Contracts Specialist (HYBRID - Arlington, VA)

Contracts Specialist

Chinook Systems, Inc. is a leader in delivering lifecycle energy security solutions to mission critical government and commercial facility owners. We specialize in the engineering, construction, commissioning, and operations of intelligent, cyber secure, code compliant, and energy efficient building systems. Our solutions save millions of dollars in utility costs, reduce harmful emissions to the environment, and mitigate cyber-attacks on facilities. Chinook provides motivated employees with the opportunity to advance in a fast-growing, innovative, entrepreneurial, and collaborative work environment.

As a Contracts Specialist, you will support the full lifecycle of contracts administration for professional services, technology, and construction projects, including prime contracts, subcontracts, task orders, change orders, and compliance documentation. In this role you will exercise your strong knowledge of procurement regulations, risk management, negotiation practices, and legal terms common to both public and private construction sectors. Additionally, you will serve as an assistant to the Facility Security Officer (FSO) and provide support in maintaining the company's compliance with federal security requirements related to personnel, facilities, and information handling, in accordance with contract requirements.

In this role you will work a hybrid schedule, expected in the office at times, working from home as well as going out to client sites and may require up to 10% travel.

Key Responsibilities Contracts Specialist:

• Review, interpret, draft, and negotiate prime contracts, subcontracts, NDAs, MOUs, and teaming agreements in coordination with Line of Business Managers and Executive Managers
• Ensure all contract terms comply with company policies, federal/state regulations, and project-specific requirements.
• Track contract deliverables, milestones, modifications, closeout requirements, and renewals.
• Support project teams with contractual guidance, including Request for Proposal (RFP) review, scope clarification, pricing structure, payment terms, and risk mitigation.
• Prepare and maintain required documentation for contract modifications, change orders, claims, and time extensions.
• Coordinate with legal counsel and insurance/bonding agents on contract reviews, negotiations, risk assessment and resolution of disputes or ambiguities.
• Monitor subcontractor compliance against contractual obligations including flow-down of applicable terms.
• Serve as liaison with the company's surety providers to obtain and manage performance and payment bonds for project awards and subcontractor bonding requirements.
• Review, draft, and negotiate contracts in compliance with the Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) and federal acquisition regulations, including FAR and DFARS, ensuring proper risk allocation, adherence to procurement policies, and alignment with internal controls.
• Provide guidance on regulatory requirements, identify potential contractual risks, and support program teams through the full contract lifecycle in both commercial and government contracting environments.
• Assist with prequalification, solicitation, and proposal development activities.
• Maintain contract files in accordance with internal controls and audit readiness standards.
• Participate in internal and external audits, providing supporting documentation as needed.
• Disseminate information both in writing and verbally, explaining complex information clearly to leadership and staff, across all communication platforms.
• Assist the FSO in administering and enforcing security procedures in compliance with NISPOM, DoD directives, and DCSA guidelines.
• Monitor classified information handling, secure storage, and visitor control protocols as applicable.
• Support communications with DCSA and government security representatives as needed.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Requires a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration, Construction Management, Law, or related field and at least 3 years of experience in contract administration in construction or government contracting.
• Familiarity with NISPOM, DCSA, and federal security protocols.
• Knowledge of FAR, DFARS, and industry-standard construction contract formats (AIA, ConsensusDocs).
• Must be proficient with the MS Office Suite (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.).

Citizenship/Clearance Requirements:

• Must be a U.S. Citizen and be able to obtain and maintain up to a Top Secret clearance due to our customer requirements and the nature of the work that we do.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Active Secret or higher Security Clearance.
• Experience with secure government construction projects (e.g., DoD, GSA, USACE).
• Prior experience as an Assistant FSO or security administrator.
• NCMA or security certification (e.g., SFPC, ISP, CPCM).
• Familiarity with DISS, e-QIP, and NISS systems.

Physical Considerations:

• Must be able to work in an office environment.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement:

Chinook Systems Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We do not discriminate against anyone because of their differences, such as age, disability, ethnicity, religion, national origin, gender, gender identity and expression, or sexual orientation.

Chinook is committed to providing veteran employment opportunities to our service men and women.