Contracts Specialist
The Contracts Specialist manages the full lifecycle of Gnostech’s contracts, consulting agreements, and purchase orders in support of DoD prime contracts and task orders. Working within Gnostech’s contracts management team under the direction of the VP of Operations, this person ensures contract and subcontracts are properly formed, compliant with the FAR and DFARS, correctly funded, and actively administered through closeout. The ideal candidate has worked in a dynamic small business environment, is comfortable owning a portfolio end to end, and can move between negotiation, compliance, and day-to-day administration as priorities shift. Core areas include:
- Subcontract planning, solicitation, negotiation, and award
- FAR/DFARS flow-down and subcontract compliance
- Subcontract administration, modifications, and funding actions
- Subcontractor performance, risk, and dispute management
- Subcontract closeout and records management
- Subcontract policies, procedures, and audit readiness
- Teaming agreements and proposal support
Overview
Location
- Washington DC metropolitan area
Job Title
Salary
- Commensurate with industry position, depending on experience
Shift
- This position requires working typical business hours, but on occasion may require work during non-working hours to meet government requirements.
- This is a hybrid position which requires coming to the office 1-2 days a week depending on work demands.
Travel
- Support for travel up to 5%
Position Responsibilities
- Contract Planning, Solicitation, Negotiation, and Award: Leads the formation of subcontracts, consulting agreements, and purchase orders from requirement through award.
- Work with program managers to define subcontract requirements, statements of work, labor categories, deliverables, and period of performance consistent with the prime contract.
- Prepare and issue RFQ/RFP packages, evaluate responses, and document competition or sole-source justifications in the subcontract file.
- Perform and document price and cost analysis of subcontractor proposals (FAR 15.404-1 and 15.404-3), including labor rate reasonableness, and request certified cost or pricing data when required (FAR 15.403-4).
- Conduct and document responsibility determinations (FAR 9.104), including SAM.gov registration and exclusion checks, SPRS assessment scores and CMMC status (DFARS 252.204-7019/7020/7021), and representations such as FAR 52.204-24/25 (Section 889).
- Negotiate subcontract terms and conditions, including payment terms, limitation of liability, intellectual property and data rights (DFARS 252.227-7013/7014), key personnel, and termination provisions.
- Prepare consent-to-subcontract and advance notification packages (FAR 52.244-2 and FAR 44.2) for submission to the prime contracting officer.
- Draft and execute FFP, T&M/labor-hour, and cost-reimbursable subcontracts, independent consultant agreements, purchase orders, and NDAs using Gnostech templates.
- FAR/DFARS Flow-Down and Subcontract Compliance: Ensures every subcontract carries the correct terms and that subcontractors meet government requirements.
- Build and maintain flow-down matrices for each prime contract that identify mandatory and applicable FAR/DFARS clauses (e.g., FAR 52.203-13, 52.204-21, 52.222-50, DFARS 252.204-7012, 252.204-7021) and apply them to each subcontract tier.
- Coordinate with the FSO to issue subcontract DD Form 254s for classified work and confirm security requirements are flowed down before performance begins.
- Coordinate with program and compliance leads on ITAR/EAR and CUI handling requirements so that subcontract terms reflect export control and data protection obligations.
- Track work share on small business set-aside awards to support compliance with the Limitations on Subcontracting clause (FAR 52.219-14) and report status to the VP of Operations.
- Monitor FAR/DFARS changes, class deviations, and DoD policy updates, assess their impact on existing subcontracts, and recommend template and flow-down updates.
- Subcontract Administration, Modifications, and Funding Actions: Administers an active portfolio of subcontracts throughout performance.
- Prepare and execute subcontract modifications, including incremental funding, option exercises, period of performance extensions, scope changes, and key personnel substitutions.
- Align subcontract funding and ceilings with prime contract CLIN funding, and flow down Limitation of Funds and Limitation of Cost requirements (FAR 52.232-22/52.232-20) where applicable.
- Coordinate subcontractor invoice review with program managers and finance, resolving discrepancies in rates, hours, labor categories, ODCs, and billed-versus-funded amounts before payment.
- Maintain the subcontract database and files, including value, funded amount, billed to date, period of performance, modification history, and required documentation.
- Serve as the primary point of contact for subcontractor contracts personnel on contractual matters.
- Subcontractor Performance, Risk, and Dispute Management: Protects Gnostech’s interests when subcontract performance or terms are at risk.
