Orbital Contracts Lead: Spacecraft Bus & Launch Rideshare

Sophia Space; Pasadena (CA); On-site; USD 112,000 - 164,000; Full time

Job summary

Sophia Space in Pasadena, CA seeks a Contract Technical Manager to own the spacecraft-bus and rideshare procurements. You will manage SOWs, milestones, pricing, and delivery, and lead technical interface work across mission teams and suppliers.

The role emphasizes contract negotiation, ITAR/EAR compliance, and coordination with engineering, legal, and finance to ensure on-time, within-budget delivery of flight hardware and launch services.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Engineering, or related field.
• 3–8 years in aerospace contracts or procurement.
• Experience negotiating major hardware contracts (spacecraft bus / rideshare).
• Ability to author SOWs, pricing schedules, and milestone-based contracts.
• Familiarity with ITAR/EAR export-control requirements.
• Excellent negotiation and written/verbal communication.
• Comfort with using AI tools to aid contracts and procurement.

Responsibilities

• Own the spacecraft-bus contract end-to-end, including SOW, pricing, milestones, and warranty.
• Lead interface control documents and verification matrices.
• Coordinate bus integration and rideshare logistics across teams.
• Manage master procurement schedule and risk, report status to leadership.
• Represent Sophia at factory acceptance testing and reviews.
• Support rideshare procurement with pricing, manifest terms, and contract execution.
• Maintain procurement risk register and ITAR/EAR compliance.
• Track payments and manage budget, invoices, and cost-at-completion.
• Drive technical requirement flow-down and TIMs with suppliers.
• Interface with Legal and Finance on redlines and IP terms.

Skills

Contract negotiations

Contract management

Interface control

ITAR/EAR knowledge

Vendor negotiation

AI tools usage

Scheduling & program tracking

Stakeholder communication

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent

Tools

PLM systems

Milestone tracking tools

Job description

Sophia Space in Pasadena, CA seeks a Contract Technical Manager to own the spacecraft-bus and rideshare procurements. You will manage SOWs, milestones, pricing, and delivery, and lead technical interface work across mission teams and suppliers.

The role emphasizes contract negotiation, ITAR/EAR compliance, and coordination with engineering, legal, and finance to ensure on-time, within-budget delivery of flight hardware and launch services.