Government Contracts Strategy Lead

Contracts Strategy Lead, U.S. Government New York, NY • Washington, D.C. Federal In office Full-time About Nominal Nominal is building the connected test and operations platform powering the world's most advanced hardware systems, from spacecraft and autonomous vehicles to next-generation defense programs. Our platform gives hardware engineering teams a single place to ingest data, analyze performance, automate test execution, and collaborate across every phase of development, so they can move faster without sacrificing safety or precision. We're a fast-moving team that owns problems end-to-end, works across disciplines, and thrives at the intersection of hardware and software. We serve top-tier commercial and defense customers, from autonomy leaders like Anduril and Shield AI to next-generation aerospace teams like Hermeus and REGENT, and performance engineering teams like Pratt Miller Motorsports, alongside mission partners within the U.S. Navy and U.S. Air Force on programs where failure isn’t an option. We’re backed by Sequoia, General Catalyst, Founders Fund, Lux Capital, and Lightspeed. Our team draws from SpaceX, Palantir, Anduril, Applied Intuition, and other leading companies, united by a common mission: giving hardware engineers the tools to build the future with speed, safety, and confidence. About the role Nominal is hiring a Contracts Strategy Lead, U.S. Government to help scale how we partner with government customers. You’ll work alongside our Government & Public Sector, Legal, Finance, Capture, and Program teams to structure complex opportunities, negotiate with acquisition organizations, and translate Nominal’s commercial software business into government-compatible acquisition strategies and contracts. As the lead individual contributor for U.S. Government contract strategy, you’ll bring deep acquisition expertise while partnering closely with experienced leaders across the company. You’ll own complex work from day one and help develop repeatable approaches that support the continued growth of our Government & Public Sector business. This is not a traditional contract administration role. We’re looking for someone who understands government acquisition, thinks commercially, and enjoys solving difficult contracting challenges alongside cross-functional teams. ✅ What You'll Do Shape Government Opportunities Structure U.S. Government opportunities from proposal through award. Translate Nominal’s commercial software model into government-compatible pricing, licensing, and acquisition approaches. Review solicitations, agreements, and contract vehicles while identifying risks and recommending a path forward. Partner with Capture, Business Development, Finance, Legal, and Program teams on complex pursuits. Lead Contract Negotiations Engage directly with Contracting Officers, acquisition teams, prime contractors, and strategic partners. Develop negotiation strategies that balance customer needs with Nominal’s commercial objectives. Educate government stakeholders on commercial software models and modern acquisition approaches. Support proposals, pricing submissions, statements of work, and contract negotiations. Advance Our Contract Strategy Develop reusable contract language, negotiation guidance, and preferred positions. Improve contract-strategy frameworks, review processes, and workflows. Build internal best practices that make government contracting more consistent and scalable. Identify acquisition pathways and partnership structures that support future growth. Support Program Execution Support contracts through execution, renewal, expansion, and modification. Partner with Program teams to ensure contractual requirements are understood and successfully delivered. Help resolve contracting questions that arise during program execution. Carry lessons from active programs into future acquisition and negotiation strategies. About You You have a strong foundation in U.S. Government acquisition and apply procurement rules with sound business judgment. You enjoy solving ambiguous problems rather than simply following established playbooks. You communicate effectively with government, legal, technical, and business stakeholders. You can translate commercial software business models into practical government contracting approaches. You are comfortable independently owning complex work while collaborating across teams. You are excited to help build better ways of working as Nominal continues to scale. Qualifications 5+ years of experience supporting U.S. Government contracts, acquisitions, or contract strategy. Experience as a Contracting Officer, acquisition professional, contracts strategist, or in a comparable role. Strong working knowledge of FAR, DFARS, and common U.S. Government acquisition vehicles. Experience negotiating or supporting complex government contracts involving software or technology. Experience supporting programmatic acquisitions, multi-year programs, or larger-scale contract vehicles. Ability to translate commercial software pricing, licensing, and delivery models into government-compatible structures. Experience partnering with Legal, Capture, Finance, Program, and technical teams. Strong written, verbal, and customer-facing communication skills. Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. Government security clearance. Willingness to travel up to 25%. ⚡ Skills that accelerate us Active Secret clearance is preferred, but not required. Experience in both DoD acquisition and commercial technology. Experience at a defense technology, dual-use, government SaaS, or growth-stage company. Experience with programmatic acquisition and sustained government programs. Experience with nontraditional acquisition pathways such as OTAs, CSOs, or SBIR/STTR. Experience helping pilots or prototype efforts transition into larger programs. Experience improving contract processes, playbooks, templates, or negotiation guidance. Experience working with prime contractors, resellers, teaming partners, or strategic partners. ✨ Benefits/Perks 100% coverage of medical, dental, and vision insurance

