Serco

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

Serco$145K — $175K *
Legal & Accounting
8 - 10 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Juris Doctor (JD) from an accredited law school with active bar membership
  • 8+ years advising U.S. government contractors on procurement law
  • Strong knowledge of FAR, DFARS, and trade compliance laws like ITAR and EAR
  • Experience negotiating complex contracts and subcontracts
  • Proven track record in compliance programs and regulatory matters
  • Excellent executive communication skills
  • Ability to influence cross-functional stakeholders

Responsibilities

  • Provide legal counsel throughout the government contracting lifecycle
  • Interpret and apply complex government procurement regulations
  • Lead the drafting and negotiation of varied legal agreements
  • Advise on compliance obligations and regulatory interactions
  • Support contract disputes, claims, and litigation strategy
  • Conduct internal investigations and oversee compliance matters
  • Design and deliver compliance training for government contracting

Benefits

  • Medical, dental, and vision insurance
  • 401(k) plan with employer matching
  • Flexible work arrangements based on role
  • Robust vacation and sick leave benefits
  • Tuition reimbursement program
  • Life and disability insurance
  • Parental leave benefits and Employee Assistance Plan
Full Job Description
Position Description & Qualifications

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.

In this role, you will:

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


To be successful in this role, you will have:
  • 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%


Additional Desired Experience and Skills
  • 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)


Core Competencies
  • 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


Pay Transparency

Our Total Rewards package includes competitive pay, performance-based incentives, and benefits that promote well-being and work-life balance-so you can thrive both professionally and personally. Eligible employees also gain access to a wide range of benefits from comprehensive health coverage and health savings accounts to retirement plans, life and disability insurance, and time-off programs that support work-life balance. Program availability may vary based on factors such as contract type, location, hire date, and applicable collective bargaining agreements.

Salary range: The range for this position can be found at the top of this posting. This range is provided as a general guideline and represents a good faith estimate across all experience levels. Actual base salary will be determined by a variety of factors, including but not limited to, the scope of the role, relevant experience, job-related knowledge, education and training, key skills, and geographic market considerations. For roles available in multiple states, the range may vary to reflect differences in local labor markets. In addition to base salary, eligible positions may include other forms of compensation such as annual bonuses or long-term incentive opportunities.Benefits - Comprehensible benefits for full-time employees (part-time employees receive a limited package tailored to their role):

  • 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


To review all Serco benefits please visit: https://careers.serco-na.com/us/en/about-us.

Serco complies with all applicable state and local leave laws, including providing time off under the Colorado Healthy Families and Workplaces Act for eligible Colorado residents, in alignment with our policies and benefit plans. The application window for this position is for no more than 60 days. We encourage candidates to apply promptly after the posting date, as the position may close earlier if filled or if the application volume exceeds expectations. Please submit applications exclusively through Serco's external (or internal) career site. If an applicant has any concerns with job posting compliance, please send an email to: [redacted].

About Serco

Serco Group plc is a British company providing public services. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index. The company has four divisions: Health, Justice and Immigration, Transport, and Defence, and operates across the UK and Europe, North America, Asia Pacific and the Middle East. Serco primarily provides public services to governments, including the operation of prisons and hospitals, defence and aerospace services, and transport services. The company also provides IT and consultancy services to the public sector. Serco has been involved in a number of controversies, including allegations of overcharging the UK government and mismanagement of contracts.
Learn more about Serco
Size
50,000 employees
Industry
Founded
1988

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