ispace

Government Contracts Manager

Posted 8 Days Ago

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Hiring Remotely in Englewood, CO, USA

In-Office or Remote

133K-200K Annually

Senior level

Aerospace

The Role

Own the full lifecycle of U.S. government contracts and subcontracts, including proposal support, solicitation review, negotiation, administration, modifications, and closeout. Advise programs on contractual requirements, funding, changes, data rights, and disputes. Interface with government contracting personnel, prime contractors, finance, export compliance, and international affiliates. Build scalable contract policies, templates, and compliance infrastructure supporting aerospace, defense, CMMC, ITAR/EAR, and NIST obligations.

Summary Generated by Built In

At ispace U.S., we’re not just going to the Moon—we’re redefining how we get there. Our missions push the boundaries of human and robotic exploration, driven by our belief: “Expand our Planet. Expand our Future.” By providing cost-effective lunar transportation, we are pioneering a future where space is within reach for scientific discovery, commercial ventures, and sustainable exploration.

With locations in Japan, Luxembourg, and the United States, ispace is rapidly growing and leading the way in lunar exploration and development. Our U.S. branch is based in Englewood, Colorado, and focuses on high-capacity payload lunar landers designed to support future lunar missions. Our team is made up of innovators, problem-solvers, and visionaries committed to making space more accessible and fostering the next generation of space exploration.

Let’s go to the Moon together! Our team is growing, and we are actively seeking talented individuals who share our passion for space.

We are seeking a Government Contracts Manager to build the contracting infrastructure ispace U.S. needs as our government business grows. This role owns the full lifecycle of our federal contracts — from proposal support through negotiation, execution, and closeout — and establishes the policies, governance, and compliance framework required to operate as a sophisticated federal contractor and prime. Reporting to our Senior Counsel, the Federal Contracts Manager partners closely with Legal, Finance, IT, Supply Chain, and Program Management to reduce contractual and compliance risk and to support the teams executing our government work. This is a hands-on role with broad scope — you'll be the company's authority on FAR/DFARS, the primary interface with government contracting officers and prime contractor counterparts, and a strategic partner to program managers who need contractual constraints translated into plain language. THIS ROLE WILL BE LOCATED IN THE WASHINGTON D.C. AREA

Key Responsibilities

· Own the full lifecycle of federal contracts — proposal support, negotiation, execution, administration, and closeout — ensuring compliance with the FAR, DFARS, and other applicable federal contracting requirements.
· Lead contract negotiations, modifications, and amendments, including negotiation strategy for complex government contracts and teaming or subcontract arrangements.
· Monitor contract performance, resolve issues or discrepancies, and run risk assessments; advise leadership on the contractual, financial, operational, and performance risks tied to federal opportunities and existing awards.
· Assess ispace U.S.'s processes and build the scalable policies, procedures, governance structures, and decision frameworks needed to operate as a sophisticated federal prime contractor, including executive-level review and escalation mechanisms for significant contractual matters.
· Partner with our US and global teams to strengthen federal contracting readiness and compliance across the organization.
· Serve as the primary point of contact for contract-related matters with federal contracting officers and agency representatives, and build the relationships with contracting officers, subcontractors, and teaming partners that keep contract execution compliant and on track.
· Identify the staffing and capability needs of a growing federal portfolio, and develop training for Business Development, Engineering, Program Management, Finance, and other teams that interact with federal contracts, so compliance expertise isn't held by one person.
· Represent ispace-U.S. at government-industry engagements, acquisition forums, conferences, industry days, and other strategic events.
· Establish performance metrics and executive reporting on contract execution, acquisition readiness, and portfolio health.
· Evaluate prime contractor, subcontractor, teaming, joint venture, and strategic partnership opportunities based on corporate objectives and federal market conditions.
· Assist in developing a long-term strategy for increasing ispace-U.S.’s ability to compete independently for prime federal contracts.

Basic Qualifications

Bachelor's degree in contract administration or related field. We will consider a combination of experience and education for all roles.
8+ years of government contracts experience in aerospace, defense, or a comparable regulated industry
Working command of the FAR, DFARS, and NASA FAR Supplement, with practical experience across multiple contract types (FFP, CPFF, CPIF, IDIQ, OTA)
Demonstrated negotiation experience with government customers or prime contractors
Bachelor's degree, or equivalent experience
Ability to work independently in a fast-moving environment where precedent often doesn't exist yet
Must live in the Washington D.C. area

What Makes You Stand Out

Master's degree or higher

Experience with NASA acquisition, CLPS or commercial services contracts, or firm-fixed-price milestone-based space vehicle contracts

Familiarity with OTAs, SBIR/STTR, and Space Act Agreements

Background supporting a company through its first major prime award

NCMA certification (CPCM, CFCM, CCCM) or JD

Working knowledge of export control regimes and cross-border affiliate structures

Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. security clearance

#LI-LH1

At ispace, we believe that diverse perspectives drive innovation. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds and experiences, even if you don’t meet every listed requirement. If you’re passionate about our mission and think you can contribute, we encourage you to apply. Your unique skills and experiences may be exactly what we need to grow and succeed together.

To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) you must be a 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. Learn more about the ITAR .here.  

ispace is an Equal Opportunity Employer; employment with ispace is governed on the basis of merit, competence and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, gender, national origin/ethnicity, veteran status, disability status, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, mental or physical disability or any other legally protected status.

All applicants who are offered employment with ispace US will be subject to a background investigation. Offers of employment are contingent on the successful completion of a background investigation conducted in accordance with Company policies and all applicable laws.

ispace Technologies, US, Inc. is a drug-free workplace.

ispace Technologies, US, Inc. participates in the E-Verify program.

Skills Required

Bachelor's degree in contract administration or a related field, or equivalent combination of education and experience
8+ years of government contracts experience in aerospace, defense, or a comparable regulated industry
Working knowledge of FAR, DFARS, and NASA FAR Supplement
Practical experience with multiple contract types, including FFP, CPFF, CPIF, IDIQ, and OTA
Demonstrated negotiation experience with government customers or prime contractors
Ability to work independently in a fast-moving environment
Master's degree or higher
Experience with NASA acquisition, CLPS, commercial services contracts, or firm-fixed-price milestone-based space vehicle contracts
Familiarity with OTAs, SBIR/STTR, and Space Act Agreements
Experience supporting a company through its first major prime award
NCMA certification such as CPCM, CFCM, or CCCM, or a JD
Working knowledge of export control regimes and cross-border affiliate structures
Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. security clearance
U.S. citizenship, lawful permanent residency, protected-person status, or eligibility for required ITAR authorizations

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The Company

HQ: El Segundo, CA

183 Employees

Year Founded: 2010

What We Do

ispace is a lunar exploration company with a vision to extend human presence to outer space. The company is developing lunar landers and rovers to deliver customer payloads to the Moon and explore the lunar surface. In doing so, we aim to be a vehicle for companies on Earth to access new business opportunities on the Moon and ultimately incorporate the Moon into Earth’s economic and living sphere. The company is currently planning to its first mission to the Moon as early as Q4 2022.