Contracts Principal

SAIC; El Segundo (CA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

SAIC seeks a Contracts Principal to operate onsite in Colorado Springs, CO or El Segundo, CA, overseeing contracts and proposals for the Air Force, Space and Intelligence Business Group.

The role requires deep federal contracting knowledge, OCI mitigation, and proactive negotiation with Contracting Officers, suppliers, and internal teams to secure favorable outcomes across capture and contract execution.

Qualifications

• Experience with cost proposals and pricing strategies.
• Solid understanding of contract administration principles and standards.
• Experience with OTA agreements and prototype proposals.
• Proven negotiation skills across senior stakeholders and customers.
• Knowledge of FAR, TINA, GAAP and related government contracting rules.
• Strong proposal writing ability for technically and contractually compliant submissions.

Responsibilities

• Interface with Contracting Officers and acquisition specialists to lead negotiations and protect SAIC's interests.
• Advise on OTA usage, IP/data rights, cost/pricing, and long-term program implications for growth.
• Apply OCI mitigation plans and coordinate with contracts management and legal counsel.
• Educate partners on contracting strategies and competitive approaches.
• Ensure alignment of acquisition strategies with regulatory requirements and organizational goals.

Skills

Cost proposals

Contract admin

OTA experience

Negotiation

FAR/TINA/GAAP

Proposal writing

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business Administration

Master's degree in Business Administration

Job description

Description

SAIC has an opening for a cleared Contracts Principal. This position is being offered onsite in either Colorado Springs, CO or El Segundo, CA.

About SAIC's Business Management Organization

SAIC's Business Management function encompasses the full acquisition value chain - from customer engagement and strategy development on the sell side, to program execution, strategic alliances, supply chain management, and subcontractor development on the buy side, to internal finance. Our team of dynamic acquisition professionals provides critical support across key business areas, including Mission IT, Integration, Engineering Services, SETA, and Professional Services, serving both external and internal customers.

Role Overview:

SAIC's Business Management organization is seeking an experienced and highly capable Contracts Principal to manage contracts and proposals within the Air Force, Space and Intelligence Business Group, specifically supporting the Defense and Civil Space Market. The successful candidate will serve as a strategic partner to key stakeholders throughout the capture, proposal, and contract execution phases, bringing a high level of federal government contracting expertise and a proactive, solutions-oriented mindset.

The ideal candidate is self-directed and highly capable of independent work, while maintaining a clear awareness of their boundaries and a willingness to engage manager guidance when appropriate. They are confident, organized, detail-oriented, and skilled at building collaborative relationships while managing multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Serve as a primary customer-facing interface with Contracting Officers and acquisition specialists; cultivate and maintain strong, trust-based relationships at all levels of the customer organization; demonstrate interpersonal agility across a wide range of customer personalities and communication styles; lead negotiations with a solutions-oriented mindset - recognizing that some positions must be held firmly while others present opportunities for mutually beneficial outcomes; pursue resolutions that protect SAIC's interests while leaving the customer assured they have been heard, respected, and well-served; exercise sound judgment in knowing when to commit to a position in the room and when to take an issue back for further review.
• Demonstrate solid proficiency with innovative and alternative acquisition mechanisms, including Other Transaction Authorities (OTAs), Commercial Solutions Openings (CSOs), and prototype project proposals; advise internal stakeholders on the features, trade-offs, and real-world implications of each vehicle across intellectual property rights, data rights, competitive positioning, cost and pricing considerations, and long-term program implications; understand how SAIC's scale, past performance, and enterprise capabilities position the company competitively within these environments.
• Demonstrate familiarity with the non-traditional defense contractor (NTDC) landscape and how it intersects with OTA and other innovative acquisition vehicles; understand how SAIC positions itself relative to NTDCs in these environments and contribute meaningfully to teaming and competitive positioning discussions.
• Apply a thorough understanding of Organizational Conflict of Interest (OCI) identification, assessment, and mitigation; independently author OCI mitigation plans, including initial drafts and updates in response to emergent concerns or evolving program circumstances; review completed plans with contracts management prior to submission to program leadership, ensuring plans are well-reasoned, accurate, and defensible throughout the program lifecycle.
• Demonstrate the ability to review, analyze, and interpret contractual documents with a depth of understanding that goes beyond procedural compliance; assess adherence to company policy, government specifications, and master agreement requirements while recognizing the practical, real-world legal implications of contractual language and obligations; advise business and program leadership on contractual rights, obligations, and terms and conditions with confidence, while exercising the professional judgment to recognize when an issue warrants escalation to contracts management or SAIC's in-house legal counsel.
• Educate internal and external partners on contracting strategies, marketplace dynamics, and competitive approaches; share insights that elevate team thinking and clearly communicate trade-off considerations.
• Apply a strategic mindset focused on driving innovation and adapting to an evolving business and regulatory landscape.
• Develop acquisition strategies for emerging technologies (e.g., AI, cloud computing), including identifying and assessing new opportunities, analyzing market trends, creating comprehensive acquisition plans, and ensuring alignment with organizational goals and regulatory requirements.
• Navigate challenges associated with emerging technologies, including risk management, rapid innovation cycles, and evolving industry standards.
• Demonstrate experience with as-a-service models (e.g., Software-as-a-Service, Infrastructure-as-a-Service, Platform-as-a-Service).
• Maintain awareness of significant regulatory developments, including ongoing and proposed FAR reform initiatives, and demonstrate a genuine interest in understanding how such changes may impact contract structures, compliance requirements, and acquisition strategy.

Qualifications

Required Education and Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration or a related discipline with 10 years of relevant experience; or a Master's degree in Business Administration or a related discipline with 8 years of relevant experience.
• U.S. Citizenship required.
• Active Top Secret/SCI with SAP clearance is required .

Required Skills and Qualifications

• Extensive cost proposal experience.
• Thorough understanding and broad application of contract administration principles, concepts, practices, and standards.
• In-depth knowledge of relevant laws, regulations, and policies governing assigned contracts, including the FAR, TINA, and GAAP.
• Strong knowledge of industry practices in federal government contracting.
• Proven experience in contract risk management and negotiation.
• Demonstrated experience with Other Transaction Authority (OTA) agreements, including prototype OTAs and follow-on production transactions; working knowledge of the statutory and regulatory framework governing OTA use and limitations.
• Strong proposal writing skills, including the ability to develop, structure, and review technically and contractually compliant proposals across a variety of contract types and acquisition vehicles, including OTA white papers, prototype project proposals, and other short-form submissions where concise, high-impact writing is essential; demonstrated ability to communicate complex technical and contractual concepts with precision and economy within strict page limitations; experience with both FAR-based and non-FAR-based proposal environments preferred.
• Ability to synthesize complex legal and contractual topics and communicate them clearly to collaborators across diverse backgrounds and disciplines.
• Effective critical thinking skills with the ability to quickly assimilate and act on new information.
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage a fluctuating workload and competing priorities.
• Self-directed and dependable, with a clear awareness of limitations and a collaborative approach to manager engagement.
• Reliable, structured, risk-aware, agile, and creative - consistently delivering on commitments.

Target salary range: $140,001 - $180,000. The estimate displayed represents the typical salary range for this position based on experience and other factors.