Senior Proposal & Contracts Manager

AIRO Group Holdings, Inc. • McLean, VA

12d

About The Position

The Senior Proposal & Contracts Manager owns the full contract lifecycle across several segments at AIRO Drones, from solicitation review and compliant proposal submission through award, administration, modification, and closeout. The role connects business development, program execution, finance, and legal, and is accountable for turning warfighter demand into executable, compliant, and profitable contracts.

This is a hands-on, senior individual-contributor position with the opportunity to lead the function as AIRO grows. The manager leads contracts and compliance volumes for high-value DoD, NATO/allied, and commercial captures; administers resulting awards; and establishes proposal and contracts processes, templates, tools, and playbooks. The role requires navigating FAR/DFARS, Other Transaction Authority (OTA), SBIR/STTR, and international government procurement.

The position works independently and with AIRO Drone Program Managers, Sales, Global Business Development, Finance, and outside counsel. It requires credibility and judgment when working with contracting officers, DCMA representatives, program managers, flag officers, and executives, often under compressed deadlines and in international contexts.

Requirements

• 10 or more years of progressive federal and defense contracts experience, including several years at the Contracts Manager or Senior Contracts Manager level.
• Proven record supporting proposal efforts that resulted in DoD prime awards in the tens of millions of dollars, from solicitation review through compliant submission and post-award administration.
• Experience in a high-volume proposal and contracts environment, with well over 50 proposals per year and administration of dozens of active DoD, NASA, DHS, or similar federal contracts, including SBIR/STTR.
• Full-lifecycle administration of CPFF, CPAF, FFP, T&M, IDIQ, and OTA instruments, including modifications, deliverables, and closeout.
• Experience operating through a corporate transition, such as small-business to large-business status, acquisition, or public listing, and adapting contract practices accordingly.
• Experience serving as the primary customer point of contact on contract matters.
• Experience supporting audits and advising executive leadership on contractual obligations and business impact.
• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Contracts Management, Finance, Law, Communications, or a related field.
• CFCM, CPCM, or equivalent NCMA/DAWIA Contracting certification.
• Active U.S. Security Clearance; Secret clearance required.
• U.S. Person status to access export-controlled data.
• Ability to sit, stand, and/or walk for extended periods; use hands and fingers for manual dexterity and repetitive tasks; bend, stoop, reach, push, pull, and lift as required; safely handle objects within the position's requirements; meet the visual, auditory, and communication requirements of the role; and work safely in applicable physical and environmental conditions.

Nice To Haves

• Master's degree (M.S. Management, MBA, J.D., or equivalent).
• Top Secret security clearance.
• Experience mentoring Contract Administrators.

Responsibilities

• Lead solicitation review for RFPs, RFIs, BAAs, CSOs, OTAs, IDIQ/task orders, and SBIR/STTR calls; identify contractual requirements, exceptions, representations, and risks; and develop compliance matrices.
• Own the Contracts, Compliance, and Certifications volumes and manage compliant proposal submissions in coordination with Program Management, Engineering, Finance, and Pricing.
• Support pricing reviews and cost-volume development, including cost realism, Cost Accounting Standards (CAS), and DCAA audit readiness where applicable.
• Draft and negotiate Non-Disclosure Agreements, Teaming Agreements, Memoranda of Understanding, and Statements of Work with primes, subcontractors, agents, and national business partners.
• Build and maintain the proposal library, boilerplate, templates, and past-performance records.
• Negotiate complex contracts, subcontracts, and amendments across FFP, CPFF, CPAF, T&M, IDIQ, OTA, and commercial structures while balancing business objectives, risk, and compliance.
• Evaluate FAR/DFARS clauses, customer flow-downs, data rights, intellectual property provisions, export-sensitive provisions, and NDAA supply-chain requirements.
• Advise executive leadership on contractual terms, obligations, and business impact before signature; exercise judgment within delegated authority and escalate unresolved risks.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for contracting officers, prime contractors, and customers on post-award contract matters.
• Administer the active contract portfolio, including modifications, options, funding actions, CDRL/SDRL deliverables, milestone and invoice tracking, and closeout.
• Provide Program Managers and executives with contract briefs and status updates throughout each contract lifecycle, and partner with Program Management to transition prototype and OTA successes into Programs of Record.
• Support DoD fielding of the RQ-35 Heidrun and RQ-70 Dainn by aligning contract vehicles, delivery schedules, and acceptance terms with the Phoenix, AZ manufacturing ramp.
• Ensure compliance with FAR, DFARS, agency supplements, ITAR/EAR, CAS, and company policy; monitor Blue UAS and NDAA Section 848 traceability obligations as they flow into contracts.
• Identify, assess, and mitigate contractual risks related to cost, schedule, performance, and intellectual property; resolve escalated issues and disputes with legal, program, and executive stakeholders.
• Maintain complete, audit-ready contract files; support internal, external, DCAA, and CPSR audits; and contribute to SOX-aligned controls over revenue-bearing agreements.
• Develop, implement, and improve contracts policies, procedures, and tools, including Unanet, Costpoint, Salesforce, and SharePoint.
• Train Program Managers, Sales, and Business Development on contractual fundamentals, flow-downs, and proposal discipline.
• Establish standards, templates, and workflows to scale the contracts function, with the opportunity to build and lead a team as the backlog and program count grow.
• Collect, share, and qualify contracting trends, customer requirements, and procurement-vehicle intelligence with Sales, Global Business Development, and Program Management to shape capture strategy and expand or scale programs.

Benefits

• Paid Time Off (PTO)
• Paid holidays
• Parental leave
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• Health Savings Account (HSA)
• 401(k) with company match
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Commuter benefits
• Basic life insurance fully paid by the company for employees and their dependents
• Long-term disability insurance fully paid by the company
• Voluntary short-term disability insurance
• Supplemental life insurance options

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior