Contracts Administration Manager 2

0090 CORP-Corporate Office; United States; On-site; USD 115,000 - 172,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Life and disability insurance

Savings plan

Company paid holidays

Paid time off (PTO)

Job summary

Northrop Grumman Aeronautics Systems is seeking a Manager Contracts Administration 2 to lead the contracting portfolio onsite in Melbourne, FL. This role requires strong leadership, negotiation, and regulatory expertise to drive contract performance and compliance.

The successful candidate will supervise contract administrators, guide risk mitigation, and coordinate with program management, finance, and legal teams in a 9/80 schedule with 100% onsite work.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree with 7 years of professional experience or Master’s with 5 years or PhD with 3 years
• Experience in government contracting, including negotiation and administration of complex contracts
• Experience negotiating and administering fixed price and cost reimbursable contract types with the U.S. Government
• Understanding of FAR/DFAR and government contracting requirements

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage the contracting portfolio within the assigned program(s) or business area.
• Review and approve contractual documents to protect the company’s contractual/risk posture.
• Plan and execute successful contract negotiations of a complex nature.
• Provide direct supervision and management of a team of contract administrators.
• Oversee contract administration activities across the team, including awards, modifications, options, funding actions, and closeout.

Skills

Leadership

Negotiation

Risk assessment

Team management

Program management

Attention to detail

Ethics & compliance

Decision making

Change management

Strategic thinking

Education

Bachelor's degree

Master's degree

PhD

Job description

Northrop Grumman Aeronautics Systems has an opening for Manager Contracts Administration 2 to join the team of qualified individuals. This leadership role is located onsite in Melbourne, FL. This position is 100% onsite and cannot accommodate telecommute work.

Job responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Lead and manage the contracting portfolio within the assigned program(s) or business area, ensuring alignment with Aeronautics Systems objectives and program needs
• Review and approve contractual documents to protect the company’s contractual/risk posture, ensure satisfaction of contractual requirements, and maintain adherence to applicable regulations and internal guidelines—requiring keen attention to detail
• Plan and execute successful contract negotiations of a complex nature, achieving targeted profit rates as well as favorable terms and conditions that support profit, cash, and risk objectives
• Provide direct supervision and management of a team of contract administrators, including workload management, performance feedback, and development planning
• Foster strong employee engagement, respect, and collaboration; cultivate a culture that emphasizes integrity, accountability, learning, and excellence
• Coach and mentor team members on negotiation strategies, contract drafting, risk assessment, and customer engagement
• Oversee contract administration activities across the team, including awards, modifications, options, funding actions, and closeout, ensuring timely and accurate execution and complete documentation of obligations, deliverables, and milestones
• Support new business and proposal strategies by providing advanced proposal development and negotiation input, including risk identification, due diligence, and mitigation recommendations
• Regularly and proactively interface and effectively collaborate with program management, technical, operations, finance, supply chain, legal, export, security, and other stakeholders to provide guidance and direction based on contractual requirements and risk posture
• Make sound, timely decisions and offer practical guidance in a fast‐paced environment with competing priorities and deadlines, balancing business objectives with legal, regulatory, and contractual compliance
• Apply strong analytical, problem‐solving, and decision‐making skills to resolve complex contractual issues, manage risk, and minimize exposure to the company
• Identify contractual and regulatory risks; recommend mitigation strategies, alternative structures, and negotiation approaches that protect the company while supporting customer objectives
• Leads effective change management processes, including contract changes related to scope, schedule, and price; ensure impacts are identified, documented, and negotiated in a timely manner
• Promote ethical conduct and compliance across the team; promptly elevate issues that may present legal, regulatory, or reputational risk
• Support continuous improvement of contracts processes, tools, and templates; contribute lessons learned and best practices to the broader Contracts organization
• Build strong customer trust and intimacy and strong internal relationships while preserving contractual and organizational interests

The successful candidate will be responsible for all aspects of the contracting team’s portfolio, including customer satisfaction, financial performance, risk mitigation, change management, and support to new business strategy.

