Subcontracts Manager

Worker Type

Regular

Job Description

Summary

The Subcontracts Manager will lead a team of 2–3 subcontract professionals and serve as the primary interface between Program Management, Subcontracts, Contracts, Engineering, Finance, Quality, Supply Chain, and subcontractors. This position is responsible for managing the full lifecycle of subcontracts, including proposal development, source selection, negotiations, award, execution, performance management, changes, and closeout. The Subcontracts Manager will develop subcontracting strategies aligned with the overall program plan, company policies, and applicable FAR/DFARS requirements.

The Subcontracts Manager will manage subcontract baselines during the proposal phase to ensure scope, budget, capacity, risk management, delivery requirements, and payment terms are aligned with program needs. The position will evaluate potential sources for selection, negotiate and award subcontracts, and monitor subcontractor performance to ensure cost, schedule, technical, quality, delivery, and contractual requirements are met.

Position Responsibilities

- Lead, mentor, and develop a team of 2–3 subcontract professionals, including workload planning, prioritization, performance management, and professional development.
- Develop and execute subcontracting strategies aligned with program objectives, company policies, and applicable FAR/DFARS requirements.
- Manage the full subcontract lifecycle from proposal development and source selection through award, execution, modifications, performance management, and closeout.
- Support and monitor technical performance baselines while comparing key subcontract technical performance measures, assessing execution status, and taking appropriate action to maintain conformance with the baseline.
- Communicate, monitor, and promptly resolve issues across all functional elements within the program, including the supplier.
- Manage and balance communications with stakeholders through organized and disciplined processes, ensuring subcontract information is defined, collected, shared, understood, stored, and retrieved in a manner that effectively meets subcontract and stakeholder needs while protecting the company’s contractual rights.
- Effectively plan, define, establish, communicate, monitor, and control subcontractor scope to ensure that all required work, and only the required work, is performed.
- Analyze subcontractor changes and develop alternatives that balance technical, cost, schedule, quality, and contractual requirements.
- Track subcontractor performance, including technical reviews, delivery milestones, quality performance, corrective actions, and key performance indicators.
- Monitor subcontractor cost performance against budget and Estimates at Completion to ensure financial performance remains on target.
- Provide financial control and maintenance of subcontract budgets, including customer funding, cost analysis, Earned Value Management metrics, and Integrated Program Management Data and Analysis Report evaluation, as applicable.
- Lead subcontractor program reviews and performance reviews, including the development of agendas, briefing materials, action items, and recovery plans.
- Adhere to subcontract scope and manage changes through established change-control and control-board activities.
- Address subcontract uncertainty through an organized and analytical, forward-looking approach that identifies risks and opportunities, determines appropriate handling plans, and manages and communicates risks and opportunities throughout the subcontract lifecycle.
- Prepare executive-level briefings and develop mechanisms for monitoring subcontractor progress, identifying risks, supporting intervention, and resolving issues with functional leads, business management, program leadership, and customers.
- Interpret supplier schedules to understand impacts on program schedules, milestones, critical-path activities, and customer commitments.
- Develop, implement, and maintain subcontract execution plans, supplier management plans, and performance-monitoring processes.
- Develop and maintain Requests for Proposals, including subcontractor sourcing and selection, evaluation criteria, risk analysis, and cost and price analysis.
- Review supplier proposal responses, including technical evaluations, supplier Basis of Estimates, pricing, schedules, risks, and overall proposal quality.
- Support compliant source selections, negotiations, subcontract awards, and subcontract modifications.
- Coordinate with Engineering, Quality, Supply Chain, Finance, and Program Management to monitor supplier technical performance, qualification activities, production readiness, inspections, testing, delivery, and acceptance requirements.
- Communicate and escalate subcontractor performance issues, including cost, schedule, technical, quality, delivery, compliance, and contractual concerns.
- Develop and monitor corrective-action plans, recovery plans, and other intervention plans for subcontractors that are not meeting requirements.
- Cultivate productive subcontractor relationships while maintaining appropriate contractual discipline and protecting company interests.
- Identify, allocate, and manage resources within the subcontract management team and broader cross-functional program organization.
- Identify opportunities to improve subcontract processes, reduce risk, improve performance, and support organizational and program objectives.

Basic Qualifications (Required Skills & Experience)

- Bachelor’s Degree and 10 years of experience supporting U.S. Government contracts and customers and/or program management, supply chain management, proposals, procurement, contracts, or subcontract management.
- Demonstrated experience managing the full lifecycle of subcontracts, from proposal development and source selection through award, execution, modifications, performance management, and closeout.
- Active Secret clearance or ability to obtain one and ability to obtain and maintain SAP access, if required for the assigned program.
- Experience managing subcontract or program cost, schedule, technical, quality, and contractual requirements.
- Experience leading teams and/or organizations to achieve a common goal as a results-driven leader.
- Experience with global supply chain, supplier management, and supplier quality, with the ability to identify, select, direct, and manage subcontract and supply-chain elements in a manner that supports program goals and company strategy.
- Experience managing program or subcontract financials, including customer funding, budgets, Estimates at Completion, invoices, and cost analysis.
- Experience with subcontractor sourcing, compliant source selection, proposal evaluation, Basis of Estimate review, cost and price analysis, negotiations, and subcontract award.
- Experience managing supplier or subcontractor risks, opportunities, corrective actions, recovery plans, and performance issues.
- Experience working cross-functionally with Program Management, Contracts, Engineering, Finance, Quality, Supply Chain, and subcontractor organizations.
- Experience with capture execution, compliant source selection, negotiations, and proposals.
- Strong written, verbal, analytical, negotiation, organizational, and interpersonal communication skills.
- Ability to manage multiple priorities, work independently, make sound business decisions, and operate effectively in a fast-paced environment.

Other Qualifications & Desired Competencies