Director, Contracts

ABOUT ROCKET LAB

Rocket Lab is the end-to-end space company building rockets spacecraft and critical subsystems that keep the world connected protected expand humanitys reach to the Moon Mars and beyond. We move fast build real hardware for meaningful missions and make the impossible routine. Come shape the future with us.

DIRECTOR CONTRACTS

Based onsite at one of Rocket Labs US Sites (Long Beach CA Silver Spring MD Denver CO Albuquerque NM) the Director of Contracts will be responsible for helping to lead mentor and develop a high-performing contracts team fostering a culture of excellence accountability and continuous improvement to ensure that Rocket Lab meets its contractual obligations and performance milestones for its customers.

WHAT YOULL GET TO DO:

• Negotiate Government contracts commercial contracts non-disclosure agreements teaming agreements and IP licenses.
• Ensure compliance with the terms and conditions of Government and commercial contracts including prime contracts and serve as the key customer interface for any contractual changes disputes or requests for equitable adjustment during contract performance.
• Assist in proposal review and preparation in response to Government and commercial solicitations and respond to government and commercial requests for information/clarification during a procurement competition.
• Review interpret and provide advice to internal clients regarding contract provisions and agreement types.
• Develop and evolve processes for efficient contract management with cross-functional partners.
• Establish and maintain excellent relationships with Government and other customer counterparts.
• Management of a small team of contracts professionals at various levels of professional development.

YOULL BRING THESE QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelors degree or equivalent years of work experience (16 years total work experience)
• 12 years of contract administration or contract management experience
• US Citizenship is required due to program requirements
• Ability to obtain a DoD Top Secret security clearance

THESE QUALIFICATIONS WOULD BE NICE TO HAVE:

• Extensive knowledge of Government contracts and contract types the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation (DFAR) and/or the NASA FAR Supplement (NFS).
• Experience managing DoD and NASA prime contracts and/or subcontracts supporting DoD and NASA programs.
• Request for proposal (RFP) analysis and proposal preparation experience.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills; able to articulate and effectively communicate contract compliance information to various levels of management and program teams.
• Proven ability to support professional growth of team members by identifying development opportunities and coaching direct reports toward their personal and professional goals.

This position may require prolonged periods of sitting standing walking computer work and occasional exposure to moderate levels of noise dust and fumes in production areas.

WHAT TO EXPECT

Were on a mission to unlock the potential of space to improve life on Earth but thats not an easy task. It takes hard work determination relentless innovation teamwork grit and an unwavering commitment to achieving what others often deem impossible. Our people out-think out-work and out-pace. We pride ourselves on having each others backs checking our egos at the door and rolling up our sleeves on all tasks big and small. We thrive under pressure work to tight deadlines and our focus is always on how we can deliver rather than dwelling on the challenges that stand in the way.

Important information:

FOR CANDIDATES SEEKING TO WORK IN US OFFICES ONLY:

To conform to U.S. Government space technology export regulations including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) Rocket Lab Employees must be a U.S. citizen lawful U.S. permanent resident (i.e. current Green Card holder) or lawfully admitted into the U.S. as a refugee or granted asylum or be eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State and/or the U.S. Department of Commerce as applicable. Learn more about ITAR here.

Rocket Lab provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race color religion age sex national origin disability status genetics protected veteran status sexual orientation gender identity or expression or any other characteristic protected by federal state or local laws. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment at Rocket Lab including recruiting hiring placement promotion termination layoff recall transfer leaves of absence compensation and training.

Applicants requiring a reasonable accommodation for the application/interview process for a job in the United States should contact Giulia Johnson at This dedicated resource is intended solely to assist job seekers with disabilities whose disability prevents them from being able to apply/interview. Only messages left for this purpose will be considered. A response to your request may take up to two business days.

FOR CANDIDATES SEEKING TO WORK IN NEW ZEALAND OFFICES ONLY:

For security reasons background checks will be undertaken prior to any employment offers being made to an applicant. These checks will include nationality checks as it is a requirement of this position that you be eligible to access equipment and data regulated by the United States International Traffic in Arms Regulations.

Under these Regulations you may be ineligible for this role if you do not hold citizenship of Australia Japan New Zealand Switzerland the European Union or a country that is part of NATO or if you hold ineligible dual citizenship or nationality. For more information on these Regulations click here ITAR Regulations.