Senior Manager, Contracts

Mercury Systems•Phoenix, AZ

About The Position

Mercury Systems is seeking a Senior Contracts Manager to support its Integrated Processing Solutions (IPS) business unit. This leadership role requires expertise in commercial and Department of War contracting practices and the ability to work independently as an individual contributor while also leading and collaborating with a team. The position calls for strong leadership and problem-solving skills, a proactive and detail-oriented approach, and the ability to manage competing priorities and deadlines while addressing complex contractual challenges. The Senior Contracts Manager advises business leaders on customer relationships, risk analysis and mitigation, regulations, terms negotiation, and proposal preparation. The role works within integrated program teams and interfaces with matrixed internal organizations in high-pressure, high-volume situations to meet business goals and objectives. The position manages contracts through the full lifecycle, from solicitation to close-out, and supports Line of Business Leads. It reviews complex solicitations and proposal responses, approves contractual documents, negotiates customer agreements, advises leadership and program teams, maintains contracting policies and processes, tracks compliance and deadlines, and manages contract data in enterprise systems. The role also interfaces with government contracting officers, prime contractor procurement representatives, and internal cross-functional teams. The role requires a bachelor's degree in a related field and ideally at least 10 years of directly related experience. It requires expertise in US Government regulations, particularly FAR/DFARS, and experience with a range of defense contract types and contract vehicles. The position requires proficiency in Microsoft Office and Adobe Acrobat, and the ability to obtain or hold a government security clearance; clearances may only be granted to U.S. citizens. Travel is estimated at 25% as needed.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in business administration, management, or another related field.
Ideally a minimum of 10 years of directly related experience in a Contract Administration, Business Management, or Finance role involving USG, prime, international, and commercial contracts.
Experience with standard defense contract types, including Cost Reimbursable (CR), Cost Plus Fixed Fee (CPFF), Cost Plus Incentive Fee (CPIF), Firm Fixed Price (FFP), Time and Materials (T&M), and incentive-type contracts.
Experience with contract vehicles including standalone awards, IDIQs, BOAs, and OTAs.
Subject matter expertise in US Government regulations (FAR/DFARS), with emphasis on Part 12 Acquisition of Commercial Products and Services and Part 15 Contracting by Negotiation.
Strong analytical, financial, problem-solving, and negotiation skills, with close attention to detail.
Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, Word, and Outlook) and Adobe Acrobat.
Ability to travel as needed; estimated travel is 25%.
Must have or obtain a government security clearance. Security clearances may only be granted to U.S. citizens.

Nice To Haves

Establish and maintain effective relationships with internal and external customers, including management, technical, and functional counterparts, and communicate project status.
Coordinate and support audit activities with prime contractors, the Government, or other agencies.

Responsibilities

Manage contracts supporting Line of Business Leads through the entire contracting lifecycle, from solicitation to contract close-out.
Review complex solicitations and prepare specialized or non-routine proposal responses with the proposal team.
Review and approve contractual documents for adherence to customer specifications and requirements, terms and conditions, applicable FAR/DFARS clauses, special provisions, and company policies and procedures.
Draft, review, redline, and negotiate customer agreements, including master agreements, to protect the Company's interests.
Advise leadership and program teams on complex contract issues, contractual rights and obligations, intellectual property protections, organizational conflicts of interest, and risks and mitigation strategies.
Develop and maintain contracting policies and processes that govern contracting practices and guide contracting terms and conditions.
Maintain deadlines for customer requests and analyze and track contract compliance.
Manage contract data in enterprise systems as required.
Interface with Government contracting officers, prime contractor procurement representatives, Contracts team members, and cross-functional teams, including Executive Leadership, Legal, Program Management, Capture, Finance, Pricing, Proposal, Property, Quality, and Engineering.
Establish and maintain effective relationships with internal and external customers, including management, technical, and functional counterparts, to communicate project status.
Coordinate and support audit activities with prime contractors, the Government, or other agencies.