Contracts Manager - Aerospace & Defense

Build the Future of Aerospace & Defense Contracts

Are you ready to build something from the ground up in a high-impact aerospace and defense environment?
Do you thrive on shaping strategy, influencing outcomes, and leading mission-critical contracts?
What if your next role gave you the autonomy to create, lead, and leave a lasting mark on a growing business?

About Stress Engineering Services

Stress Engineering Services (SES) is an elite, one-of-a-kind engineering consulting firm, trusted for more than 50 years to solve the problems others can’t. Our reputation is built on an uncompromising commitment to technical excellence, a highly selective team of experts, and a track record of delivering answers in the most complex, high-stakes environments. We operate at the intersection of deep technical expertise and real-world application, partnering with clients across energy, aerospace, consumer products, medical, and beyond. Our teams combine advanced analysis with hands-on testing, failure analysis, and practical engineering judgment to deliver solutions that perform where it matters most, in the field. As an employee-owned company, our people are personally invested in every outcome, creating a culture where accountability is high and excellence is the standard. We don’t just solve problems, we uncover root causes, mitigate risk, and deliver confidence.

For our clients, that means a trusted partner known for rigor and results. For our people, it means joining an elite team tackling the most meaningful challenges in engineering.

SES is where complex problems meet uncommon solutions, and where elite engineers come to do their best work.

Our Core Values

• We Over Me – We put the mission, our clients, and our team ahead of individual agendas
• Unyielding Pursuit of Excellence – Excellence is the standard. We deliver the right solution, on time, every time
• Own It – We take accountability to earn trust and deliver results

Build the Foundation of a Growing Defense & Aerospace Business

Stress Aerospace & Defense (StressAD), a business unit of Stress Engineering Services (SES), is seeking an experienced Contract Manager to establish, lead, and continuously improve our contracts and compliance program. This is a high-impact role for a professional who enjoys building processes, partnering across functions, and helping support critical defense and aerospace programs.

As the primary point of contact for contract matters, you will work closely with Legal, Business Development, Program Management, Operations, Accounting, Procurement, and Leadership to support government and commercial contracting activities. From contract administration and subcontracting to procurement, compliance, risk management, and customer portal administration, you will play a key role in supporting business growth while ensuring contractual and regulatory compliance.

What You'll Do

Contracts & Risk Management

• Serve as the primary point of contact for government and commercial contract matters.
• Manage contract intake, review, execution, tracking, and administration processes.
• Support contract negotiations and work closely with Legal on contract terms and risk assessments.
• Maintain contract records, approvals, and documentation workflows.
• Identify, communicate, and escalate contractual and business risks as appropriate.

Government Contracting & Compliance

• Support compliance with FAR, DFARS, Export Control, and ITAR requirements.
• Help strengthen and maintain StressAD's government contracting compliance framework.
• Coordinate government property tracking and compliance-related initiatives.
• Assist with policy and procedure development supporting government contracting operations.

Procurement & Customer Support

• Manage the StressAD procurement process, including purchase order creation and vendor coordination.
• Support subcontract administration and supplier engagement activities.
• Assist with customer invoicing support, portal-based billing requirements, and documentation management.
• Manage customer, vendor, and government portals, registrations, certifications, and prequalification requirements.

Business Operations & Growth

• Support proposal development, capture efforts, and acquisition strategies.
• Collaborate across departments to improve processes and drive operational efficiency.
• Build scalable systems and workflows that support future growth.

What Makes You Successful

We're looking for someone who combines strong contract management expertise with excellent business judgment and relationship-building skills.

You are:

• Highly organized and detail-oriented
• Comfortable managing multiple priorities and deadlines
• A proactive problem solver who identifies risks before they become issues
• Skilled at balancing compliance requirements with business objectives
• Able to work independently while collaborating across teams
• Trusted to handle sensitive, proprietary, and export-controlled information

Qualifications

Required

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Contracts Management, Supply Chain, Legal Studies, Finance, Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent experience.
• Experience managing government and commercial contracts.
• Knowledge of contract administration, procurement, subcontracting, and compliance processes.
• Experience working with FAR/DFARS requirements and U.S. Government contracting environments.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and document management systems.

• This position requires the ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. government security clearance. U.S. citizenship is required for security clearance eligibility

Preferred

• Experience supporting defense, aerospace, DoD, or federal contracting organizations.
• Knowledge of Export Control and ITAR requirements.
• Familiarity with SAM.gov registrations, customer portals, and government contracting systems.
• NCMA certifications such as CPCM, CFCM, or CCCM.
• Experience helping build or improve contracts and compliance programs in a growing organization.

What You'll Accomplish

In your first year, you will help establish and refine the contracts infrastructure that supports StressAD's continued growth. You'll create efficient processes, strengthen compliance practices, support customer and government requirements, and serve as a trusted business partner across the organization.

Benefits

SES offers a competitive compensation package and comprehensive benefits, including:

• Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP)
• Medical, dental, and vision coverage
• 401(k) plan
• Paid time off and holidays
• Professional development opportunities
• A collaborative, employee-owned culture focused on long-term success

Our Commitment

SES is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, veteran status, or other protected characteristics.

At SES we take pride in fostering an inclusive and dynamic workplace that values diverse perspectives and experiences. This position requires legal authorization to work in the U.S. Candidates must be able to provide the necessary documentation to verify identity & employment eligibility through the I-9 verification process.

Recruitment Process Disclosure:

As part of your candidacy and potential future employment, you agree to maintain the confidentiality of certain information. This includes not disclosing, sharing, or discussing any proprietary, sensitive, or client-related information obtained through your interactions with Stress Engineering Services. Whether through interviews, onboarding, or employment, you are expected to treat all company and client information as confidential and protected. This obligation applies during and after your engagement with us. By continuing in the hiring process, you acknowledge and agree to these terms of confidentiality and non-disclosure.

As part of our hiring process, Stress Engineering Services may use technology tools, including automated tools, to help organize, review, or evaluate application materials and interview-related information. These tools are used to support our recruiting process, but hiring decisions are not made solely by technology. If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation or would like additional information about the process, please contact Human.Resources@Stress.com. Where required by law, we will provide additional notices if a specific tool analyzes interview responses, assessments, or other information as part of your evaluation.

EEO/Vet/Disabled Employer

Join Our Team

If you're excited about building scalable contracting processes, supporting mission-critical defense and aerospace programs, and contributing to the success of a growing employee-owned company, we'd love to hear from you.

Apply today and help shape the future of Stress Aerospace & Defense.