PubSec Counsel

Ditto•Austin, TX

1d•$146,000 - $198,000•Remote

About The Position

This PubSec Counsel role will own public sector contracting and public sector legal compliance at Ditto, primarily for U.S. Federal Government and defense-focused programs. They will serve as our in-house subject matter expert on government contracting and compliance and provide strategic legal counsel across the full lifecycle of our public sector contracts. The PubSec Counsel will have a broad mandate in building and implementing the legal framework for our public sector business to expand. This is a great fit for an experienced federal contracts attorney who wants ownership over a growing, mission-critical part of the business. The ideal candidate is someone who's helped build a federal contracting function, including compliance, at a startup before. We're flexible on years of experience for the right person - what matters most is depth of public sector contracting and compliance knowledge combined with the ability to balance risk management with the speed of execution our business demands.

Requirements

Deep federal contracting expertise: hands-on experience with the FAR, DFARS, GSA Schedules, IDIQ vehicles, OTAs, and DoD requirements, ideally as in-house counsel at a tech company selling to government customers, with experience on both the prime and sub side
Sound business and legal judgment: comfort with ambiguity, balance making independent calls with engaging the right stakeholders, and provide risk-based guidance that is pragmatic and goes beyond simply flagging issues
High EQ and a collaborative instinct: the communication skills and presence to partner effectively with sales, finance, senior leadership, and counterparties
Self-direction and ownership: manage your own workload, build processes from scratch, and thrive without a large team behind you
Comfort in fast-paced, high-growth environments: manage shifting priorities and stay effective when the structure around you is still taking shape
A JD from an accredited law school and active bar membership in at least one state

Nice To Haves

Experience standing up or scaling a federal contracts function at a startup, including compliance infrastructure and, ideally, formation or operation of a federal-specific subsidiary
Hands-on experience with government audit and compliance frameworks, including one or more of: DCAA audits, FedRAMP, NIST 800-171, or CMMC.
Exposure to other government contracts beyond core federal work, such as SLED or international public sector procurement, export control regulations, and commerciality determinations
Familiarity with contract lifecycle management tools such as Ironclad or similar platforms.
An active US Government security clearance, or the ability to obtain one.
A proactive and curious attitude about how AI can support your role through automation, ideation, or more thoughtful decision-making

Responsibilities

Partner with PubSec Sales and Finance on government-related pursuits, contract negotiations, execution, and long-term compliance
Review, draft, negotiate, and support a variety of government contracts and bid documents, including RFPs and RFIs, teaming agreements, statements of work (SOWs), amendments, task orders, teaming agreements, collaboration agreements, distribution, reseller agreements, and subcontracts.
Advise on FAR, DFARS, and related agency regulations, including clause applicability, flow-down requirements, and U.S. federal government data rights provisions, including IP and technical data rights in software developed under government funding
Provide guidance on compliance topics including cost accounting, audits, data rights, cybersecurity obligations, sam.gov administration, and procurement integrity
Develop and oversee compliance efforts and programs, including scalable processes, templates, and training related to government contracting compliance
Collaborate with internal stakeholders to ensure systems are in accordance with all legal, regulatory, and contractual requirements as the business grows
Support state and local (SLED) and international public sector deals as a secondary focus