Senior Contracts Administrator

Hanwha Defense USA, Inc.; Arlington (VA); On-site; USD 110,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

Hanwha Defense USA, Inc. in Arlington, VA seeks a Senior Contracts Administrator to independently manage the full lifecycle of contracts across Land Systems, Naval, and Munitions portfolios.

You will serve as a trusted partner to Program Management, Business Development, Finance, and Engineering, handling complex terms and government relations. The ideal candidate has strong FAR/DFARS fluency, negotiation experience, and the ability to lead high-visibility actions in a fast-paced, multinational

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in business, finance, law, supply chain, or a related discipline required.
• 5+ years of progressive contracts experience with a U.S. Government prime contractor, subcontractor, or federal agency.
• Proficiency with FAR/DFARS, ITAR/EAR, TINA, CAS; experience with multiple contract vehicles.
• Ability to independently review, redline, negotiate terms, and communicate positions clearly.

Responsibilities

• Serve as primary contracts point of contact for assigned programs, managing proposals, negotiations, awards, administration, and closeout.
• Lead review and negotiation of prime contracts, subcontracts, NDAs, MOUs, and other instruments with government and commercial partners.
• Analyze terms to mitigate risk across payment terms, delivery, IP, liability, termination, and data rights; negotiate protective language.
• Support proposal development including RFP analysis, cost/price coordination, and flow-downs to subcontracts.

Skills

FAR/DFARS expertise

Negotiation

Contract administration

MS Excel

Communication

Security clearance eligibility

Education

Bachelor's degree in business, finance, law, supply chain, or related discipline

Tools

Deltek Costpoint

Job description

Hanwha Defense USA (HDUSA) is seeking an experienced Senior Contracts Administrator to serve as a key member of our growing Contracts team. Reporting to the Manager of Contracts, the Senior Contracts Administrator will independently manage the full contract lifecycle — from proposal through closeout — across HDUSA's Land Systems, Naval, and Munitions portfolios, including prime contracts, subcontracts, teaming agreements, and Other Transaction Authority (OTA) instruments.

This position is intended for a mid-career contracts professional who can operate with limited supervision, exercise sound judgment on complex terms and conditions, and serve as a trusted business partner to Program Management, Business Development, Finance, and Engineering. The Senior Contracts Administrator will also help mature HDUSA's contracts function during a critical growth phase, mentor junior contracts staff, and interface directly with U.S. Government customers, prime contractors, and international teammates.

The ideal candidate is a self-starter with strong fluency in FAR/DFARS, demonstrated negotiation experience, and the composure to lead high-visibility contract actions in a fast-paced, multi-cultural environment shaped by HDUSA's affiliation with its Republic of Korea parent, Hanwha Aerospace Co., Ltd.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Serve as the primary contracts point of contact for assigned programs and pursuits, independently managing proposal preparation, negotiation, award, administration, modification, and closeout activities.
• Lead review, redline, and negotiation of prime contracts, subcontracts, teaming agreements, non-disclosure agreements, memoranda of understanding, letters of intent, and other transactional instruments with U.S. Government customers, primes, subcontractors, and commercial partners.
• Analyze terms and conditions to identify and mitigate risk across payment terms, acceptance, delivery, warranty, intellectual property and data rights, indemnification, limitation of liability, termination, disputes, export control, and cybersecurity obligations; recommend and negotiate appropriate protective language.
• Support proposal development, including RFP compliance analysis, cost/price volume coordination, subcontractor data calls, representations and certifications, and preparation of FAR/DFARS clause matrices and flow-downs.
• Draft, negotiate, and administer OTA agreements, prototype project awards, and follow-on production instruments under 10 U.S.C. § 4022, including associated teaming and consortium arrangements.
• Prepare and route contract summary briefings, delegation of authority requests, and internal approval packages for management review.
• Track, monitor, and report on contractual deliverables, funded value, invoicing status, options, and modifications; maintain contract files consistent with company policy and CPSR expectations.
• Provide contracts guidance to cross-functional teams on FAR, DFARS, TINA, CAS applicability, cost principles, data rights, export control (ITAR/EAR), DPAS priority ratings, and cybersecurity/CUI requirements (DFARS 252.204-7012, NIST SP 800-171, CMMC).
• Support customer and prime contractor negotiations, including price, schedule, terms, and scope; independently draft position papers, claims correspondence, and change proposals.
• Coordinate with counsel on complex disputes, claims, terminations, and unusual contract vehicles; support company response to Government audits (DCAA, DCMA), CPSR reviews, and internal compliance reviews.
• Contribute to development and continuous improvement of HDUSA contracts policies, procedures, templates, and playbooks.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor's degree in business, finance, law, supply chain, or a related discipline.
• 5+ years of progressive contracts experience with a U.S. Government prime contractor, subcontractor, or federal agency, including direct experience negotiating and administering FAR/DFARS-based prime contracts and/or subcontracts.
• Working knowledge of Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS), Truth in Negotiations Act (TINA), Cost Accounting Standards (CAS), and export control regimes (ITAR/EAR).
• Demonstrated experience across multiple contract types (FFP, FPI, CPFF, CPIF, CPAF, T&M, IDIQ, BOA) and vehicles (prime, subcontract, teaming, NDA).
• Proven ability to independently review, redline, and negotiate terms and conditions and to communicate contractual positions clearly to both technical and executive audiences.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to draft polished correspondence, position papers, and executive briefings.
• Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and the ability to manage multiple concurrent contract actions under tight deadlines.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite, particularly Word and Excel.
• U.S. citizenship or lawful permanent residency required; ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. DoD security clearance if required by program assignment.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Master's degree, J.D., or paralegal certification.
• NCMA certification (CFCM, CPCM, or CCCM).
• Direct experience with Other Transaction Authority (OTA) prototype and production agreements under 10 U.S.C. § 4022 and § 4023, including consortium-based awards.
• Experience with Army, Navy, or Marine Corps ground vehicle, artillery, munitions, or naval programs.
• Familiarity with DPAS priority ratings and flow-down (15 CFR Part 700), CPSR requirements, and government property clauses (FAR 52.245-1).
• Experience supporting DCAA/DCMA audits, including pre-award accounting system reviews (SF 1408) and CPSR.
• Exposure to international teaming, foreign parent-company workflows, or DFARS qualifying country sourcing.
• Working familiarity with Deltek Costpoint or similar government contracting ERP.

KEY COMPETENCIES

• Contract negotiation and drafting.
• FAR/DFARS compliance and flow-down analysis.
• Risk identification and mitigation across the contract lifecycle.
• Sound business judgment and independent decision-making.
• Cross-functional collaboration and stakeholder management.
• Written communication and executive-ready briefing.
• Ability to work harmoniously in a multi-cultural, international team environment.

EDUCATION

• Bachelor's degree in business, finance, law, supply chain, or a related discipline required.
• Advanced degree (MBA, J.D., MS) preferred.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS / WORK ENVIRONMENT

• Normal amount of sitting or standing, average mobility to move around an office environment, able to conduct a normal amount of work at a computer. Must be able to lift 20 pounds. Vision abilities required by this job include close vision and ability to adjust focus.

Hanwha Defense USA is committed to pay transparency and equitable compensation practices. The salary range listed for this position represents a good faith estimate of the base pay we reasonably expect to offer for the position at the time of posting. Actual compensation may vary based on relevant skills/experience, education and certifications, market conditions, geographic location and internal pay equity. In addition to base salary, employees may be eligible for discretionary annual bonuses, benefits, and other forms of compensation as part of Hanwha Defense USA's total rewards package.

Hanwha Defense USA is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, disability, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic.