Principal Contract Administrator

About the role

• RELOCATION ASSISTANCE: No relocation assistance available
• CLEARANCE REQUIRED FOR START: No
• CLEARANCE TYPE: Secret
• TRAVEL: Yes, 25% of the Time

About the role

At Northrop Grumman, our employees have incredible opportunities to work on revolutionary systems that impact people's lives around the world today, and for generations to come. Our pioneering and inventive spirit has enabled us to be at the forefront of many technological advancements in our nation's history - from the first flight across the Atlantic Ocean, to stealth bombers, to landing on the moon.

We look for people who have bold new ideas, courage and a pioneering spirit to join forces to invent the future, and have fun along the way. Our culture thrives on intellectual curiosity, cognitive diversity and bringing your whole self to work — and we have an insatiable drive to do what others think is impossible. Our employees are not only part of history, they're making history.

Northrop Grumman Aeronautics Systems has an opening for a Level 3 Principal Contract Administrator to join our team of qualified, diverse individuals. This position will be located on-site in San Diego, CA. This position requires the ability to work on site weekly in Rancho Bernardo with a hybrid telework schedule.

What You’ll Get to Do

The Principal Contract Administrator will report to the RQ-4 Foreign Military Sales (FMS)/International Contract Manager and provide Contracts support for various contracts within the RQ-4 program. The RQ-4 Contracts team is part of the AISR&T BU within the Global Surveillance Division and is focused on providing innovative solutions to problems and growing the business for the BU.

The Principal Contract Administrator will be considered a key focal point on contract matters within the organization and must demonstrate the skill and ability to perform complex tasks. As most assignments are complex, the position will require the candidate to work independently without appreciable direction.

This position will require excellent oral and written communication skills and will represent the organization as a focal point on contract matters. This position will require interaction with senior internal and external personnel on significant matters often requiring coordination between organizations and may develop and deliver presentations.

Responsibilities include but are not limited to

• Lead and coordinate the company response to customer Requests for Proposal (RFPs) to understand Statements of Work (SOW)/contract requirements and advise the program team on risk identification and mitigation strategies
• Ensure company proposals are fully responsive to prospective customer requirements, prepare proposal submittal documents, and coordinate appropriate levels of internal review and approval. Coordinate and develop responses to fact-finding, evaluation notices, and requests for information (RFIs), to bolster priorities, strengthen support for the proposal, and also identify customer key items or concerns
• Develop and execute negotiation strategy/plan to establish a framework to arrive at the most beneficial agreement possible between Northrop Grumman and the customer in the quickest timeframe possible
• Maintain excellent working relationships with customers to effectively communicate, administer, modify, negotiate and terminate standard and nonstandard contractual agreements
• Oversee contract performance including schedules and deliverables and complete actions to ensure satisfactory program performance
• Advise program teams of contractual rights and obligations, including interpretation of contract terms and conditions
• Maintain and update contract documents and official program records, including contractual documents and correspondence
• Provide direct contract support, review contractual documents to ensure protection of company's contractual/risk posture, satisfaction of contractual requirements and adherence to company policies
• Research contract issues and prepare analysis with citations
• Work cooperatively with the technical staff to address customer requests

Basic Qualifications

• Must either have a bachelor’s degree with 5 years of related professional experience - OR - a master’s degree with 3 years of related professional experience or a PhD with 1 year of related professional experience
• Experience with FAR/DFARS
• Experience working with various contract types such as Time & Material, Cost types, Firm Fixed Price, Other Transactions, etc.
• Experience working with proposal development and negotiations
• Must have the ability to obtain and maintain a Secret clearance within a reasonable amount of time as determined by business needs

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in U.S. Government Department of War contract administration & management
• Experience in Foreign Military Sales (FMS) and international contracts, including Direct Commercial Sales
• Experience working independently and collaborating with stakeholders and leading as key Subject Matter Expert within the organization
• Experience briefing internal and external senior leadership and leading complex strategic proposals
• Experience managing multiple complex tasks concurrently
• Current, active DoW Secret level security clearance
• Experience leading development and negotiations of new contracts
• Preferred experience with IDIQs and BOAs
• Experience mentoring and developing junior contracts professionals

Primary Level Salary Range

$94,200.00 - $141,200.00

The above salary range represents a general guideline; however, Northrop Grumman considers a number of factors when determining base salary offers such as the scope and responsibilities of the position and the candidate's experience, education, skills and current market conditions.

Depending on the position, employees may be eligible for overtime, shift differential, and a discretionary bonus in addition to base pay. Annual bonuses are designed to reward individual contributions as well as allow employees to share in company results. Employees in Vice President or Director positions may be eligible for Long Term Incentives. In addition, Northrop Grumman provides a variety of benefits including health insurance coverage, life and disability insurance, savings plan, Company paid holidays and paid time off (PTO) for vacation and/or personal business.

The application period for the job is estimated to be 20 days from the job posting date. However, this timeline may be shortened or extended depending on business needs and the availability of qualified candidates.