Associate General Counsel - Government Contracts - (Herndon, VA)

About the role

The Associate General Counsel – Government Contracts serves as a senior legal advisor responsible for providing strategic legal counsel across U.S. and international government contracts. This role advises on the full lifecycle of government contracts within a highly regulated government contracting environment. The position functions as a primary legal subject matter expert on government procurement, contract administration, regulatory compliance, claims, disputes, and business operations involving government customers. The role partners closely with executive leadership, contracts, compliance, HR, procurement, and program teams to ensure compliance with applicable legal, regulatory, and contractual requirements.

Responsibilities

• Government Contracts Legal Advisory: Provide legal counsel across the full government contracting lifecycle, including capture, proposal, award, performance, and closeout; interpret and apply FAR, DFARS, agency supplements, and procurement regulations; advise on contract structure, risk allocation, pricing considerations, and compliance obligations across U.S. and international procurements; counsel on prime/subcontractor relationships, teaming agreements, joint ventures, and regulatory compliance requirements; support proposal development through RFP review, risk analysis, and compliance strategy.
• Contract Drafting & Negotiation: Lead drafting, review, and negotiation of government contracts, subcontracts, NDAs, and related agreements; negotiate and advise on key provisions including limitation of liability, indemnification, intellectual property rights, termination, and disputes; support negotiation of contract modifications, claims, and equitable adjustments; ensure appropriate flow-down of regulatory and contractual requirements.
• Government Contract Compliance Advisory: Advise on compliance with government contract requirements and regulatory obligations; support compliance with applicable FAR, DFARS, agency regulations, and trade compliance requirements; partner with contracts and procurement teams to integrate contractual requirements into agreements; advise on program operations involving government-furnished information and contractual obligations; support audits, agency requests, and compliance reviews.
• Claims, Disputes & Regulatory Matters: Advise on contract disputes, REAs, and claims under the Contract Disputes Act; support bid protests and litigation strategy (e.g., GAO, COFC); coordinate with outside counsel on litigation, investigations, and regulatory inquiries.
• Internal Investigations & Compliance Support: Provide legal oversight for contractual compliance matters and internal investigations; advise on investigative steps, remediation, preservation, and reporting obligations; coordinate with contracting officers and internal stakeholders; track issues, root causes, and corrective actions to strengthen compliance practices.
• Regulatory & Stakeholder Engagement: Serve as a primary contact for government agencies and regulatory authorities; oversee responses to agency inquiries and compliance matters; prepare executive-level communications, board updates, and risk summaries; advise leadership on risk-based decisions and compliance remediation strategies; collaborate with compliance, audit, and enterprise risk teams.
• Training & Program Enablement: Design and deliver compliance training tailored to government contracting environments; translate legal requirements into operational guidance, SOPs, FAQs, and playbooks; coach business leaders on compliance obligations and risk mitigation; promote a culture of ethical business conduct and proactive risk management.

Requirements

• Ability to obtain and maintain a DoD Secret security clearance
• U.S. Citizenship required
• Juris Doctor (JD) from an accredited law school and active bar membership in good standing
• Minimum 8 years of experience advising U.S. government contractors on applicable procurement law, including the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) and Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS)
• Strong working knowledge of government procurement regulations and trade compliance laws, including ITAR and EAR
• Experience negotiating complex contracts, subcontracts, and commercial agreements
• Proven experience advising on compliance programs, audits, investigations, and regulatory matters
• Strong executive communication skills with the ability to deliver clear, business-oriented advice
• Ability to operate independently and influence cross-functional stakeholders
• Ability to travel up to 10%

Qualifications

• Experience serving as in-house counsel for a government contractor
• Experience supporting government contract claims, disputes, and bid protests
• Familiarity with HR systems, enterprise business systems, AI technologies, and vendor management
• Prior in-house company legal experience
• Active or prior security clearance (or eligibility)

Skills

• Government contracts law and compliance
• Contract drafting and negotiation
• Regulatory compliance and risk management
• Claims, disputes, and litigation support
• Trade compliance
• Regulatory interpretation and enforcement trends
• Executive advisory and stakeholder influence
• Policy development and operationalization
• Audit support and risk remediation
• Training and organizational enablement

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• Robust vacation and sick leave benefits, and flexible work arrangements where permitted by role or contract
• 401(k) plan that includes employer matching funds
• Tuition reimbursement program
• Life insurance and disability coverage
• Optional coverages that can be purchased, including pet insurance, home and auto insurance, additional life and accident insurance, critical illness insurance, group legal, ID theft protection
• Birth, adoption, parental leave benefits
• Employee Assistance Plan

Company Overview

Serco Inc. (Serco) is the Americas division of Serco Group, plc. In North America, Serco's 9,000+ employees strive to make an impact every day across 100+ sites in the areas of Defense, Citizen Services, and Transportation. We help our clients deliver vital services more efficiently while increasing the satisfaction of their end customers. Serco serves every branch of the U.S. military, numerous U.S. Federal civilian agencies, the Intelligence Community, the Canadian government, state, provincial and local governments, and commercial clients.