Manager, Subcontracts

Airbus Ventures; Austin (TX); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

company stock options

health

dental

vision

HSA

FSA

life

disability

retirement plans

Job summary

CesiumAstro is seeking a Manager, Subcontracts in Austin to lead a team executing subcontract activities across programs and suppliers. The role ensures compliance with FAR/DFARS and company policies while coordinating with Program Management, Procurement, Finance, and Legal.

You will drive governance, risk mitigation, and performance reporting to support cost, schedule, and quality objectives. The ideal candidate has strong leadership, extensive subcontract lifecycle experience, and proficiency

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or higher in a related field with strong subcontracting background.
• Extensive knowledge of FAR/DFARS, flowdowns, and regulatory compliance.
• Proven leadership in managing subcontract teams and complex programs.

Responsibilities

• Lead subcontract personnel across programs, allocate resources and set performance expectations.
• Oversee solicitations, negotiations, awards, modifications, disputes, and closeout.
• Develop subcontract approaches for high-value requirements with cross-functional partners.
• Ensure governance, approvals, and Delegations of Procurement Authority are followed.
• Monitor costs, schedule, and supplier performance; coordinate corrective actions.

Skills

Subcontracts management

Negotiations

Leadership

MS Office

Power BI

Risk management

Vendor performance

Education

Bachelor's degree in related field

Master's degree in related field

PhD in related field

Tools

SAP

Oracle

Microsoft Dynamics

NetSuite

Acumatica

Job description

Please Note: To conform with the United States Government Space Technology Export Regulations, the applicant must be a U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., conditional resident, asylee or refugee (protected individuals as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3)), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.

At CesiumAstro, we are developers and pioneers of out-of-the-box communication systems for satellites, UAVs, launch vehicles, and other space and airborne platforms. We take pride in our dynamic and cross-functional work environment, which allows us to learn, develop, and engage across our organization. If you are looking for hands-on, interactive, and autonomous work, CesiumAstro is the place for you. We are actively seeking passionate, collaborative, energetic, and forward-thinking individuals to join our team.

We are looking to add a Manager, Subcontracts to our team. In this role you will lead a team responsible for subcontract execution across assigned programs, suppliers, and business areas. This role manages subcontract activities involving sourcing, negotiations, awards, administration, change management, supplier performance, and closeout while ensuring compliance with established policies and contractual requirements. The Manager establishes team priorities, allocates resources, develops subcontract professionals, and addresses complex supplier and commercial issues to support program cost, schedule, technical, and quality objectives.

This position requires an experienced supply chain leader with strong knowledge of subcontract management, government contracting, supplier negotiations, and commercial risk management. The Manager partners cross-functionally with Program Management, Material Program Management, Procurement, Strategic Sourcing, Engineering, Finance, Legal/Contracts, Supplier Quality, and external suppliers to resolve subcontract challenges, mitigate supplier risks, and align execution with program commitments and business priorities.

JOB DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Manage subcontract personnel across assigned programs, including workload assignments, resource allocation, and performance expectations.
• Establish team priorities and develop subcontract professionals through coaching, performance management, and professional development.
• Lead subcontract activities involving solicitations, proposal evaluations, negotiations, awards, modifications, disputes, and closeout.
• Develop subcontracting approaches for complex, high-value, and program-critical requirements in coordination with applicable business functions.
• Apply established subcontract governance, operating standards, approval requirements, and Delegations of Procurement Authority (DOPA).
• Ensure compliance with FAR/DFARS, contractual flowdowns, company policies, and delegated authority requirements.
• Monitor subcontract costs, schedule, supplier performance, capacity, and commercial risks to identify issues and coordinate corrective actions.
• Partner with Program Management and Material Program Management to align subcontract execution with milestones, budgets, estimates at completion (EACs), and customer commitments.
• Resolve complex supplier performance issues, contractual changes, and material recovery challenges, escalating significant matters as appropriate.
• Maintain subcontract metrics, portfolio reporting, and escalation processes that provide visibility into supplier performance, risks, and execution priorities.
• Analyze subcontract processes, sourcing activities, and supplier performance to identify recurring issues and recommend improvements.
• Implement improvements to subcontract workflows, documentation, reporting, and supplier coordination to strengthen operational efficiency.

JOB REQUIREMENTS AND MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor's degree in supply chain management, business administration, finance, engineering, contracts management, operations management, or a related field with 7–9 years of related experience, master's degree in a related field with 5–7 years of related experience, or PhD in a related field with 3–5 years of related experience in subcontract management, procurement, contracts administration, strategic sourcing, government contracting, or a related discipline.
• 1–3 years of leadership or management experience leading subcontract management, procurement, contracts, or related supply chain professionals.
• Advanced knowledge of subcontract management, government contracting, procurement, strategic sourcing, and supplier relationship management practices.
• Comprehensive understanding of subcontract lifecycle management, FAR/DFARS requirements, contractual flowdowns, delegated procurement authority, and regulatory compliance.
• Proficiency in subcontract negotiations, commercial terms, risk allocation, supplier performance management, and contractual change management.
• Experience managing complex subcontract activities, resolving supplier and commercial issues, and coordinating execution across assigned programs and business functions.
• Strong knowledge of domestic and international subcontracting, supplier risk management, program financial requirements, subcontract governance, and operational improvement practices.
• Exercises sound judgment when evaluating contractual risks, supplier performance concerns, negotiation approaches, resource requirements, and competing program priorities.
• Advanced proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite including Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Teams.
• Enterprise resource planning (ERP) and material requirements planning (MRP) applications, e.g. SAP, Oracle, Microsoft Dynamics, NetSuite, Acumatica, or equivalent platforms.
• Program and project management applications, e.g. Microsoft Project, Smartsheet, Jira, Primavera, or equivalent platforms.
• Supply chain reporting, supplier performance monitoring, business intelligence, and data analysis applications, e.g. Power BI, Tableau, or equivalent platforms.

CesiumAstro considers several factors when extending an offer, including but not limited to, the role and associated responsibilities, a candidate’s work experience, education/training, and key skills.

Full-time employment offers include company stock options and a generous benefits package including health, dental, vision, HSA, FSA, life, disability and retirement plans.

• company stock options
• health
• dental
• vision
• HSA
• FSA
• life
• disability
• retirement plans

CesiumAstro is an Equal Opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard torace, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, protected Veteran Status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.

CesiumAstro does not accept unsolicited resumes from contract agencies or search firms. Any unsolicited resumes submitted to our website or to CesiumAstro team members will be considered property of CesiumAstro, and we will not be obligated to pay any referral fees.