- Coordinate annual subcontractor performance evaluations with program managers and maintain supporting documentation.
- Draft and issue contractual correspondence, including notices of deficiency, cure notices, stop-work orders (FAR 52.242-15), and termination notices (FAR 52.249 series), in coordination with the VP of Operations.
- Identify and escalate subcontract risks, such as funding gaps, performance issues, compliance lapses, or organizational conflicts of interest.
- Support the resolution of disputes, requests for equitable adjustment, and claims arising from subcontracts.
- Subcontract Closeout and Records Management: Closes out subcontracts completely and on time.
- Execute subcontract closeouts, including final invoices, releases of claims, assignments of refunds and credits, property and data returns, and security debriefing confirmation.
- Support prime contract closeout timelines (FAR 4.804) by resolving open subcontract items.
- Maintain complete, audit-ready subcontract files and retain records in accordance with FAR 4.703.
- Subcontract Policies, Procedures, and Audit Readiness: Strengthens Gnostech’s subcontract management practices as the company grows.
- Develop and maintain subcontract management policies, procedures, templates, and checklists aligned with Contractor Purchasing System Review (CPSR) standards (DFARS 252.244-7001) to support future growth.
- Support DCAA and customer audits and data requests related to subcontract costs, pricing, and file documentation.
- Train program managers and staff on subcontract procedures, invoice approval responsibilities, and flow-down obligations.
- Prepare subcontract portfolio status reports and metrics for the VP of Operations.
- Teaming Agreements and Proposal Support: Supports business development and capture with partner agreements and subcontract pricing inputs.
- Draft and negotiate teaming agreements, NDAs, and workshare arrangements with prospective partners.
- Collect and review subcontractor proposal inputs, pricing, and representations and certifications for completeness and compliance with the RFP.
- Perform price analysis on teaming partner pricing to support Gnostech proposal volumes.
- Convert awarded teaming agreements into executed subcontracts promptly after prime award.
Minimum Security Clearance
- Current active Secret clearance with the ability to obtain a Top Secret.
Required Qualifications and Skills
- 7–10 years of experience in subcontracts or contracts administration supporting DoD contracts, including significant experience in a dynamic small business environment.
- Demonstrated experience managing the full subcontract lifecycle (formation, negotiation, award, administration, and closeout) as a prime contractor and as a subcontractor.
- In-depth working knowledge of the FAR and DFARS, including Parts 9, 15, 19, 31, 44, 49, and 52 and DFARS Part 252, and the ability to identify and apply required flow-down clauses.
- Experience drafting and administering FFP, T&M/labor-hour, and cost-reimbursable subcontracts, consulting agreements, purchase orders, NDAs, and teaming agreements.
- Experience performing and documenting price and cost analysis of subcontractor proposals.
- Working knowledge of subcontract compliance requirements, including Limitations on Subcontracting, consent to subcontract, Section 889, and cybersecurity requirements (DFARS 252.204-7012/7019/7020/7021).
- Familiarity with DD Form 254s, CUI handling, and ITAR/EAR considerations in subcontracts.
- Experience supporting DCAA audits and working with CPSR or purchasing system standards.
- Experience using SAM.gov, SPRS, PIEE/WAWF, and Deltek Costpoint or a similar government contract accounting system.
- Strong negotiation skills and the ability to protect Gnostech’s interests while maintaining productive partner relationships.
- Ability to manage a large portfolio of concurrent subcontract actions with shifting priorities and minimal supervision.
- Strong attention to detail and discretion in handling sensitive information, including CUI, PII, and proprietary data.
- Excellent written communication skills, including drafting contractual correspondence and clear summaries for leadership.
- Proficiency with Microsoft 365, including advanced Microsoft Excel.
Desired Skills
- NCMA Certified Federal Contracts Manager (CFCM) or Certified Professional Contracts Manager (CPCM).
- Experience supporting a company through a Contractor Purchasing System Review (CPSR).
- Experience with subcontracts supporting DoD engineering or technology programs.
- Experience with contract lifecycle management or subcontract database tools.
Education and Training Required
- Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Contract Management, Finance, or a related field; Master’s degree preferred.
Minimum Years of Experience
- 7 years of experience in contracts or subcontracts administration for a DoD contractor, including experience with a small business.
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Gnostech LLC is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, protected veteran status, or disability status. For more information, please visit www.eeoc.gov
If this position requires a government clearance, the applicants selected will be subject to a government security investigation and must meet eligibility requirements for accessing classified information.
