---
title: 'Counsel, Government Contracts & Compliance at Promise'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/counsel-government-contracts-compliance-promise-washington-7rtj2rwwwg4p'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-09-07'
---

# Counsel, Government Contracts & Compliance at Promise

- **Company:** Promise
- **Location:** Washington, DC
- **Compensation:** $175k–$200k
- **Employment:** full-time
- **Work type:** onsite
- **Posted:** 2026-08-20
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-07
- **Apply:** https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/promise/06ad2136-89ae-4d1d-99e9-8fa2cf753244

## Job description

Company Overview

Promise modernizes how government agencies and utilities support people in financial difficulty. We build technology that makes it simple for residents to receive benefits, engage with assistance programs, set up flexible payment plans, and stay on track—while helping agencies increase efficiency, recover revenue, and deliver services with dignity. Our mission is to transform public systems so they work better for everyone, especially the most vulnerable.

Our team includes experts from companies like Palantir, Google, Stripe , and esteemed government leaders. We work hard and believe deeply in what we do. We're looking for excellent people to build innovative, resilient technology.

Backed by over $50 million in funding from top investors – such as Reid Hoffman, Howard Schultz, Michael Seibel, Y Combinator, 8VC, The General Partnership, First Round Capital, Kapor Capital, XYZ Ventures, and Bronze Investments – Promise has been recognized as one of Fast Company's "World's Most Innovative Companies of 2022,” “Forbes Next Billion-Dollar Startups 2024,” and Y Combinator’s #1 GovTech startup.

## ABOUT THE ROLE

Promise's government and utility business is growing in both volume and complexity, and this role owns the contracting and compliance work that powers it. You'll take government contracting end to end—reviewing, drafting, and negotiating solicitations, bids, and customer agreements—and partner with security on the reviews and certifications (FedRAMP, agency security questionnaires) that public-sector customers require, bringing in senior legal leadership on the most complex or novel matters.

You'll be a key legal partner to our pursuit and deployment teams, turning complex public-sector requirements into terms Promise can sign and deliver against. It's a role with real ownership and room to grow into more senior legal leadership over time.

## WHAT YOU'LL DO

- Own Public Sector and Commercial contracting: Review, draft, and negotiate solicitation terms, contracts, subcontracts, and customer agreements across federal, state, local and other procurements.
- Lead contract-side security and compliance review: Partner with security and IT on FedRAMP and agency security reviews, data protection terms, and the certifications and questionnaires Promise customers require.
- Keep bids compliant: Advise on solicitation requirements, certifications and representations, flow-downs, and eligibility so bids are compliant and signable.
- Strengthen contracting practices: Improve and scale the templates, playbooks, and processes that keep contracting efficient as the company grows.
- Manage outside counsel: Engage and oversee specialized outside counsel where needed, keeping spend efficient.
- Stay ahead of regulation: Track changes in public-sector procurement rules, data privacy, and compliance regimes that affect Promise.
- Advise the business: Serve as a resource on the legal team for business development, deployment, product, and security on deal structure, risk, and regulatory questions.

## WHAT WILL HELP YOU SUCCEED

- Credentials: JD and active membership in good standing of at least one U.S. state bar.
- Experience: 5+ years practicing, with meaningful government contracts work across federal and/or state and local procurement, in-house or at a firm.
- Security and compliance fluency: Familiarity with FedRAMP and government security reviews, plus data protection and privacy; experience with StateRAMP, CMMC, or similar is a plus.
- Negotiation: You negotiate complex agreements with government and enterprise counterparties and land workable terms.
- Growth trajectory: You want to deepen your government-contracts expertise and grow into more senior legal leadership.
- Pragmatism: You give clear, business-minded advice and help the company move fast without taking on undue risk.
- Bonus: Govtech, fintech, or public-benefits/payments experience; familiarity with utilities or other regulated industries.

Who Thrives at Promise

You’ll love it here if:

- You are energized by big, complex challenges and the opportunity to solve them.
- You want your work to have a real, measurable impact on people’s lives.
- You take ownership and run toward problems, not away from them.
- You value clear, candid, and constructive communication.

Promise is not for you if:

- You prefer hierarchy and rigid structures. We operate with freedom and responsibility.
- You are uncomfortable with change. We move fast, adapt often, and expect agility.
- You want a typical corporate culture. We are mission-driven, ambitious, and direct.
- You believe efficiency means “doing less.” We believe efficiency means doing better.

## HOW WE SUPPORT OUR PEOPLE

At Promise, we invest in our team’s well-being, growth, and sense of ownership.

- Equity for All: All full-time employees receive stock options to share in our company’s success.
- 100% Paid Health Coverage: We cover 100% of base medical, dental, and vision insurance plans for employees and their dependents.
- Hybrid Work: We collaborate in the office at least four days a week to stay connected and aligned as a team.
- Flexible Time Off: Self-managed FTO and paid holidays — we trust you to manage your time responsibly.

Promise is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate against any applicant or employee because of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, genetic information, age, or military or veteran status. Additionally, the Company complies with applicable state and local laws governing non-discrimination in employment in every jurisdiction in which it operates. Promise is committed to promoting diversity and inclusion in the workplace. We also provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities, pregnant individuals, and those with sincerely held religious beliefs, in accordance with applicable laws. To request a reasonable accommodation, please email accommodations@joinpromise.com.

