Director / Assistant General Counsel, Ethics & Compliance

Overview

The organization is seeking an energetic, strategic, and highly skilled Director / Assistant General Counsel, Ethics & Compliance to lead and elevate the enterprise-wide Ethics & Compliance program.

Reporting directly to the Chief Compliance Officer, this senior leader will help shape, operate, and continuously strengthen ethics and compliance capabilities across a highly regulated, mission-driven federal contracting environment. This is a high-visibility role focused on investigations, government expectations, and practical, business-aligned compliance solutions.

The ideal candidate brings deep experience in government investigations, enforcement, or regulatory oversight, particularly within federal contracting or in agencies such as DOJ, DOE, DOD, OIG, or similar national security and defense organizations.

Location

• Tysons Corner, VA
• Lynchburg, VA
• Charlotte, NC
• Tri-Cities / Eastern, TN

Remote work may be available for candidates with a demonstrated record of excellence in federal investigations, compliance, or enforcement, and whose experience strongly aligns with both the required and preferred qualifications.

Responsibilities

• Serve as a strategic advisor and trusted deputy to the Chief Compliance Officer, taking ownership of high-impact compliance matters and enterprise initiatives.
• Lead the ethics and compliance investigation program, including intake, triage, planning, execution, findings, documentation, remediation, and appropriate escalation of significant matters.
• Establish and promote consistent, objective, and well-documented investigative practices in collaboration with Legal, HR, IT, Internal Audit, Security, and other internal stakeholders.
• Personally lead and manage a docket of complex, sensitive investigations involving significant regulatory, operational, or reputational risk.
• Oversee ethics and compliance training and communications, ensuring engaging, risk-based programming that strengthens organizational culture of integrity.
• Develop, refine, and maintain compliance policies, controls, and procedures aligned with legal, regulatory, and government contracting requirements.
• Strengthen the compliance posture as a federal contractor through effective internal reporting, monitoring, controls, and timely remediation processes.
• Support evaluation and handling of potential mandatory disclosures related to fraud, conflicts of interest, bribery or gratuities, overpayments, False Claims Act matters, and other areas governed by FAR and associated requirements.
• Partner with business and functional leaders to identify emerging compliance risks and develop practical, risk-based mitigation strategies.
• Support periodic compliance risk assessments and leverage trends, investigation outcomes, employee concerns, and audit results to inform continuous program improvement.
• Develop and track compliance metrics and KPIs to assess program effectiveness and support reporting to senior leadership and the Board.
• Monitor evolving laws, regulations, enforcement priorities, and government expectations affecting federal contractors; recommend program enhancements as appropriate.
• Support assessments and benchmarking of the Ethics & Compliance program against government guidance and recognized industry practices.

Required Qualifications

• Approximately 5 - 7 years of relevant professional experience in investigations, enforcement, oversight, ethics and compliance, or a closely related field.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a DOE Security Clearance.
• Experience working for, advising, or investigating federal contractors, ideally in defense, nuclear, aerospace, energy, or similarly regulated environments.
• Working knowledge of DOJ’s Evaluation of Corporate Compliance Programs.
• Demonstrated expertise in investigative practices, including evidence gathering, interviewing, analysis, documentation, and findings development.
• Strong understanding of corporate ethics and compliance program principles and expectations.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to simplify complex legal and regulatory issues.
• Proven judgment, discretion, and professionalism in handling sensitive and confidential matters.
• Ability to build productive, trust-based relationships with senior leaders, attorneys, investigators, and employees across a complex enterprise.

Preferred Qualifications

• Juris Doctor (J.D.) from an accredited law school.
• Prior federal government experience in investigative, enforcement, oversight, or regulatory roles—preferably within agencies responsible for national security or government contracting (DOJ, DOE, DOD, FBI, OIG, etc.).
• Experience investigating matters involving procurement fraud, False Claims Act risk, conflicts of interest, bribery or gratuities, labor charging, cost/pricing issues, significant overpayments, or other forms of government contracting misconduct.
• Experience evaluating or advising on mandatory disclosures to federal agencies or contracting officers.
• Working knowledge of U.S. export control laws and regulations, including EAR, ITAR, DOE 810, and NRC 110.

Compensation & Benefits

• Pay: $131,480 - $207,000
• Base salary range for this position in Virginia (US-VA) at the start of employment is expected to be between $131,480 and $207,000 per year.
• Offered base salary may vary based on local job market factors and candidate-specific factors such as job-related knowledge, skills, experience, and other objective business considerations.
• Total compensation may also include other elements, such as an annual cash incentive in addition to a full range of medical, retirement, and/or other benefits.
• Professional development opportunities, including mentorship programs and sponsorship for continuing education.
• Flexible work schedules and paid time off.
• Health, dental, and retirement plans.

Employment may be at-will, unless employed at a location and in a position subject to a collective bargaining agreement.

Additional Information

• This role requires U.S. citizenship.
• Selected applicants must successfully complete a pre-employment check and drug screening.
• The position may require ability to obtain and maintain applicable federal eligibility requirements for access to classified/sensitive information or matter involving an extensive criminal and financial background investigation, drug test, previous employment, and reference verifications.
• The organization complies with Equal Employment Opportunity principles.
• New hires are required to adhere to applicable workplace health and safety requirements as a condition of employment.