feeny.ai/job/software-engineering-intern-january-2027-kepler-communications-toronto-78211rnfaeje) — Toronto, Canada - [People & Culture Intern (January 2027) (4 months)](https://feeny.ai/job/people-culture-intern-january-2027-4-months-kepler-communications-toronto-ywchqckwfa3x) — Toronto, Canada - [Financial Reporting Manager](https://feeny.ai/job/financial-reporting-manager-kepler-communications-toronto-6y9332b8c33s) — Toronto, Canada - [Senior Program Manager](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-program-manager-kepler-communications-toronto-e8tq2g6avj0q) — Toronto, Canada - [Senior Embedded Software Designer](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-embedded-software-designer-kepler-communications-toronto-9y5r9vdmverd) — Toronto, Canada - [Senior Infrastructure Security Specialist](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-infrastructure-security-specialist-kepler-communications-toronto-v6mkbpwswdpk) — Toronto, Canada - [Embedded Software Engineering Intern (January 2027) (4 months)](https://feeny.ai/job/embedded-software-engineering-intern-january-2027-4-months-kepler-hztcgp9fr4fn) — Toronto, Canada - [Program Chief Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/program-chief-engineer-kepler-communications-toronto-q2jd3frjem4g) — Toronto, Canada - [IT Manager](https://feeny.ai/job/it-manager-kepler-communications-toronto-cyss6exp9q8v) — Toronto, Canada