Contracts Manager

AV; Pottstown (Montgomery County); On-site; USD 101,000 - 154,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Dental and vision coverage

401K with company matching

9/80 work schedule

Holiday shutdown

Job summary

AeroVironment, Inc. is seeking a Contracts Manager to lead bid prep, negotiation, and contract administration for aerospace projects. You will partner with legal, finance, procurement, and engineering to streamline workflows and mitigate risks.

You will develop bids, capture, and negotiation documents, ensuring compliant execution across the contract lifecycle and supporting amendments as needed.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience in business administration, law, or related field.
• Strong knowledge of Federal and international regulations and relevant legal concepts.
• Experience with DoD/Federal prime contract administration and management.
• Ability to draft and negotiate various contract types and terms.

Responsibilities

• Prepare and review bids, proposals, and contract negotiations for complex aerospace projects.
• Administer contracts through lifecycle, including modifications, amendments, and close-outs.
• Draft, evaluate, and negotiate NDAs, S/PAs, subcontracts, licenses, and master agreements.
• Ensure compliance with regulations and company policies across agreements.
• Monitor performance of long-term contracts, summarize obligations, and assess risk.
• Coordinate flow-downs with all departments and liaise with DCMA and audit agencies.
• Maintain contract files, data in business systems, and prepare status reports.
• Support audits and provide contract-related guidance to programs.

Skills

Contract drafting

Negotiation

Government contracting

FAR/DFAR knowledge

Regulatory compliance

Cross-functional collaboration

Risk assessment

Communication skills

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business Administration or related field

Job description

Job Description

Contracts Manager position requires complex thinking skills, with a deep understanding of contract management processes and regulations as they pertain to complex aerospace projects. As a Contracts Manager you will partner closely with cross-functional teams, including legal, finance, procurement, and engineering, to streamline contract workflows and mitigate risks. Your expertise will be essential in evaluating contract performance, managing relationships, and ensuring the execution of agreements that support business goals. The Contracts Manager develops the bid, capture and contract negotiation processes and documents, and then ensures efficient performance throughout the contract's lifecycle, supporting amendments and interpretations as necessary.

Worker Type: Regular

Position Responsibilities

• Work closely with Operations, the Contracts team and other functions including Sales, Strategy and Marketing, Finance, and the Legal team on bid and proposal preparation, contract negotiation, contract review and administration for new and sustaining products and services.
• Perform contract management and administrative duties throughout the contract lifecycle including, but not limited to, proposal review and preparation, leading pre and post award negotiations, executing contract modifications, initiating contract close-outs and providing overall contracts support to programs with complex, multi-year contracts.
• Responsible for drafting, evaluating, negotiating various agreements such as, Non-Disclosure Agreements, Sales/Purchase Agreements, Subcontracts, Consulting Agreements, License Agreements, Master Agreements, and other Contractual agreements, such as FAR based contracts, OTAs, etc.
• Responsible for ensuring that agreements/terms and conditions comply with all applicable regulations and requirements, while also adhering to company policies.
• Manage and monitor the performance of long-term contracts and agreements. Analyze and concisely summarize contractual obligations, commitments, and performance for internal stakeholders. Analyze the impact of modifications and revisions to contract terms and prepare recommendations and risk reviews for management.
• Coordinate flow-downs of terms and conditions with all functional departments including program management, engineering, product support, finance, quality, supply chain management, manufacturing, as required.
• Liaison with Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA) and other audit agencies. Additionally, may lead audits both internal and external to the company.
• Oversee maintenance of accurate files for each contract which will include original contract, all correspondences, changes/deviations, modifications/amendments, clarifications, etc.
• Review uploaded contracts related data in business systems to ensure data is accurate and complete.
• Oversee maintenance and retrieval of contract documents/files and validated data, preparation of reports and participation in status reviews.
• Other duties, as assigned.