• ️nlimited PTO and sick leave
• ️ree lunch, snacks, and coffee

Professional Development Stipend ✈️ Annual company retreat All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or national origin. ITAR Requirements To conform to U.S. Government export regulations, applicant must be a (i) U.S. citizen or national, (ii) U.S. lawful, permanent resident (aka green card holder), (iii) Refugee under 8 U.S.C. § 1157, or (iv) Asylee under 8 U.S.C. § 1158, or be eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. Learn more about the ITAR here . Compensation The base pay range for this role is $185,000 – $210,000 per year. Ready to apply? Powered by First name * Last name * Email * LinkedIn URL * Phone number * Location * Resume * Click to upload or drag and drop here Cover letter Click to upload or drag and drop here This position requires access to information and technology that is subject to U.S. export controls. Your responses to the questions below will be used solely to determine your eligibility under U.S. law to receive information and materials subject to U.S. export controls. Are you any of the following “protected individual(s)” as defined in the Immigration and Naturalization Act, 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3)? * A person lawfully admitted for permanent residence of the United States (i.e. Green Card holder) A person admitted as a refugee to the United States under 8 U.S.C. 1157 A person admitted as an asylee to the United States under 8 U.S.C. 1158 A United States citizen or national None of the above U.S. Work Authorization - Are you authorized to work in the United States? * Yes No Will you require sponsorship from Nominal for employment now or in the future? (e.g, OPT, H1B visa)? * Yes No Clearance Eligibility - Do you presently hold an active U.S. security clearance, or are you eligible to obtain and maintain a U.S. security clearance? * Yes, I hold an active U.S. security clearance Yes, I'm eligible for a U.S security clearance No If you have held a U.S. security clearance in the past, what clearance level have you held? * Confidential Secret Top Secret N/A - have never held a U.S. security clearance This position is 5 days in office in either DC or NYC. Are you able to work 5 days in office in one of these locations? * Yes No Are you able to accommodate up to 25% of travel? * Yes No Voluntary Self-Identification To comply with government reporting requirements, we invite candidates to participate in the self-identification survey below. Your completion of this form is entirely optional, and your decision will neither influence the hiring process nor any subsequent stages. Any information you choose to share will be kept confidential and stored in a secure file. As outlined in our Equal Employment Opportunity policy, we uphold a commitment to non-discrimination based on any protected group status specified in applicable laws. Gender Race Race and ethnicity descriptions Voluntary Self-Identification of Veteran Status VEVRAA requires Government contractors to take affirmative action to employ and advance in employment protected veterans. To help us measure the effectiveness of our outreach and recruitment efforts of veterans, we are asking you to tell us if you are a veteran covered by VEVRAA. If you believe that you belong to any of the following categories of protected veterans, please indicate by making the appropriate selection. Veteran status descriptions Disabled veteran A veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. military and is entitled to disability compensation (or who but for the receipt of military retired pay would be entitled to disability compensation) under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, or was discharged or released from active duty because of a service-connected disability Recently separated veteran A veteran separated during the three-year period beginning on the date of the veteran's discharge or release from active duty in the U.S military, ground, naval, or air service Active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran A veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. military during a war, or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge was authorized under the laws administered by the Department of Defense Armed Forces service medal veteran A veteran who, while serving on active duty in the U.S. military ground, naval, or air service, participated in a United States military operation for which an Armed Forces service medal was awarded pursuant to Executive Order 12985 (61 Fed. Reg. 1209). Veteran status By applying you agree to Gem's terms and privacy policy . Save your info to apply to other roles faster & help employers reach you. Req ID: R105 #J-18808-Ljbffr Nominal