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Datadog · 20 hours ago

Lead Counsel - NYC

New York, New York, USA

Full-time

Hybrid

Lead/Staff

$235K/yr - $290K/yr

10+ years exp

Datadog is a global SaaS business focused on enabling digital transformation and cloud migration. The Lead Counsel will lead complex negotiations with U.S. public sector customers, serving as a trusted advisor and collaborating with various internal teams to influence company policies and advance the public sector commercial strategy.

AnalyticsCloud ComputingCloud Data ServicesCloud InfrastructureData ManagementDevOpsProductivity ToolsSaaS

No H1B

Security Clearance Required

Responsibilities

Independently negotiate and close complex SaaS agreements with public sector customers and their partners, exercising keen judgement on risk tradeoffs and escalation decisions

Counsel internal teams on federal and state procurement laws and regulations, including FAR/DFARS, cybersecurity requirements, data handling, supply chain rules, and compliance obligations

Serve as the primary legal advisor to U.S. public sector GTM teams, helping shape deal strategy and negotiation posture across complex and high-stakes opportunities by balancing government contracting requirements, legal risks, and business goals

Partner with our Product Legal and Security teams to advise on product features, deployment models, and compliance standards relevant to government environments

Create and improve scalable processes, templates, and training materials to support Datadog’s public-sector growth

Manage and maintain company registrations required by public sector customers

Coach and mentor other Commercial Legal team members on public sector contracting issues, including escalation strategy, negotiation posture, and risk analysis

Qualification

Government contracting experienceSaaS agreements negotiationLegal compliance knowledgeJDBar admissionJudgment skillsEmotional intelligenceCollaboration skillsMentoring skillsCross-functional teamwork

Required

Possessing 10+ years of law firm and/or in-house experience with government (federal, state, and local) contracting, with a focus on SaaS and related technology areas

Demonstrating a deep understanding of how to translate government procurement and compliance requirements into commercially workable SaaS contracting models, and the judgment to know when adaptation is (and is not) appropriate

Having in-depth knowledge of government legal and regulatory contracting requirements (including familiarity with federal and specific state requirements)

Someone who is able to independently review and negotiate complex SaaS agreements, as well as ancillary documents including BAAs and privacy-related documents, applying strong judgment to adapt guidance and address novel issues, and partnering closely with GTM teams to manage multiple negotiations under tight deadlines

Comfortable working cross-functionally with technical, business, and executive stakeholders

Someone with integrity, excellent judgment, and a high degree of emotional intelligence; you have experience building strong collaboration channels with peers and stakeholders across a business and are ready to identify pathways to success with our customers

Licensed to practice law and have earned a JD and bar admission in the U.S

Possessing an active US security clearance or the willingness and ability to obtain one