Senior Principal Contracts Specialist

Responsibilities for this Position

Senior Principal Contracts Specialist

ID: 2026-73104
US-VA-Marion US-AL-Cullman US-VA-Chantilly US-VA-Manassas
Required Clearance: Secret, obtainable within reasonable time based on requirements
Posted Date: 6/17/2026
Category: Contracts
Employment Type: Full Time
Hiring Company: General Dynamics Mission Systems, Inc.

Basic Qualifications

Bachelor's degree or equivalent combination of education and relevant experience is required plus a minimum of 10 years of relevant experience; or Master's degree plus a minimum of 8 years of relevant experience.

CLEARANCE REQUIREMENTS:
Ability to obtain a Department of Defense SECRET security clearance is required at time of hire. Applicants selected will be subject to a U.S. Government security investigation and must meet eligibility requirements for access to classified information. Due to the nature of work performed within our facilities, U.S. citizenship is required.

Responsibilities for this Position

Overview:
A Contracts Specialist is responsible for supporting the management of the company's contractual agreements with customers, in the drafting, negotiation, and execution of contracts, as well as ensuring compliance with contract terms and conditions. The Contracts Specialist also maintains accurate contract records and databases and assists in identifying and mitigating any contract-related risks. Additionally, this role requires strong communication and or-ganizational skills, as the Contracts Specialist will work closely with program managers, legal teams, and customers to ensure that all contractual obligations are met.

Key Responsibilities:
Acts as focal point for all contractual communications and commitments to customers or subcontractors.
Advises and supports business team on issues/developments relative to assigned contracts or subcontracts.
Negotiates contracts or subcontracts within business goals and documents substance of discussions, agreements, and results.
Participates as a key member of the proposal or program team to address contract or subcontract require-ments.
Monitors contract or subcontract performance for scope changes and takes appropriate action.
Manages contract or subcontract change process and collaborates with the Program Manager, including Pro-gram Manager - Subcontracts, Engineering, Finance, and other disciplines to mitigate performance risk.
Monitors program performance for scope changes and takes appropriate action.
Provides domain expertise in contract or subcontract management.
Provides leadership, subject matter expertise, and innovative recommendations to new or unusual contracting, subcontracting, or programmatic issues.
Executes engagements with customers or subcontractors consistent with policies.
Supports an overall understanding of the Contracts Department operations and GDMS enterprise objectives.
Reviews or supports reviews of subcontractor proposals, including management of the source selection pro-cess by participating with the proposal evaluation team in fact-finding, technical evaluation, and cost or price analysis.
Builds customer or subcontractor relationships and knows customer or subcontractor needs and issues.
Participates as a key member of the proposal or program team to address contract and/or subcontract re-quirements.
Mentors and supports junior contracts team members by providing guidance, sharing best practices, and of-fering advice on complex contractual issues to enhance their professional development and improve overall team performance.
Collaborates with cross-functional teams, including Program Management, Engineering, Finance, and Supply Chain, to ensure contract or subcontract requirements are fully understood and effectively executed, while ad-dressing any potential risks or issues that may arise.
Serve as a subject matter expert (SME) in contracts and subcontracts.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:
Substantial knowledge of applicable federal regulations (FAR/DFARS) and experience with prime contractors or subcontractors across various contract types.
Possesses substantial experience reviewing and analyzing contract or subcontract documents for accuracy, performance risk, and conformance with contract terms, conditions, and other provisions.
Substantial understanding of contract or subcontract management principles.
Substantial analytical/critical thinking skills, attention to detail, and research skills.
Substantial negotiation skills for contracts or subcontracts of moderate to high risk/complexity.
Demonstrates flexibility and the ability to prioritize/re-prioritize with changing goals.

Substantial verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to deal effectively with personnel at all lev-els.
Substantial computer skills (e.g., Microsoft Office) to support effective communications and business needs.
Resolves a wide range of issues in creative ways, demonstrating innovative approaches and solutions.
Collaborates and works effectively cross-functionally throughout the business.
Demonstrates judgment and creativity to identify and resolve moderately complex contract or subcontract is-sues, recognizing when more expert guidance is required.
Possesses a growth mindset for continuous learning to remain current with regulations and internal proce-dures.
Shows initiative on assignments, exercises independent judgment, and professionally executes projects with little direction.
Acts independently to determine methods and procedures on new or special assignments.
Fully proficient in grasping and applying new information quickly and handling complex assignments.
Networks with key contacts outside own area of expertise and senior internal and external personnel in own area of expertise.
Identifies opportunities to apply AI for continuous improvement and innovation.

#LI-Hybrid

Salary Note

This estimate represents the typical salary range for this position based on experience and other factors (geographic location, etc.). Actual pay may vary. This job posting will remain open until the position is filled.

Combined Salary Range

USD $143,488.00 - USD $151,335.00 /Yr.

Company Overview

General Dynamics Mission Systems (GDMS) engineers a diverse portfolio of high technology solutions, products and services that enable customers to successfully execute missions across all domains of operation. With a global team of 12,000+ top professionals, we partner with the best in industry to expand the bounds of innovation in the defense and scientific arenas. Given the nature of our work and who we are, we value trust, honesty, alignment and transparency. We offer highly competitive benefits and pride ourselves in being a great place to work with a shared sense of purpose. You will also enjoy a flexible work environment where contributions are recognized and rewarded. If who we are and what we do resonates with you, we invite you to join our high-performance team!

Equal Opportunity Employer / Individuals with Disabilities / Protected Veterans

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