Contracts and Pricing Specialist

General-Tool; Reading (OH); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

GTC in Reading, OH is seeking a Contracts & Pricing Specialist to own bottoms-up cost builds, ensure FAR/DFARS compliance, and support negotiations from the cost side of proposals. You will collaborate with program management, finance, BD, and legal to defend cost positions and drive winning bids.

This role emphasizes cross-functional teamwork, audit readiness, and the ownership of pricing discipline within defense contracting.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Economics, Engineering, Business, or a related field — a master's degree or advanced cost estimating certification such as AACEi or ICEAA CCP/CEA is preferred
• Minimum of five years of relevant experience in cost estimating and pricing within a government or defense contracting environment
• Demonstrated knowledge of FAR, DFARS, CAS, cost principles, and government contract pricing practices — you don't need to look these up
• Experience preparing proposal cost volumes and supporting DCAA audits — strongly preferred
• Advanced Microsoft Excel modeling skills, proficiency in PowerPoint, and working knowledge of cost estimating tools
• Strong analytical instincts and the attention to detail required to build cost models that are not just accurate but defensible under scrutiny
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills — you can walk a senior leader or a government evaluator through a complex pricing position and make it land clearly
• Ability to manage multiple proposals simultaneously under tight deadlines without letting anything slip through
• A highly cooperative approach to cross-functional work and a genuine willingness to take initiative when the team needs it

Responsibilities

• Prepare, review, and defend detailed cost and price proposals — including labor estimates, material, subcontracts, travel, ODCs, G&A, and fees — that are compliant, competitive, and audit-ready
• Develop bottoms-up direct labor and overhead rate models, labor loading, and resource plans tied to WBS and program schedules
• Perform cost-to-complete analyses, support contract performance forecasts, and provide clear variance explanations when actuals diverge from plan
• Apply FAR, DFARS, CAS, and agency-specific pricing regulations to ensure every proposal and contract billing action is fully compliant — with the goal of zero significant audit findings
• Create pricing exhibits, cost narratives, and cost volume content for RFP responses, and develop price-to-win analyses and pricing strategy inputs that give GTC a competitive edge
• Support contract negotiations and post-award actions including proposal clarifications, audit responses, and contract modifications
• Maintain and communicate indirect rate structures, burden models, and rate roll‑ups in close coordination with accounting and finance
• Prepare and respond to DCAA/DOL inquiries and audit requests — you know what they're looking for before they ask
• Maintain historical cost databases, document lessons learned, and use that knowledge to sharpen future estimates
• Negotiate terms and conditions with government agencies and prime contractors, interpreting complex contractual language and advising internal stakeholders on what it means for the program
• Maintain comprehensive contract files in accordance with government requirements and identify process improvements that make the whole contracts function more efficient and effective
• Communicate pricing rationale and risk clearly to program leadership and executive stakeholders — you translate the numbers into a story leadership can act on

Skills

Excel modeling

PowerPoint

Cost estimating tools

Analytical skills

Communication skills

Proposal management

Education

Bachelor's degree (Accounting, Finance, Economics, Engineering, Business, or related)

Master's or CCP/CEA certification preferred

Tools

Microsoft Excel

Cost estimating software

Job description

If you are unable to complete this application due to a disability, contact this employer to ask for an accommodation or an alternative application process.

Contracts and Pricing Specialist

Full-time Regular Reading, OH, US

15 days ago Requisition ID: 1232

Contracts & Pricing Specialist — Aerospace & Defense
Full-Time | Reports to VP of Program Management | Government & Defense Contracting

You Know What Things Should Cost. And You Know How to Prove It.

Defense contracting is won and lost in the details — and the Contracts & Pricing Specialist is the person at GTC who owns those details. From bottoms-up cost builds to FAR/DFARS compliance to DCAA audit support, you'll be the technical pricing authority who makes sure our proposals are competitive, compliant, and defensible from the first estimate to the final negotiation.

This isn't a back-office role. You'll work shoulder-to-shoulder with program management, finance, business development, and legal — communicating pricing rationale to senior leadership and government evaluators, and helping GTC win the right work at the right price.

And through our Ownership For All program, the contracts you help win and the cost discipline you bring to this organization builds something that's genuinely yours. Every eligible full-time employee receives an ownership stake in GTC. From day one, you're not just joining a team. You're becoming an owner. Your wins aren't just good for the company. They're good for you.

What You'll Do

• Prepare, review, and defend detailed cost and price proposals — including labor estimates, material, subcontracts, travel, ODCs, G&A, and fees — that are compliant, competitive, and audit-ready
• Develop bottoms-up direct labor and overhead rate models, labor loading, and resource plans tied to WBS and program schedules
• Perform cost-to-complete analyses, support contract performance forecasts, and provide clear variance explanations when actuals diverge from plan
• Apply FAR, DFARS, CAS, and agency-specific pricing regulations to ensure every proposal and contract billing action is fully compliant — with the goal of zero significant audit findings
• Create pricing exhibits, cost narratives, and cost volume content for RFP responses, and develop price-to-win analyses and pricing strategy inputs that give GTC a competitive edge
• Support contract negotiations and post-award actions including proposal clarifications, audit responses, and contract modifications
• Maintain and communicate indirect rate structures, burden models, and rate roll‑ups in close coordination with accounting and finance
• Prepare and respond to DCAA/DOL inquiries and audit requests — you know what they're looking for before they ask
• Maintain historical cost databases, document lessons learned, and use that knowledge to sharpen future estimates
• Negotiate terms and conditions with government agencies and prime contractors, interpreting complex contractual language and advising internal stakeholders on what it means for the program
• Maintain comprehensive contract files in accordance with government requirements and identify process improvements that make the whole contracts function more efficient and effective
• Communicate pricing rationale and risk clearly to program leadership and executive stakeholders — you translate the numbers into a story leadership can act on

What You Bring

• Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Economics, Engineering, Business, or a related field — a master's degree or advanced cost estimating certification such as AACEi or ICEAA CCP/CEA is preferred
• Minimum of five years of relevant experience in cost estimating and pricing within a government or defense contracting environment
• Demonstrated knowledge of FAR, DFARS, CAS, cost principles, and government contract pricing practices — you don't need to look these up
• Experience preparing proposal cost volumes and supporting DCAA audits — strongly preferred
• Advanced Microsoft Excel modeling skills, proficiency in PowerPoint, and working knowledge of cost estimating tools
• Strong analytical instincts and the attention to detail required to build cost models that are not just accurate but defensible under scrutiny
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills — you can walk a senior leader or a government evaluator through a complex pricing position and make it land clearly
• Ability to manage multiple proposals simultaneously under tight deadlines without letting anything slip through
• A highly cooperative approach to cross-functional work and a genuine willingness to take initiative when the team needs it

Why GTC

A pricing role with real strategic influence — you're not just building spreadsheets, you're helping shape which programs GTC pursues and how we win them. Close collaboration with program management, finance, BD, and executive leadership. Work performed at the intersection of precision manufacturing and defense contracting — a niche where sharp pricing talent is genuinely valued. A culture built on accountability, continuous improvement, and doing the job right. And through Ownership For All, a real stake in the contracts you help close and the company you help grow. From day one, you're not just a specialist here. You're an owner.

GTC is an Equal Opportunity Employer M/F/D/V. All applicants are considered based on experience and knowledge, without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, ancestry, marital status, disability, or veteran status. We are committed to a workplace free from discrimination and harassment.