Contract Manager (Government Contracts)

Woodward is committed to creating a great workplace for all team members. Our company and its members are committed to acting with integrity, being respectful and accountable to one another, and staying humble and driven, while maintaining the highest professional and ethical standards.

We are steadfastly committed to attracting the best talent across our communities creating a rewarding workplace. Together we are fulfilling our purpose to design and deliver energy control solutions our partners count on to power a clean future.

Woodward supports our members’ wellbeing and regularly benchmarks with other companies in our industry to offer an extensive Total Reward package for this position. Salary will be determined by the applicant's education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities, as well as internal equity and alignment with market data. 

• Estimated annual base pay:  $120,888 (minimum) - $153,600 (midpoint) - $184,320 (maximum)

• All members included in cash bonus opportunity.

• 401(k) match (4.5%)

• Annual Woodward stock contribution (5%)

• Tuition reimbursement and Training/Professional Development opportunities for all members  

• 12 paid holidays, including floating holidays. 

• Industry leading medical, dental, and vision Insurance upon date of hire

• Vacation / Sick Time / Vacation Buy-up / Short Term Disability / Bereavement leave. 

• Paid parental leave.

• Adoption Assistance  

• Employee Assistance Program, including mental health benefits. 

• Member Life & AD&D / Long Term Disability / Member Optional Life 

• Member referral bonus 

• Spouse / Child Optional Life / Optional AD&D / Healthcare and Dependent Care Flexible Spending 

• Voluntary benefits, including:  

  • Home / Auto Insurance discounts 

  • Whole Life Insurance / Critical Illness Insurance / Legal Assistance / Military Leave 

Are you ready to make your mark? If you’re a Contract Operations Manager, we have an exciting opportunity for you. This position has the primary responsibility of customer interface over contract life cycle, establishing contractual framework where applicable, and for the administration of claims management.

What You Will Be Doing 

Position to sit in Santa Clarita / also open in these locations:

Santa Clarita, CA. $122,880 (min) $153,600 (mid) $184,320 (max)

Fort Collins, CO. $111,680 (min) $139,600 (mid) $167,520 (max)

Zeeland, MI. $111,680 (min) $139,600 (mid) $167,520 (max)

Rockford, IL. $111,680 (min) $139,600 (mid) $167,520 (max)

Niles, IL. $111,680 (min) $139,600 (mid) $167,520 (max)

Contract Negotiations  

• Responsible for customer interface over contract life cycle for US Government prime and subcontracts

• Supports the customer proposal process as needed

• Ensures that all relevant flow-down terms and conditions, both internally and throughout the Company’s supply chain are considered, addressed, and disseminated

• Reviews customer contract drafts and executes under the established proposal pricing strategies and cost targets

• Leads and ensures timely commercial review of contracts, including functional reviews of commercial terms, and generally ensures compliance with the Contract Review Policy and other corporate guidelines

• Ensures that commercial terms align with business, commercial, operational, and supply chain objectives and initiatives

• Identifies compliance risks and consults with the applicable stakeholders to determine approach (e.g., non-standard Global Trade Compliance terms and conditions)

• Responsible for negotiating pricing and contractual framework for both OEM and repair, maintenance, overhaul and service agreements

• Assists the Director of Legal with drafting, revising and negotiating contracts and terms in accordance with commercial negotiations and strategy, and in alignment with deal CTQs (“Critical to Quality”) and business strategy

• Implements change management re-contracting activities and identifies opportunities for continuous improvement
• Identifies new business opportunities with existing customers

• Creates awareness of, and understands, potential business at risk

• Supports initiatives and activities to ensure compliance with regulatory or customer specific requirements (i.e., import/export, licenses, proprietary information, FAA, IC, etc.)

