The Guts to Try

Scout Space is building a new way to see and operate in space: with a new paradigm of data empowering every satellite to make space safer. We are a rapidly-growing team; we are deploying real solutions to orbit over the next 2 years; and our work will transform the face of spaceflight. We are looking for people that bring excitement and energy to our organization, are curious and eager to learn, and want to help drive our programs forward.

Scout Space is seeking a mission-driven Senior Contracts Specialist with deep expertise in government and commercial contracting to lead the full lifecycle of contractual activities across Scout’s rapidly expanding SDA, autonomy, and hosted payload programs. This role will be instrumental in shaping Scout’s contracting strategy, ensuring compliance, enabling program execution, and securing agreements that support Scout’s growth within the Department of Defense (DoD), Intelligence Community (IC), NASA, and commercial space sectors.

Responsibilities:

• Serve as Scout’s primary contracts lead for government and commercial agreements, including FAR/DFARS-based contracts, OT/OTA agreements, SBIR/STTR awards, STRATFI/TACFI efforts, and multi-year payload hosting partnerships.

• Review solicitations, amendments, and RFP/RFQ requirements to identify contractual risks, compliance obligations, and negotiation strategies.

• Lead the development and review of proposal volumes, cost/pricing structures, data-rights positions, and contractual terms in coordination with Product, Program Management, and Engineering teams.

• Support subcontracting efforts with large primes, including negotiating subcontract terms, shaping data-rights positions, managing pre-award flow-down reviews, and coordinating compliance documentation to ensure Scout’s technical, schedule, and business interests are protected.

• Manage post-award subcontractor and supplier execution, including administering flow-down requirements, monitoring compliance, tracking deliverables, and mitigating contract-related risks across Scout’s hardware and software development programs.

• Draft, review, and negotiate a wide range of agreements, including NDAs, teaming agreements, MOUs, subcontracts, terms & conditions, licensing agreements, and hosted payload agreements, ensuring alignment with Scout’s business, technical, and legal positions.

• Manage contract administration activities post-award, including deliverables, modifications, funding increments, option years, invoicing coordination, and required reporting.

• Ensure compliance with FAR/DFARS, agency supplements, ITAR/EAR, NIST 800-171/CUI handling requirements, and other acquisition or security-related regulations.

• Develop and maintain contract files, documentation, templates, and internal contracting processes supportive of audit readiness and scalable growth.

• Support executive leadership in the strategic planning of contracting pathways for emerging Scout capabilities, including GEO and cislunar SDA deployments, autonomy testbeds, and multi-host payload strategies.

Qualifications:

• 7+ years of experience in government contracting, subcontract administration, or contracts management within the aerospace, defense, national security, or dual-use technology sectors.

• Direct experience working with U.S. Government customers such as SSC, SDA, DIU, AFRL, NASA, NRO, NGA, or other defense/intelligence organizations.

• Strong working knowledge of FAR/DFARS, government acquisition processes, SBIR/BAA structures, OT/OTA agreements, and IP/data-rights frameworks.

• Demonstrated experience negotiating complex contract terms, pricing structures, and flow-down requirements with government agencies, large primes, and commercial partners.

• Ability to manage multiple concurrent proposals and contract actions in a fast-paced environment.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills and the ability to translate complex requirements into actionable guidance for internal teams.

• Eligibility to maintain a Security Clearance.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Active or inactive TS/SCI clearance.

• Experience establishing or managing DCMA/DCAA-compliant systems (e.g., procurement, property, timekeeping) in a small business environment.

• Familiarity with partner ecosystems relevant to space startups—such as hosted payload providers, satellite manufacturers, launch providers, and autonomy/AI companies.

• Demonstrated ability to create scalable internal processes, templates, and contracting frameworks to support rapid growth.

• Experience building or maturing a contracts function at an early-stage or growth-stage aerospace/defense startup.

• Familiarity with NIST 800-171, CMMC, and other security/compliance frameworks relevant to government contracting.

• NCMA certifications (CFCM, CPCM, etc.).

Benefits:

• Open Time Off
• Paid Parental Leave
• Medical, Dental, Vision Insurance
• 401k Matching
• Health Savings Account, Flexible Spending Accounts, Dependent Care FSA
• Wellness Stipend
• Work From Home Stipend
• Life Insurance
• Long-term Disability plans
• Commuter Benefit
• Education Reimbursement

Don't fulfill all the qualifications listed above? If you still feel like you might be a good fit, please feel free to APPLY ANYWAY. We believe in a well-rounded team, and this sometimes means that someone with out-of-context knowledge can contribute just as well as someone with very explicit alignment with our capabilities needs stated.

Our positions are based in Reston, Virginia, with much of our team operating in a hybrid or remote fashion. Our preference is for candidates in or around this area (or willing to relocate) as we scale our facilities and engineering team to provide more opportunities to work and collaborate in-person.

Scout Space Inc. does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service, or other non-merit factor. To conform to US Government space technology export regulations, applicants must be a US citizen, lawful permanent resident of the US, a protected individual as defined by 8 USC 1324b(a)(3), or eligible to obtain the required authorization from the US Department of State.

We’re Proud to Prioritize Mental Health. Scout Space has been recognized with the Bell Seal for Workplace Mental Health by Mental Health America. This certification reflects our ongoing commitment to creating a supportive environment where mental well-being is valued, protected, and openly talked about. We know that when people feel seen and supported, great work happens, and that is the kind of culture we are building here at Scout Space.