PubSec Counsel

About Ditto:

Ditto is redefining how data moves at the edge. Our mission is to make it seamless for developers to build resilient, real-time applications, regardless of network conditions. Whether you're in a stadium, airplane, or remote military base, Ditto's peer-to-peer sync engine ensures devices stay connected and data stays consistent, even without internet. With more than $145 million in funding and trusted by organizations like Chick-fil-A, Delta Airlines, and the U.S. military, Ditto powers mission-critical experiences across aviation, retail, travel, hospitality, defense, and more. As a globally distributed, fast-growing startup, we're committed to building a diverse and inclusive team that reflects the wide range of perspectives needed to solve the world's hardest connectivity problems.

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.

As a Senior Commercial Counsel (Public Sector), you will...

- 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 http://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

What You'll Need...

- 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 you