Contract Specialist

Red Cell Partners • McLean, VA

13d • Hybrid

About The Position

Red Cell Partners is seeking a Contract Specialist to manage government contracting across its portfolio of technology-led companies in healthcare, cyber, and national security. The role owns contract administration and lifecycle management, pricing and cost strategy, capture and proposal support, and compliance with government contracting and accounting requirements. It serves as a primary interface with government contracting officials, prime contractors, DCAA, and DCMA, while partnering with Finance, leadership, engineers, and program managers.

The position is based in or near the Washington, DC metro area, with hybrid on-site work at the Tysons Corner office at least two days per week. Travel is minimal and may support customer engagement, partner coordination, and cross-functional work.

Requirements

• At least 7 years of experience in government contracts, including at least 3 years at a management level owning a portfolio or function.
• Deep working command of the FAR and DFARS, including the ability to negotiate using them under time pressure.
• Demonstrated experience across the full contract lifecycle: pre-award capture support, pricing and proposal development, negotiation, post-award administration, and closeout.
• Experience with both traditional FAR-based procurement and non-traditional pathways such as OTAs, CSOs, SBIR Phase III, and consortium awards.
• Active Secret clearance at minimum, with eligibility and willingness to upgrade to TS/SCI.
• Based in or willing to relocate to the Washington, DC metro area, with hybrid on-site presence expected.
• Able to work at the Tysons Corner office at least two days per week.

Nice To Haves

• Experience at a defense technology company, either as a prime contractor or at a startup.
• Experience on an early-stage team, such as a new company vertical or a startup.
• Experience with DoD, Intelligence Community, DHS, or federal law enforcement customers, and familiarity with classified contracting and DD Form 254 requirements.
• Software, AI/ML, autonomy, or hardware-intensive product contracting experience, including commercial product determinations and software data-rights strategy.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary point of contact for Contracting Officers, Contracting Officer's Representatives, and prime contractor counterparts across the portfolio.
• Draft, review, negotiate, and administer prime contracts, subcontracts, NDAs, teaming agreements, CRADAs, OTAs and follow-on production agreements, consulting agreements, and IP and data-rights terms.
• Manage contract vehicles and award types end to end, including FFP, T&M, CPFF, CPIF, IDIQ and task orders, BPAs, GSA MAS, NASA SEWP, OTA consortium awards, SBIR/STTR Phases I–III, and Commercial Solutions Openings.
• Lead negotiations of terms and conditions, flowdowns, and modifications; identify and mitigate risks involving indemnification, liability limits, termination, warranties, and intellectual property.
• Protect company IP and data rights, including asserting and defending SBIR data rights, limited rights in technical data, and restricted rights in noncommercial software, and preventing inadvertent grants of unlimited rights.
• Maintain the contracts repository, obligation and funding trackers, CDRL schedules, option exercise calendars, and closeout pipeline.
• Develop and maintain provisional and forward pricing rates, including fringe, overhead, G&A, and applicable material-handling rates, in partnership with Finance.
• Participate in price-to-win analysis and competitive pricing strategy; model trade-offs among price, scope, risk, and margin, and provide recommendations to leadership.
• Review certified cost or pricing data submissions and support TINA compliance, commercial product and service determinations, and price-reasonableness justifications.
• Own contractual and administrative proposal volumes, including representations and certifications, past performance, small business subcontracting plans, OCI mitigation plans, and exceptions to terms.
• Support teaming strategy by evaluating prime or subcontractor positioning, negotiating work share and exclusivity, and formalizing relationships; participate in bid/no-bid assessments.
• Track FAR, DFARS, and agency supplement compliance and translate regulatory requirements into practical workflows for engineers and program managers.
• Serve as the primary interface for DCAA and DCMA regarding incurred cost submissions, provisional billing rate proposals, floor checks, and business system reviews.
• Advise on Cost Accounting Standards applicability and disclosure statements, and on allowability, allocability, and reasonableness under FAR Part 31.
• Track compliance with CMMC and DFARS 252.204-7012 safeguarding requirements, ITAR and EAR export controls, organizational conflict of interest rules, Procurement Integrity Act obligations, and small business and socioeconomic program requirements.

Benefits

• 100% employer-paid comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage for employees and their families.
• Paid maternity and paternity leave for 14 weeks at normal pay.
• Unlimited PTO with management approval.
• Professional development and continued learning opportunities.
• Optional 401(k), FSA, and equity incentives.
• Mental health benefits through Tara Mind.
• Cost-effective GLP-1 solutions through Crux.
• Career-track opportunity with potential for rapid advancement as the firm grows.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager
• Education Level: No Education Listed