• Develops and establishes processes to monitor internal and external commissions agreements, rebates and licensing

• Assists Director of Legal with reviewing FAR/DFARS clauses to ensure language is aligned with approved and/or standard approach

• Assists Director of Legal with commerciality assertions, determinations and associated price reasonableness throughout the negotiation process

Contract Management

• Manages contracts, with the support of the Contract Management Coordinator, to ensure:

• compliance with Woodward’s obligations and enforcement of Woodward’s rights, such as design changes and associated assertions, pricing (including price escalation/de-escalation, volume-based pricing, rebates, commodity-sensitive pricing, etc.), liquidated damages, payment and payment terms, measuring actual performance against contractually stipulated metrics, and the like appropriate measures are taken with regard to contractual triggers and events such as milestones (development, production delivery, etc.), price expiration, product phase changes, contract expiration or termination, etc. timely and disciplined administration, execution and enforcement of all contractual rights and obligations and coordinates with internal stakeholders as appropriate (e.g., PLC process adherence, coordination with the program management office on scope and requirements changes) proper maintenance of agreements within Woodward’s Contract Management System to ensure all contracts and relevant information are timely and accurately maintained in the system

• Responsible for the engagement with applicable company and external stakeholders to ensure legal and regulatory compliance, including government contracting, FAA regulations, DOT requirements, trade compliance, etc.

• Responsible for the strategy and approach for monitoring internal and external commissions agreements, rebates and license.

What We Are Looking For 

• US – bachelor's degree in arts/sciences (BA/BS) required.

• 2-5 years' Experience in commercial role, preferably in contract administration, commercial operations, and/or sales required.

• 2-5 years' Experience directly, or indirectly leading teams required.

• 2-5 years' Experience in related industry preferred.

• 10% Travel for customer negotiations and to other Woodward sites for team meetings

Functional Expertise

• Extensive experience negotiating and managing US Government contracts at the prime and subcontract level.  This is a requirement for consideration.

• Solid business acumen and understanding of Woodward markets and products

• Understanding of commercial terms and industry standards

• Strong negotiation skills

• Strong knowledge of contract drafting, including language implications

• Experience in managing existing contracts to ensure compliance and enforcement of rights

• Solid background and capabilities in customer engagement and management

Managing and Measuring Performance

• Experience in customer claims management and support
• Goal and results oriented
• Establishes clear directions and objectives
• Distributes and lays out work appropriately and in a well-organized manner
• Brings out the best in people by maintaining clear communication and two-way dialogue
• Clearly and comfortably delegates
• Broadly shares responsibility and accountability
• Trusts people to perform
• Monitors process, progress and results

Building High-Performing Teams

• Helps foster a culture of inclusion and engagement that inspires Woodward team members to act in a way that values the strengths and differences of our global membership
• Effective relationship management
• Is a people builder; develops a motivated workforce
• Solid organizational savvy
• Ability to identify and use available resources

This position requires use of information which is subject to the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) and/or the Export Administration Regulations (EAR).   All applicants must be U.S. Persons within the meaning of the ITAR and EAR, or eligible to obtain all required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State and/or the U.S. Department of Commerce. The ITAR defines a U.S. Person as a U.S. citizen or national, lawful permanent resident (i.e., 'Green Card holder'), or a protected person (e.g., asylee, or refugee).

Woodward is an Equal Opportunity Employer 

EO/AA/M/F/Disabled/Protected Veterans 

Contract Management  

• Manages contracts to ensure:
• compliance with Woodward’s obligations and enforcement of Woodward’s rights, such as design changes and associated assertions, pricing (including price escalation/de-escalation, volume-based pricing, rebates, commodity-sensitive pricing, etc.), liquidated damages, payment and payment terms, measuring actual performance against contractually stipulated metrics, and the like
• appropriate measures are taken with regard to contractual triggers and events such as milestones (development, production delivery, etc.), price expiration, product phase changes, contract expiration or termination, etc.
• timely and disciplined administration, execution and enforcement of all contractual rights and obligations and coordinates with internal stakeholders as appropriate (e.g., PLC process adherence, coordination with the program management office on scope and requirements changes)
• proper maintenance of agreements within Woodward’s Contract Management System to ensure all contracts and relevant information are timely and accurately maintained in the system
• Responsible for the engagement with applicable company and external stakeholders to ensure legal and regulatory compliance, including government contracting, FAA regulations, DOT requirements, trade compliance, etc.