Subcontracts Manager

Subcontracts Manager

Date: Jun 29, 2026

Location:Garden Grove, CA, US

Company: GKN Aerospace Careers

Fantastic challenges. Amazing opportunities.

GKN Aerospace is reimagining air travel: going further, faster and greener! Fuelled by great people whose expertise and creativity sets the standards in our industry, we’re inspired by the opportunities to innovate and break boundaries. We’re proud to play a part in protecting the world’s democracies. And we’re committed to putting sustainability at the centre of everything we do, opening up and protecting our planet. With over 16,000 employees across 32 manufacturing sites in 12 countries we serve over 90% of the world’s aircraft and engine manufacturers and achieved sales of £3.6bn in 2025. There are no limits to where you can take your career.

Summary

The Subcontracts Manager is responsible for leading the end-to-end subcontracting lifecycle in support of complex aerospace and defense programs. This role owns strategic sourcing, contract development, purchase order execution, supplier negotiations, and full lifecycle management of high-value subcontracts, including large capital equipment, construction scope, and third-party contractor services.

The ideal candidate brings deep expertise in negotiating and managing scope and contract changes, independently evaluating technical and commercial impacts, and driving supplier performance from sourcing through delivery and implementation.

Key Responsibilities

End-to-End Subcontract Lifecycle Ownership

• Lead the full subcontracting lifecycle from sourcing strategy through contract award, execution, delivery, and closeout.
• Develop and execute sourcing plans for large capital equipment, infrastructure, and third-party service providers.
• Manage purchase order creation, execution, and supplier performance to ensure cost, schedule, and technical compliance.

Strategic Sourcing & Supplier Management

• Identify, qualify, and select suppliers aligned with program and business objectives.
• Build and maintain strong supplier relationships while driving performance, innovation, and risk mitigation.
• Lead competitive bid processes (RFP/RFQ/RFI) and supplier evaluations.

Contracting & Negotiations

• Negotiate complex commercial terms, pricing structures, delivery schedules, and performance obligations.
• Lead negotiations for both initial contracts and in-flight changes, ensuring strong commercial positioning for the business.
• Operate independently in negotiations with minimal engineering support, while effectively balancing technical and commercial considerations.

Change Management & Claims

• Own contract change management processes including scope evaluation, cost/price analysis, and schedule impacts.
• Evaluate supplier change requests and claims by interpreting Statements of Work (SOW), technical specifications, and contract terms.
• Lead negotiations to resolve changes, disputes, and claims in a fair and commercially advantageous manner.

Key Responsibilities (Cont.)

Statements of Work (SOW) Development & Review

• Draft, review, and negotiate detailed Statements of Work to ensure clarity in scope, deliverables, acceptance criteria, and responsibilities.
• Ensure alignment between SOWs, contracts, and program objectives to reduce ambiguity and downstream risk.

Construction & Capital Projects

• Manage subcontracting activities related to construction, facility upgrades, and capital equipment installation.
• Coordinate with internal stakeholders (operations, engineering, facilities) to ensure successful execution and integration.

Risk Management & Compliance

• Identify and mitigate subcontract risks, including cost, schedule, performance, and contractual exposures.
• Ensure compliance with aerospace and defense regulations, including ITAR, FAR/DFARS where applicable.
• Maintain documentation and audit readiness across all subcontract activities.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, Business, Engineering, or related field (Master’s preferred).
• 8–12+ years of experience in subcontract management, procurement, or supply chain within aerospace, defense, or similar highly regulated industries.
• Demonstrated experience managing large capital equipment procurement and construction or third-party contractor subcontracts.
• Strong experience in end-to-end subcontract ownership, from sourcing through delivery and implementation.
• Proven track record of leading complex negotiations, including contract awards and high-value change orders.
• Deep expertise in change management, including independently evaluating scope, cost, and schedule impacts.
• Significant experience drafting, reviewing, and negotiating Statements of Work (SOW) and contract terms.
• Ability to interpret technical scope and commercial implications with minimal engineering support.
• Strong knowledge of contract structures, pricing models, and commercial risk allocation.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working in aerospace & defense manufacturing environments.
• Familiarity with FAR/DFARS, ITAR/EAR regulations.
• Experience managing multi-million dollar capital or infrastructure projects.
• Professional certifications (CPSM, CIPS, PMP, or similar).

Key Competencies

• Strategic thinking and business acumen
• Advanced negotiation and influencing skills
• Strong analytical and problem-solving ability
• Contract interpretation and risk assessment
• Stakeholder management and cross-functional leadership
• Ability to operate independently in high-pressure, complex environments

We’ll offer you fantastic challenges and amazing opportunities. This is your chance to be part of an organisation that has proven itself to be at the cutting edge of our industry; and is committed to pushing the boundaries even further.  And with some of the best training on offer in the industry, who knows how far you can go?

A Great Place to work needs a Great Way of Working

Everyone is welcome to apply to GKN.  We believe that we can only achieve our ambitions through a coming together of diverse minds who enjoy collaborating in an inspirational environment. Through our commitment to diversity, inclusion and belonging and by living our five powerful principles we’ve created a culture where everyone feels welcome to contribute.  It’s a culture that won us ‘The Best Workplace Culture Award’.  By embracing and celebrating what makes us unique we encourage everyone to bring their full self to work.

We’re also committed to providing an accessible recruitment process, so if you require reasonable adjustments at any stage during our recruitment process please get in touch and let us know.

We are the place where human dreams, plus human endeavour, shape the future of aerospace innovation and technology.​
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Nearest Major Market: Orange County
Nearest Secondary Market: Los Angeles