Senior Manager, Contracts

About this role

Space is a warfighting domain. True Anomaly seeks those with the talent and ambition to build the technology that secures it.

OUR MISSION

True Anomaly delivers decisive capabilities for space superiority. We build autonomous spacecraft, advanced payloads, mission software, and space-based interceptors — enabling the U.S. and its Allies to secure the space environment and counter threats from the ultimate high ground.

OUR VALUES

• Be the offset. We create asymmetric advantages with creativity and ingenuity.

• What would it take? We challenge assumptions to deliver ambitious results.

• It’s the people. Our team is our competitive advantage and we are better together.

YOUR MISSION

The Senior Contracts Manager will serve as the company's first dedicated contracts hire and a key member of the Legal Department, personally managing U.S. Department of Defense contracts end to end—from proposal support through award, post-award performance, and closeout. Reporting to the General Counsel, this role will work closely with the proposal and business development team, program managers, and engineering to ensure contracts are properly structured, administered, and closed in compliance with applicable regulations and company policies.

This is a hands-on role in a small, growing legal department. You will carry your own portfolio of contracts from day one, operating with significant autonomy and serving as a direct point of contact with government Contracting Officers and Contracting Officer Representatives. The ideal candidate brings the judgment and initiative that come from working in a lean organization and operating with supervised independence.

Beyond individual contract management, a core part of this role is building a contracts team. Working in close partnership with the General Counsel, you will refine staffing needs, hire contract administrators, and stand up the processes and structure needed to scale the contracts function as the company grows. Until that team is in place—and whenever workload or availability requires it—you will be the contracts function, and the role is scoped with that expectation in mind. As the team and function grow, so will the scope and seniority of this role.

Responsibilities

Pre-Award

• Review and analyze RFPs, RFIs, draft solicitations, and other government procurement actions, identifying key terms, risks, and compliance requirements.

• Support proposal development, including preparation of representations and certifications, review of terms and conditions, and input on cost and pricing volumes from a contracts perspective.

• Advise the proposal and business development team on contract structure, risk, and strategy during the capture and proposal process, including educating business development personnel on the advantages, disadvantages, and risk profiles of different contract types (e.g., FFP, CPFF, CPAF, T&M, IDIQ) to support informed pursuit decisions.

• Identify and flag organizational conflicts of interest and other eligibility or compliance considerations during opportunity assessment.

Award and Negotiation

• Review and negotiate contract terms and FAR/DFARS clauses with government Contracting Officers.

• Coordinate internal review and approval of contract documents prior to execution.

• Ensure contracts are properly recorded, distributed, and set up for performance tracking.

Post-Award Administration

• Serve as the primary point of contact with government Contracting Officers and CORs for assigned contracts.

• Manage contract modifications, change orders, option exercises, incremental funding actions, and other post-award contract actions.

• Track and manage CDRLs, deliverable schedules, and other contractual performance obligations.

• Monitor contract performance for scope, funding, and schedule risks, including identification and escalation of issues such as scope creep, constructive changes, and unauthorized commitments.

• Prepare and submit contract correspondence, including cure notices, show cause responses, requests for equitable adjustment, and other formal communications.

• Support claims analysis, preparation, and resolution in coordination with attorneys within the Legal Department.

• Ensure appropriate FAR/DFARS flowdowns in subcontracts and supplier agreements.

Compliance and Audit Support

• Maintain contract files in audit-ready condition in accordance with applicable record retention requirements.

• Serve as the initial point of contact for routine DCAA and DCMA interactions, audits, and information requests.

• Support compliance with cost accounting standards, Truth in Negotiations Act requirements, and other regulatory obligations applicable to government contractors.

• Track and ensure timely completion of compliance-driven reporting and filing obligations tied to contract performance.

Closeout

• Manage contract closeout procedures, including final deliverable verification, property disposition, release of claims, deobligation of excess funds, and coordination with finance on final invoicing and reconciliation.

Team Building and Leadership

• Build, hire, and manage a contracts administration team in close partnership with the General Counsel, including defining roles, setting hiring priorities, and developing a staffing plan aligned with the company's program portfolio and growth trajectory.

• Serve as the day-to-day manager of contracts team members once hired, including workload allocation, mentorship, professional development, and performance management.

• Develop and implement onboarding processes, standard operating procedures, training materials, and playbooks that enable new contracts team members to operate effectively and consistently.

• Establish and maintain contracts administration workflows, systems, and reporting structures that scale with the team and the company.

General

• Maintain contract status reports, trackers, and dashboards to support leadership visibility and decision-mak

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