About the roleThe Government Contracts Senior Specialist leads end-to-end contract lifecycle management for U.S. Government and prime contracts-from capture and proposal strategy through negotiation, award, administration, performance management, and closeout-while ensuring compliance with applicable acquisition regulations and company policies.
The role serves as a key business partner to Program Management, Finance/Pricing, Legal, Supply Chain/Subcontracts, Engineering, and Security to structure executable deals, manage risk, and protect the company's business and IP/data rights.
What you'll doContract strategy, deal shaping, and negotiations: - Own contracting strategy for pursuits and active programs; develop negotiation objectives, fallback positions, and risk-mitigation plans aligned to business goals.
- Lead and/or support complex negotiations with Government contracting officers and prime/customer procurement counterparts, brief internal leadership on positions, risks, and outcomes.
Proposal and pre-award execution: - Analyze solicitations/RFPs; support proposal development and review cycles; coordinate cross-functional inputs to produce compliant, competitive offers.
- Advise stakeholders on contract terms, rights/obligations, and contractual impacts to technical, cost, and schedule baselines.
Post-award administration and performance support: - Administer contracts through execution and closeout: interpret requirements, manage deliverables/CLINs, ensure timely submissions (mods, notices, reports), and support audits and customer communications.
- Identify, document, and support resolution of contractual issues (e.g., changes/constructive changes, scope control, equitable adjustments, claims/REAs as applicable) to protect program performance and financial outcomes.
Compliance and governance: - Ensure compliance with FAR/DFARS and related regulations, and internal policies/delegations of authority; flag non-compliances and implement corrective actions.
- Support Commercial Item Determinations and other regulatory/compliance artifacts as needed.
- Manage IP/data-rights and marking/legend compliance where applicable; coordinate with Legal and engineering/data owners to protect company and customer interests
Cross-functional leadership and stakeholder management: - Serve as the primary contractual interface with internal and external stakeholders; facilitate cross-functional alignment to resolve issues and enable program execution.
You might be a great fit if you have- Bachelor's degree (Business, Finance, Legal Studies, Engineering, or related) and typically 8+ years of relevant government/defense contracting experience (or equivalent combination of education and experience).
- Demonstrated experience across the contract lifecycle: proposal strategy, negotiations, administration, and closeout.
- Working knowledge of FAR/DFARS and government contracting practices (including firm-fixed-price and cost-type environments).
- Strong written, verbal, and presentation communication skills; able to influence decisions and brief leadership with clear recommendations.
- Business judgment, deal structuring, and principled negotiation
- Risk identification, mitigation planning, and issue resolution under schedule pressure
- Regulatory fluency (FAR/DFARS) and compliance discipline
- Cross-functional leadership and stakeholder management
Preferred Experience:- Experience negotiating complex proposals/contracts (including sole-source and other high-scrutiny actions) and supporting cross-functional gate/review processes.
- Experience with contract types such as FFP/FPI/CPFF and related execution considerations.
- Familiarity with cost or pricing data requirements (e.g., Truthful Cost or Pricing Data/TINA concepts) where applicable.
- NCMA certifications (e.g., CFCM/CPCM) and/or advanced degree (MBA/JD).
- Ability to obtain/maintain a security clearance if required by program assignment (role-dependent).
Location and Travel- Hybrid/onsite/remote depends on program and facility requirements; may include work on classified or controlled programs.
- Travel may be required depending on program/customer needs.
Our pay and benefits:- Salary: $110,000 - $130,000 annually, depending on education, experience and skills
- Equity position in Niron via stock option grant
- Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance
- Mental healthcare benefits
- 401k plan with 6% company match
- Paid time off to take time for what you need in life
- Experience in a fun, high-performing, manufacturing environment set to change the world
