Contract Administrator - Defense (AERO)

Chaos Industries; Los Angeles (CA); On-site; USD 132,000 - 225,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits

401k with company match

Free daily lunch onsite

Fully-stocked kitchen

Unlimited PTO

Casual dress code

Job summary

CHAOS Industries is seeking a seasoned Contract Administrator to manage the full contract lifecycle for the MMA program, supporting DoW prime and subcontracts, FMS, and DCS with international customers. You will ensure compliance with FAR/DFARS, ITAR and related agreements, while proactively managing risk and relationships across programs.

The role requires a bachelor’s degree and 10+ years of defense contract experience, including familiarity with FMS/LOAs and export controls.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in business, finance, contract management, or related field.
• Minimum 10 years of contract administration experience in defense/aerospace with DoD contracts (FAR/DFARS).
• Knowledge of contract types (FFP, CPFF, CPIF, T&M, IDIQ) and administration requirements.
• Familiarity with ITAR/EAR export controls as they apply to contracts.
• Strong negotiation, drafting, and analytical skills to interpret complex terms and flag risks.
• Experience with FMS, LOAs, or DCS international agreements; TAAs/MLAs/other export authorizations.

Responsibilities

• Review, draft, negotiate, and administer a variety of contract types for government primes, subs, and teaming agreements.
• Serve as primary contract point of contact for interpretation, modifications, and correspondence with government and customers.
• Prepare NDAs, teaming agreements, and pre-award instruments.
• Monitor deliverables, funding, and performance obligations to ensure timely execution.
• Coordinate with BD, International Programs, and Export Control on FMS/DCS cases and compliance.
• Ensure compliance with ITAR, EAR, TAAs, MLAs, and LOAs for FMS.

Skills

Negotiation

Drafting contracts

Risk management

Contract interpretation

Education

Bachelors in business/finance/contract mgmt

Job description

CHAOS Industries is redefining modern defense with a multi-product portfolio that gives the ultimate advantage—domain dominance. The company's products are powered by Coherent Distributed Networks (CDN™), empowering warfighters, commercial air operators, and border protection teams to act faster, adapt rapidly, and stay ahead of evolving threats.

CHAOS Industries was founded in 2022 and has raised a total of $1 billion in funding from leading investors, including 8VC, Accel, and Valor Equity Partners. The company is headquartered in Los Angeles, with offices in Washington, D.C., San Francisco, San Diego, Seattle, and London. For more information, please visit www.chaosinc.com.

Role Overview:

The Contract Administrator will manage the full contract lifecycle for the Massed Modular Aircraft (MMA) program, supporting a portfolio that includes U.S. government (DoW) prime and subcontracts as well as potential Foreign Military Sales (FMS) and Direct Commercial Sales (DCS) contracts with international customers. This role serves as the primary contracts point of contact for assigned programs, ensuring compliance with the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR)/Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS), International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), and applicable international agreements, while proactively managing risk, obligations, and customer relationships throughout contract performance.

Responsibilities:

