Senior Counsel, U.S. Public Sector

Celonis•Washington, DC

9h•Hybrid

About The Position

As the Senior Counsel for the U.S. Public Sector, you will join Celonis’ global Legal, Ethics & Compliance organization as the primary Legal architect for our government go-to-market (GTM) strategy. You are not just an advisor; you are a strategic business enabler who understands how to bridge the gap between cutting-edge SaaS innovation and the mission-critical requirements of the U.S. Federal, State, and Local governments. We are looking for a self-starter with a strong sense of ownership who thrives in fast-paced, ambiguous environments and possesses the executive presence to influence senior stakeholders across the company.

Requirements

U.S. citizenship required.
Native or bilingual fluency in English.
10+ years of progressively responsible legal experience in government contracting, ideally with a mix of law firm training and in-house experience at a high-growth SaaS or cloud provider.
Deep understanding of the public cloud space, including practical experience with FedRAMP authorizations and SaaS-specific licensing models.
Demonstrated expertise in compliance with key regulatory requirements in the SaaS and public cloud space, including but not limited to procurement, privacy, data protection, export and technology issues.
Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills with the ability to clearly explain complex legal issues to non-legal audiences.
Experience supporting quota-carrying, enterprise-level sales personnel.
The ability to maintain strong relationships with demanding internal clients and provide creative solutions to the company’s most complex challenges.
High emotional intelligence and business acumen, enabling effective collaboration and negotiation across diverse teams and external partners.

Nice To Haves

Previous military experience a plus.

Responsibilities

Serve as the principal Legal business partner to GTM, Information Security, Engineering, Product and Compliance teams to drive the expansion of Celonis’ U.S. Public Sector business.
Lead the drafting, review, and negotiation of complex software licenses, SaaS agreements, teaming arrangements, and partner/reseller contracts for federal and SLED (State, Local, and Education) customers.
Shape internal policies and processes, develop contract templates, and deliver training programs to empower stakeholders and reduce friction in the sales cycle.
Interpret and ensure compliance with FAR/DFARS, agency-specific supplements, and evolving data protection/privacy regulations (e.g., FedRAMP, NIST SP 800-171).
Collaborate with and manage external legal advisors, ensuring cost-effective and high-quality legal services that align with company objectives and standards.
Proactively identify and propose mitigation strategies for legal, financial, and regulatory risks while maintaining a solution-oriented, business-first mindset.
Stay current on developments in public sector law and policy, proactively advising the organization on how to navigate the shifting regulatory landscape.