Promise engages in US government contracts and restricts hiring to US persons, which includes US citizens and permanent residents (e.g., Green Card holders). Additionally, candidates must reside in the US.

Promise participates in E-Verify. To learn more, view E-Verify Participation Notice and Right to Work Notice. https://www.notion.so/promisehq/E-Verify-and-Right-to-Work-Notice-36c700f194288084a365f8c30fd53993?source=copy_link

## About Promise

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: Promise provides a modern, data-driven payment and benefits platform that helps government agencies streamline revenue collection and relief distribution.
- **Entity Type**: Private (Series B, raised over $50M)
- **Headquarters**: Oakland, California, United States
- **Founded**: 2017
- **Founders**: Phaedra Ellis-Lamkins (Co-Founder, CLO) and Jason Richardson (Co-Founder, CEO)

## Core Business
- **Primary industry**: Fintech / Government Technology (GovTech)
- **Target customers**: B2G – state and local government agencies, utilities, and federal entities
- **Mission**: “Empower government agencies with secure, data-driven technology that streamlines payments, simplifies benefits delivery, and enables flexible solutions for communities.”

## Products & Services
- **Promise Payment Platform** (SaaS): A mobile-first, omnichannel payment system that allows residents to pay government debts (taxes, fines, utility bills) via flexible payment plans, supports multiple languages, and integrates with legacy government systems. Also handles relief distribution (e.g., disaster aid, rental assistance) and income verification.

## Market Standing
- **Valuation / Market Cap**: Not publicly disclosed; named to Forbes’ 2024 “Next Billion-Dollar Startups” list.
- **Key Metric**: Total funding of $48.2M (company reports “over $50M”); estimated annual revenue of $4.9M (LinkedIn).
- **Notable Investors / Partners**: Y Combinator, Kapor Capital, XYZ Venture Capital, The General Partnership, First Round Capital, Bronze Investments, Howard Schultz (Starbucks founder).
- **Growth Signals**: 20.2% year-over-year headcount growth (83 employees); expanding into utilities and federal markets; 25 active job postings as of mid-2025.

## Competitive Advantages
- **Deep government domain expertise**: Team combines talent from Google, Stripe, Palantir with decades of public-sector experience.
- **Modern, data-driven approach**: Uses AI and automation to replace outdated legacy systems, making government payments accessible and efficient.
- **End-to-end solution**: Covers both revenue recovery (payment plans) and benefit distribution (relief), creating a unified platform.

## Strategic Focus
- **AI integration**: Building AI-powered tools to further automate workflows and improve resident outcomes.
- **Market expansion**: Growing beyond local government into utilities and federal agencies.
- **Product depth**: Enhancing income verification, real-time data analytics, and self-service capabilities.

## Why Work Here
- **Culture**: Values-driven environment emphasizing “Move fast, learn faster,” “Outcomes above all else,” and “One team, one future.” Strong community with spontaneous happy hours, game nights, and employee-led events.
- **Benefits**: Stock options for all full-time employees, 100% company-paid health insurance premiums (employee-only), comprehensive family leave, retirement plans, and disability/life insurance.
- **Work environment**: Hybrid/office presence in Oakland (HQ), Washington D.C., and San Francisco. Remote flexibility implied by roles listed across multiple locations.
- **Engineering culture**: Rapid iteration, experimentation, and learning from failure; roles include Software Engineer, Data Scientist (AI), and Founding Security Engineer.

## Sources
1. [promise-pay.com/company](https://www.promise-pay.com/company)
2. [promise-pay.com/careers](https://www.promise-pay.com/careers)
3. [promise-pay.com](https://www.promise-pay.com/)
4. [linkedin.com/company/joinpromise](https://www.linkedin.com/company/joinpromise)
5. [indeed.com/cmp/Promise-78290706](https://www.indeed.com/cmp/Promise-78290706)

## Other roles at Promise

- [Account Executive - Public Sector](https://feeny.ai/job/account-executive-public-sector-promise-san-francisco-6wwdc181rbk6) — San Francisco, CA
- [Counsel, Government Contracts & Compliance](https://feeny.ai/job/counsel-government-contracts-compliance-promise-san-francisco-c3kt2qysats4) — San Francisco, CA
- [IT Specialist](https://feeny.ai/job/it-specialist-promise-san-francisco-hsz6c67ptgpr) — San Francisco, CA
- [Software Engineering Lead (Payments)](https://feeny.ai/job/software-engineering-lead-payments-promise-washington-gab838dvthdm) — Washington, DC
- [Account Executive - Public Sector](https://feeny.ai/job/account-executive-public-sector-promise-washington-vazy84xh1hrp) — Washington, DC
- [Software Engineering Lead (AI)](https://feeny.ai/job/software-engineering-lead-ai-promise-san-francisco-dw7vrxyzm7f3) — San Francisco, CA
- [Bilingual Customer Support Associate (Call Center)](https://feeny.ai/job/bilingual-customer-support-associate-call-center-promise-fairfield-g2zzzrw5nxjy) — Fairfield
- [Software Engineer - Platform & Infrastructure](https://feeny.ai/job/software-engineer-platform-infrastructure-promise-washington-56bndxtvwjgm) — Washington, DC
- [Software Engineer - AI](https://feeny.ai/job/software-engineer-ai-promise-san-francisco-9x50k1791y9t) — San Francisco, CA