USG Contracts Manager
Full-time
New York, NY, USA · Washington, DC, USA
USD 120k-175k / year
Posted on Nov 9, 2026
USG Contracts Manager
New York, NY • Washington, D.C.
Legal
In office
Full-time
About Nominal
Engineers today are building some of the most ambitious machines humanity has ever seen. They should have AI that’s purpose-built for them.
Nominal is building the Hardware Intelligence Platform that gives engineers increased visibility into complex physical systems, helps them make better decisions, and ultimately gets their products into the real world faster. It brings together the systems, data, intelligence, and applications hardware engineering requires to meet the AI moment. Hardware engineering teams use Nominal to simulate, test, manufacture, and operate the physical systems that keep the world moving, from spacecraft and autonomous vehicles to next-generation energy systems and robotics.
Our customers span aerospace, defense, manufacturing, transportation, energy, and robotics. They include Anduril, Shield AI, Wisk Aero, Pratt Miller Motorsports, Antares, and Shinkei Systems, amongst others, alongside programs within the U.S. Air Force and Navy. Our team draws from SpaceX, Palantir, Anduril, Applied Intuition, Tesla, and other leading companies, united by a common mission: giving hardware engineers the tools to build the future with speed, safety, and confidence. We're a fast-moving team that owns problems end-to-end, works across disciplines, and thrives at the intersection of hardware and software.
Some of the world’s leading technology investors, including Sequoia, Lightspeed, Founders Fund, General Catalyst, Lux Capital, and Insight Partners, are backing Nominal’s ambition to change how machines are built and operated.
🚀 About the role
Nominal's Legal team supports our work with the U.S. Government (USG), including mission partners in the Navy and Air Force. As our government business grows, so do the volume and complexity of the contracts behind it. As a USG Contracts Manager, you'll own government contract actions from solicitation review through award and modification, working closely with our attorneys, our Government team, and customers.
This role is ideal for a contracts professional, especially a former USG contracting officer or specialist, who knows how the government buys software and wants to help a fast-growing technology company do it well. You'll own contract actions end to end and decide how to get them done, with goals set together with Legal leadership.
👨🏻💻 What You'll Do
- Own USG contract actions end to end, from solicitation review and terms negotiation to award, modifications, and closeout.
- Review solicitations and contracts for FAR, DFARS, and agency-specific clauses, data rights, and export control terms, and flag risks with clear recommendations.
- Support proposal teams on contract terms, representations and certifications, and compliance requirements in government bids.
- Work directly with contracting officers and customer program offices where appropriate to resolve contract questions and keep awards on schedule.
- Partner with our attorneys and Government team to support Nominal's commerciality positions, such as commercial item and commercial software determinations.
- Maintain contract records, deliverables, reporting obligations, and key dates so nothing is missed after award.
- Improve how USG contracting runs at Nominal through better templates, legal tech automations, and metrics.
🔍 We're looking for someone with
- Experience negotiating and administering U.S. Government contracts, either as a government contracting officer or specialist or at a government contractor, preferably a venture-backed technology company.
- Working knowledge of the FAR and DFARS, including commercial item acquisition (FAR Part 12) and data rights.
- Experience with a range of contract vehicles, such as FAR-based contracts, Other Transaction (OT) agreements, and SBIR/STTR awards.
- A track record of owning contract actions end to end and resolving non-routine issues on your own.
- Strong organization and attention to detail across many active contracts and deadlines.
- Clear written communication with contracting officers, program teams, and internal partners.
⚡ Skills that accelerate us
- Prior experience as a warranted contracting officer at a Department of Defense (DoD) or Intelligence Community (IC) acquisition organization.
- Experience building legal tech automations, AI workflows, and contract metrics.
- An NCMA certification (such as CFCM or CPCM) or DAWIA/DAU contracting certification.
- Familiarity with export controls (ITAR and EAR) and Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) requirements.
✨ Benefits/Perks
- 🏥 100% coverage of medical, dental, and vision insurance
- 🏖️ Unlimited PTO and sick leave
- 🍽️ Free 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 $120,000 – $175,000 per year.
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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)? *
U.S. Work Authorization - Are you authorized to work in the United States? *
Will you require sponsorship from Nominal for employment now or in the future? (e.g, OPT, H1B visa)? *
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? *
If you have held a U.S. security clearance in the past, what clearance level have you held? *
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.
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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.
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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 disabilityRecently 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 serviceActive 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 DefenseArmed 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
Req ID: R192