Director of Contracts

Inversion•Los Angeles, CA

About The Position

Turning Space into a Transportation Layer for Earth Who We Are: Eras of humanity can often be defined by a dominant transportation mode - horse drawn chariots, ocean going boats, or aircraft. These were spurred by a small group of people rigorously focused on building technology to achieve faster access to more of the world. We seek to usher in a new era of humanity defined by universal access to the whole globe free of borders and the presence of a routine way from space to Earth. To do this, we are building highly maneuverable re-entry vehicles that can loiter in orbit before precision landing back on Earth. Position Overview: The Director of Contracts will serve as the company’s senior contracts authority, owning the full lifecycle of government and commercial contracts. This role is intentionally individual-contributor–heavy at the outset, with responsibility for personally managing and negotiating critical agreements while building the contracts function from the ground up. As the company grows, this leader will define the contracts strategy, establish scalable processes, and ultimately build and lead a contracts team. This is a hands-on role for someone who is comfortable operating independently today and designing a department for tomorrow.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Business, Legal Studies, Engineering, or related field (JD or advanced degree a plus)
8–12+ years of contracts experience within aerospace, defense, or government contracting environments
Demonstrated experience negotiating and managing FAR/DFARS-based contracts
Experience operating in small, mid-sized, or startup organizations where roles are hands-on
Strong working knowledge of DoD contracting practices and compliance requirements
Ability to operate independently, exercise sound judgment, and balance risk with business objectives
Ability to obtain and maintain a TS/SCI DoD clearance
Active Secret Clearance
U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident of the U.S., protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State.

Nice To Haves

Active DoD TS/SCI clearance
Prior experience supporting classified programs and secure facilities
Experience working directly with DoD Contracting Officers
Background in both prime and subcontractor roles
Experience standing up a contracts function or significantly improving one
Familiarity with audits, DCMA/DCAA interactions, and contract-related reviews

Responsibilities

Own and execute the end-to-end contract lifecycle for U.S. Government, prime, and subcontract agreements
Lead negotiations of terms and conditions, including pricing structures, data rights, IP, indemnification, and risk allocation
Draft, review, and manage contracts including prime contracts, subcontracts, NDAs, teaming agreements, CRADAs, and commercial agreements
Serve as the primary interface with Government Contracting Officers, primes, and key customers
Interpret contract requirements and advise leadership on contractual risk, compliance obligations, and execution strategy
Support contract modifications, claims, REAs, and change management activities
Ensure compliance with FAR, DFARS, ITAR, EAR, and applicable security and export control requirements
Design and implement scalable contracts policies, procedures, templates, and approval workflows
Develop contract playbooks and negotiation standards aligned with company risk tolerance
Select and implement contract management tools as appropriate
Train internal stakeholders on government contracting fundamentals and compliance requirements
Define hiring plans and build out a contracts team (e.g., Contracts Manager, Administrator) as business volume grows
Establish a contracts organization capable of supporting larger, more complex, and classified programs