• Demonstrate the highest levels of professionalism and integrity
• Exhibit strong leadership qualities and effectively lead and develop a team
• Maintain a collaborative, team‐oriented approach
• Demonstrate a solution‐oriented mindset and sound judgment in a dynamic environment
• Exercise professional courage to challenge and question compliance with requirements, as appropriate
• View the Contract Administration function as a strategic business partner, beyond a transactional or ‘paper pusher’ role
• Embody a growth mindset, with a strong willingness to learn and continuously improve
• Lead and manage the contracting portfolio within the assigned program(s) or business area, ensuring alignment with Aeronautics Systems objectives and program needs

Basic Qualifications:

• Must either have a bachelor’s degree with 7 years of professional experience; or a master’s degree with 5 years of professional experience; or a PhD with 3 years of professional experience
• Experience in government contracting, including negotiation and administration of complex contracts
• Experience negotiating and administering fixed price and cost reimbursable contract types of varying sizes with the U.S. Government
• Thorough understanding of the requirements of applicable government regulations, including the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) and associated government contracting requirements
• Familiarity with FAR and, preferably, DFAR Supplement and/or commercial‐style contracts or similar agreements with the U.S. Government
• Experience in proposal development and negotiation skills, including strategy development, position formulation, and execution, with a strong grounding in agency principles and business ethics
• Proven ability in contract formation, interpretation, and performance across the full contract lifecycle (SOW, terms and conditions, offer and acceptance, consideration, legality, price/cost, technical, delivery, and closeout)
• Must have the ability to obtain and maintain a Secret clearance within a reasonable amount of time as determined by business needs

Preferred Qualifications:

• Active US Government secret or top secret clearance (with a background investigation within the past 6 years or enrolled into Continuous Evaluation)
• Master's degree or equivalent professional certification (e.g., NCMA or similar)
• 10+ years' experience in U.S. Government contracting, including negotiation and administration of complex contracts (e.g. CPIF and FPIF contracts)
• Demonstrated leadership and/or supervisory experience leading contract professionals or multidisciplinary teams
• Experience managing FAR part 34 Major System Acquisition and commercial contracts or similar agreements with the U.S. Government
• Track record of process improvement across contracting and negotiation activities, including effectiveness, efficiency, metrics, and innovation
• Recognized leadership capabilities and strong emotional intelligence, with the ability to set vision and mission, guide and influence teams, and align results to organizational goals
• Demonstrated ability to collaborate effectively with cross‐functional stakeholders (program, technical, finance, supply chain, quality, legal, property, data, and IT)

Primary Level Salary Range:

Primary Level Salary Range: $115,000.00 - $172,400.00

The above salary range represents a general guideline; however, Northrop Grumman considers a number of factors when determining base salary offers such as the scope and responsibilities of the position and the candidate's experience, education, skills and current market conditions. Depending on the position, employees may be eligible for overtime, shift differential, and a discretionary bonus in addition to base pay. Annual bonuses are designed to reward individual contributions as well as allow employees to share in company results. Employees in Vice President or Director positions may be eligible for Long Term Incentives.

Benefits:

• health insurance coverage
• life and disability insurance
• savings plan
• Company paid holidays
• paid time off (PTO) for vacation and/or personal business

This position follows a 9/80 work schedule, with every other Friday off.

Northrop Grumman is an Equal Opportunity Employer, making decisions without regard to race, color, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, national origin, age, veteran status, disability, or any other protected class. For our complete EEO and pay transparency statement, please visit http://www.northropgrumman.com/EEO.

U.S. Citizenship is required for all positions with a government clearance and certain other restricted positions.

We are a pioneering company. With careers across all areas: air, cyber, land, sea and space’’ our 90,000 employees work as one to defend and define the future. Northrop Grumman careers and internships are as varied as your interests, with a lifetime of potential that will give you every opportunity to do your best work. Working together with people from many backgrounds, personal passions and disciplines, we share a drive to push the boundaries of science, technology and engineering to meet the ever evolving needs of our customers worldwide.