• Review, draft, negotiate, and administer a variety of contract types (FFP, CPFF, CPIF, T&M, IDIQ) for U.S. government prime contracts, subcontracts, and teaming agreements.
• Serve as primary point of contact for contract interpretation, modifications, and correspondence with government and commercial customers throughout the contract lifecycle.
• Prepare, negotiate, and administer non-disclosure agreements (NDAs), teaming agreements, and other pre-award instruments.
• Monitor and manage contract deliverables, milestones, funding, and performance obligations to ensure timely execution.
• Support contract administration for potential Foreign Military Sales (FMS) cases and Direct Commercial Sales (DCS) agreements, coordinating with Business Development, International Programs, and Export Control on structuring and compliance.
• Ensure compliance with ITAR, Export Administration Regulations (EAR), Technical Assistance Agreements (TAAs), Manufacturing License Agreements (MLAs), and applicable Letters of Offer and Acceptance (LOAs) for FMS cases.
• Coordinate with Export Control/Trade Compliance on export license applications, agreements, and country-specific restrictions tied to contract performance.
• Support international customer communications and negotiations in partnership with Business Development and Program Management, respecting offset requirements and country-specific contracting norms where applicable.
• Ensure contract actions comply with FAR/DFARS, agency supplements, corporate policy, and applicable public law.
• Identify, flag, and help resolve contractual risks (e.g., scope creep, funding gaps, IP/data rights issues, non-compliant terms) in coordination with Legal, Program Management, and Engineering.
• Support flow-down of prime contract terms and conditions to subcontracts and suppliers as applicable.
• Maintain accurate, audit-ready contract files and documentation in accordance with corporate records retention and government audit requirements (e.g., DCAA, DCMA).
• Partner with Program Management, Finance, Engineering, and Supply Chain to align contractual requirements with program execution, funding profiles, and technical baselines.
• Support proposal development by reviewing solicitations (RFPs/RFQs/RFIs), advising on terms and conditions, and coordinating contract-related proposal inputs.
• Track contract funding, incremental funding actions, and options; coordinate timely exercise or extension actions to avoid performance gaps.
• Support contract closeout activities, including final invoicing, deliverable reconciliation, and release of claims.
• Provide regular contract status reporting to program and functional leadership, highlighting risks, upcoming actions, and compliance issues.
• Prepare correspondence, contract modifications, and formal notices to customers and government contracting officers.
• Support internal training and awareness on contract terms, obligations, and compliance requirements for program teams.
• Bachelor’s degree in business, finance, contract management, or related field.
• Minimum 10 years of contract administration experience within the defense/aerospace industry, including direct experience with U.S. government contracts (FAR/DFARS).
• Working knowledge of various contract types (FFP, CPFF, CPIF, T&M, IDIQ) and their administration requirements.
• Familiarity with export control regulations (ITAR/EAR) as they apply to contract structuring and performance.
• Strong negotiation, drafting, and analytical skills, with the ability to interpret complex contractual terms and flag risk.
• Experience with Foreign Military Sales (FMS) case administration, Letters of Offer and Acceptance (LOAs), or Direct Commercial Sales (DCS) international agreements.
• Experience with Technical Assistance Agreements (TAAs), Manufacturing License Agreements (MLAs), or other export authorizations.

Preferred Requirements:

• Direct experience supporting aircraft, UAS, and related weapons systems programs.
• Certification such as NCMA's Certified Federal Contracts Manager (CFCM) or Certified Commercial Contracts Manager (CCCM).
• Ability to obtain/maintain Secret/Top Secret/SCI clearance

Why CHAOS?

• Health Benefits: Medical, dental, and vision benefits 100% paid for by the company
• Additional benefits: 401k (+ 50% company match up to 6% of pay), FSA, HSA, life insurance, and more
• Our Perks: Free daily lunch while you're working onsite, fully-stocked kitchen, unlimited PTO, casual dress code
• Compensation Components: Competitive base salaries, generous pre-IPO stock option grants, relocation assistance, and (coming soon!) annual bonuses
• Team Growth: 500+employees and counting across 5 global offices

Salary Range: $132000 - $225000

The stated compensation range reflects only the targeted base compensation range and excludes additional earnings such as bonus, equity, and benefits. If your compensation requirements fall outside of the range, we still encourage you to apply. The salary range for this role is an estimate based on a range of compensation factors, inclusive of base salary only. Actual salary offer may vary based on (but not limited to) work experience, education and/or training, critical skills, and/or business considerations.

Recruiting Agencies: CHAOS Industries does not accept unsolicited resumes or outreach. Unsolicited submissions will not be reviewed or compensated.

EXPORT CONTROLS - This position may require 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.

Voluntary Self-Identification

For government reporting purposes, we ask candidates to respond to the below self-identification survey.Completion of the form is entirely voluntary. Whatever your decision, it will not be considered in the hiringprocess or thereafter. Any information that you do provide will be recorded and maintained in aconfidential file.

As set forth in CHAOS Industries’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy,we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law.

If you believe you belong to any of the categories of protected veterans listed below, please indicate by making the appropriate selection. As a government contractor subject to the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA), we request this information in order to measurethe effectiveness of the outreach and positive recruitment efforts we undertake pursuant to VEVRAA. Classification of protected categoriesis as follows:

A "disabled veteran" is one of the following: a veteran of the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service who is entitled to compensation (or who but for the receipt of military retired pay would be entitled to compensation) under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; or a person who was discharged or released from active duty because of a service-connected disability.

A "recently separated veteran" means any veteran during the three-year period beginning on the date of such veteran's discharge or release from active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval, or air service.

An "active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran" means a veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service during a war, or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized under the laws administered by the Department of Defense.

An "Armed forces service medal veteran" means 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.