Contracts Manager

Requirements Essential The Contracts Manager is responsible for the end-to-end management and governance of ALL.SPACE's customer, government, partner and supplier contracts, with particular emphasis on US Government and defence contracting. Sitting within Finance, the role provides an independent contractual and commercial assessment of opportunities and contracts across their full lifecycle, from opportunity assessment and proposal development through negotiation, award, performance, modification and close-out. The Contracts Manager brings together contractual, commercial, financial, delivery and compliance considerations to provide leadership with a clear assessment of deal risk and a recommendation on whether and how ALL.SPACE should proceed. The role works closely with Sales, Programme Delivery, Finance, Supply Chain and Legal, resolving the substantial majority of contractual matters independently while Legal retains ownership of legal terms, legal interpretation and material legal risk. Contract Management Manage pre-award and post-award contracts across US Government, defence and commercial customers. Manage a broad range of contractual instruments including FAR/DFARS contracts, OTAs, IDIQs, MATOCs, task orders, subcontracts, NDAs, teaming agreements and Broad Agency Announcements (BAAs). Maintain contractual oversight throughout the lifecycle, including amendments, modifications, renewals, novations and close-out activities. Provide authoritative contractual guidance and resolve routine and complex contract matters before escalation to Legal or external counsel. RFP, RFQ & Proposal Support Review RFPs, RFQs and other solicitation documentation to identify contractual requirements, risks, representations, certifications and compliance obligations. Advise Capture, Sales and Proposal teams on acceptable contractual positions, exceptions and areas requiring negotiation. Identify unacceptable or high-risk contractual terms early in the opportunity lifecycle and ensure they are visible before bid submission. Support bid and proposal development by ensuring contractual assumptions and obligations are properly understood and reflected. Contract Negotiation Partner with the Sales Lead in customer negotiations, leading the contractual position and supporting negotiation of terms and conditions. Lead or support negotiations relating to intellectual property, data rights, indemnities, liability, warranties, flow-down requirements, payment terms and performance obligations. Recommend negotiating positions that balance customer requirements, commercial objectives, delivery capability and organisational risk. Coordinate with Legal where contractual matters require specific legal interpretation, approval or external counsel. Deal Review & Contract Adjudication Provide the overall contractual and commercial assessment of opportunities presented to the Deal Review Board. Evaluate the proposed deal across scope, schedule, cost, margin, contractual obligations, delivery risk, compliance, reputational exposure and other material considerations. Coordinate inputs from Sales, Finance, Programme Delivery, Engineering, Supply Chain, Legal and other relevant functions. Provide a clear Go/No-Go recommendation, identifying material risks, assumptions, dependencies and required mitigation. Ensure exceptions and risks are explicitly understood and accepted by the appropriate decision makers before contractual commitment. Contract Drafting & Documentation Draft, review, redline and finalise contracts, modifications, novations and related agreements in conjunction with Legal. Produce first drafts of vendor agreements, partner agreements, reseller agreements, NDAs, MoUs, teaming agreements and other commercial documentation. Ensure Legal approval is obtained where required before execution. Maintain appropriate templates and contractual standards to improve efficiency and consistency. Government Contracting Compliance Ensure contractual compliance with applicable FAR and DFARS requirements. Support compliance with export control requirements including ITAR and EAR from a contractual perspective. Identify and manage contractual requirements relating to organisational conflicts of interest (OCI), security, cleared work and other government obligations. Monitor contractual representations, certifications and compliance commitments, escalating specialist matters to Legal, Security, Export Compliance or other subject matter experts as appropriate. Subcontracts & Flow-Down Management Identify contractual flow-down requirements and ensure they are incorporated into relevant subcontractor and supplier agreements. Ensure requirements including DPAS ratings are appropriately documented, communicated and distributed. Work with Supply Chain and Programme teams to ensure subcontractors understand and meet contractual obligations. Support management of CDRLs, SDRLs and other contractual deliverables where applicable. Identify contractual risks arising from supplier or subcontractor performance and recommend appropriate mitigation. Contract Governance & Administration Maintain the central repository and database for contracts and contractual documentation. Manage the controlled distribution of partner agreements, reseller agreements, NDAs, MoUs and other contractual documentation. Ensure executed agreements, amendments and associated records are complete, accurate and accessible. Maintain visibility of key obligations, renewal dates, notice periods, deliverables and contractual milestones. Support the continued development of contract management processes, templates and governance. Stakeholder Partnership Act as the primary contracts adviser to Sales, Business Development, Programme Delivery and other business functions. Translate contractual requirements into clear and practical guidance for non-contract specialists. Work collaboratively with Legal while maintaining appropriate ownership of day-to-day contractual decisions. Build strong working relationships with customers, government contracting personnel, partners and suppliers. Decision Making Operate with significant autonomy across routine and complex contractual matters. Independently resolve the substantial majority of contract issues before escalation to Legal or external counsel. Provide recommendations to leadership on contractual risk, deal structure and Go/No-Go decisions. Determine when contractual issues require specialist legal, export, security or compliance advice. Influence decisions that may have significant commercial, financial or operational consequences for ALL.SPACE. Requirements Essential Significant experience managing contracts within the defence, aerospace, space or US Government contracting environment. Strong practical knowledge of FAR and DFARS requirements. Demonstrated experience managing both pre-award and post-award contractual activities. Experience reviewing government solicitations, RFPs and RFQs and advising proposal or capture teams. Strong experience drafting, reviewing and negotiating contractual terms and conditions. Experience managing subcontractor flow-down requirements and contractual deliverables. Strong understanding of intellectual property, government data rights, indemnities, liability and contractual risk allocation. Ability to interpret complex contractual requirements and translate them into practical business guidance. Strong commercial judgement and ability to balance opportunity, risk, compliance and delivery considerations. Desirable Multiple years of contracts experience with a major US defence or aerospace Prime. Extensive experience reviewing contracts against FAR and DFARS requirements. Experience working with subcontractors and managing CDRLs, SDRLs and associated contractual deliverables. Experience of OTAs, IDIQs, MATOCs and other US Government contracting vehicles. Working knowledge of ITAR, EAR, DPAS, OCI and US Government security requirements. Current or previous US Government security clearance. Experience within the space, satellite communications or defence technology sector. Key Competencies Contractual Judgement Commercial Acumen Government Contracting Expertise Risk Management Negotiation Attention to Detail Influencing & Stakeholder Management Decision Making & Judgement Communication Collaboration & Partnership Benefits Excellent Compensation package inclusive of competitive salary, 401(k) plan, healthcare and 25 days holiday in addition to the US Bank holidays Bonus package Career development training opportunities (in house and external) Employee Referral scheme #J-18808-Ljbffr