Contracts Principal

SAIC•El Segundo, CA

7d•Onsite

About The Position

SAIC is seeking a cleared Contracts Principal to manage contracts and proposals within its Air Force, Space and Intelligence Business Group, supporting the Defense and Civil Space Market. The position is onsite in either Colorado Springs, Colorado, or El Segundo, California. The role operates within SAIC’s Business Management organization, which supports acquisition activities across customer engagement, strategy development, program execution, strategic alliances, supply chain management, subcontractor development, and internal finance. The Contracts Principal serves as a strategic partner to stakeholders throughout capture, proposal, and contract execution. The role requires federal government contracting expertise and a proactive, solutions-oriented approach. The successful candidate works independently while recognizing when manager guidance is appropriate, builds collaborative relationships, and manages competing priorities in a fast-paced environment. At the principal level, the position calls for strong written and oral communication, engagement with senior stakeholders, cross-organizational coordination, and ongoing professional development and industry awareness. It involves customer-facing contract negotiations and guidance on acquisition vehicles, contractual risks and obligations, proposals, organizational conflicts of interest, emerging-technology acquisition strategies, and regulatory developments.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration or a related discipline and 10 years of relevant experience, or a master’s degree in Business Administration or a related discipline and 8 years of relevant experience.
U.S. citizenship.
Active Top Secret/SCI with SAP clearance.
Extensive cost proposal experience.
Thorough understanding and broad application of contract administration principles, concepts, practices, and standards.
In-depth knowledge of relevant laws, regulations, and policies governing assigned contracts, including the FAR, TINA, and GAAP.
Strong knowledge of federal government contracting industry practices.
Demonstrated experience in contract risk management and negotiation.
Experience with OTA agreements, including prototype OTAs and follow-on production transactions, and working knowledge of the statutory and regulatory framework governing OTA use and limitations.
Strong proposal writing skills, including the ability to communicate complex technical and contractual concepts precisely and economically within strict page limits.
Ability to synthesize complex legal and contractual topics and communicate them clearly to collaborators from diverse backgrounds and disciplines.
Effective critical thinking skills and the ability to quickly assimilate and act on new information.
Strong organizational skills and the ability to manage fluctuating workloads and competing priorities.
Self-directed and dependable, with awareness of personal limitations and a collaborative approach to engaging managers.
Reliable, structured, risk-aware, agile, and creative approach to delivering commitments.

Nice To Haves

Experience with both FAR-based and non-FAR-based proposal environments.

Responsibilities

Serve as a primary customer-facing interface with Contracting Officers and acquisition specialists, building and maintaining trust-based relationships across customer organizations.
Lead negotiations with a solutions-oriented approach, protecting SAIC’s interests while seeking mutually beneficial outcomes and exercising judgment about when to commit or seek further review.
Advise internal stakeholders on innovative acquisition mechanisms, including Other Transaction Authorities (OTAs), Commercial Solutions Openings (CSOs), and prototype project proposals, including their implications for intellectual property, data rights, competition, cost and pricing, and long-term programs.
Contribute to teaming and competitive-positioning discussions involving non-traditional defense contractors and innovative acquisition vehicles.
Identify, assess, and mitigate Organizational Conflicts of Interest (OCIs); independently draft and update OCI mitigation plans, and review them with contracts management before submission to program leadership.
Review, analyze, and interpret contractual documents; assess compliance with company policy, government specifications, and master agreement requirements; and advise business and program leaders on contractual rights, obligations, terms, and conditions.
Escalate contractual matters to contracts management or in-house legal counsel when appropriate.
Educate internal and external partners on contracting strategies, marketplace dynamics, competitive approaches, and relevant trade-offs.
Develop acquisition strategies for emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and cloud computing, including assessing opportunities and market trends, creating acquisition plans, and aligning plans with organizational goals and regulatory requirements.
Address risks associated with emerging technologies, rapid innovation cycles, and evolving industry standards.
Apply experience with as-a-service models, including Software-as-a-Service, Infrastructure-as-a-Service, and Platform-as-a-Service.
Monitor significant regulatory developments, including ongoing and proposed FAR reform initiatives, and assess their potential effects on contract structures, compliance, and acquisition strategy.
Develop, structure, and review technically and contractually compliant proposals across contract types and acquisition vehicles, including OTA white papers, prototype project proposals, and concise short-form submissions.
Manage fluctuating workloads and competing priorities while delivering on commitments and collaborating appropriately with managers.