Basic Qualifications (Required Skills & Experience)

• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration or related field is required or equivalent combination of education, training, and experience.
• Minimum of 6-8 years' experience performing duties and responsibilities in an aerospace/defense/government contracting environment.
• Presently hold a U.S. Security Clearance (Secret is the minimum, a Top Secret is preferred).
• Current expertise in Federal and International regulations, and relevant legal concepts.
• Significant experience in directly related International and DoD/Federal prime government contract administration/management.
• Demonstrates the ability to work autonomously while exercising sound judgment in seeking support and proactively elevating risks and issues.
• Entrepreneurial focus and ability to thrive and excel in a dynamic and technically focused environment.
• Demonstrated business acumen with experience in developing innovative solutions and a successful record of problem solving.
• An ability to translate between business and technical risk and communicate clearly to leadership.
• Proven Contract Drafting and Negotiation skills.
• FAR/DFAR knowledge; OTA knowledge, working knowledge of US Government acquisition laws and regulations.
• Broad experience with a variety of contract types: firm fixed price, cost-type, commercial/non-commercial, production, development, and sustainment.
• Broad experience with license, non-disclosure and teaming agreements.
• Demonstrated applied knowledge with the requirements of Truthful Cost or Pricing Data (ie FAR Part 15).
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills (written, verbal, and presentation).
• Demonstrated capability working successfully in a collaborative environment that inspires confidence in co-workers and customers.

Other Qualifications & Desired Competencies

• Federal Contract Manager (CFCM) certified and Advanced Degree preferred.
• A Key contributor to continuous improvement and implementation of company procedures and contract management processes.
• Applies strong emotional intelligence and judgment to read situations accurately and adjust approach to support productive outcomes.
• Rapidly evaluates facts, anticipates contractual and programmatic impacts, and can recommend a clear, defensible path forward.
• Works well with varying seniority levels, including staff, managers and external partners.
• Highly organized individual with the ability to conduct business in a professional manner.
• Demonstrates, critical thinking, negotiation and conflict resolution skills.
• Process-oriented, results and deadline-driven; Professional appearance and conduct at all times.
• Demonstrates familiarity with finance and accounting procedures.
• Able to excel in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment, where small teams share a broad variety of duties.
• Displays strong initiative and drive to accomplish goals and meet company objectives.
• Has effective problem-solving, analytical, interpersonal and communication skills.

Physical Demands

• Ability to work in an office environment (Constant).
• Required to sit and stand for long periods; talk, hear, and use hands and fingers to operate a computer and telephone keyboard (Frequent).
• Ability to sit, stand, stoop, reach, lift (up to 10 lbs.), bend, etc. Hand and wrist dexterity to utilize the computer.
• May require travel to sites/program and special functions.

Special Requirements

• U.S. Citizen required.
• Must be able to travel within the Continental U.S. and internationally when required.
• SECRET clearance (Top Secret preferred) is required.

Clearance Level

Secret

Salary

$101,000 - $154,000

ITAR Requirement

This position requires access to information that is subject to compliance with the International Traffic Arms Regulations (“ITAR”) and/or the Export Administration Regulations (“EAR”). In order to comply with the requirements of the ITAR and/or the EAR, applicants must qualify as a U.S. person under the ITAR and the EAR, or a person to be approved for an export license by the governing agency whose technology comes under its jurisdiction. Please understand that any job offer that requires approval of an export license will be conditional on AeroVironment’s determination that it will be able to obtain an export license in a time frame consistent with AeroVironment’s business requirements. A “U.S. person” according to the ITAR definition is a U.S. citizen, U.S. lawful permanent resident (green card holder), or protected individual such as a refugee or asylee. See 22 CFR 120.15. Some positions will require current U.S. Citizenship due to contract requirements.

Benefits

AV offers an excellent benefits package including medical, dental and vision, 401K with company matching, a 9/80 work schedule and a paid holiday shutdown.

Equal Opportunity

AeroVironment, Inc. is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) employer and welcomes all qualified applicants. Qualified applicants will receive fair and impartial consideration without regard to race, sex, color, religion, national origin, age, disability, protected veteran status, genetic data, sexual orientation, gender identity or other legally protected status.