Kraken builds uncrewed surface vessels for DoD and allied missions, and we're standing up U.S. operations and manufacturing in Florida. As Kraken US's first Contracts Manager, you'll report directly to the Director of Contracts & Pricing, managing the full contract lifecycle as both prime and sub, including OTAs, FAR-based contracts, subcontracts, teaming agreements, Ts&Cs, and NDAs. You'll also own the U.S. CRM, support proposals and pricing, and build our processes from the ground up, working directly with the C-suite. We're looking for 4+ years of U.S. Government or defense contracts experience, strong FAR/DFARS knowledge, and a builder mindset. U.S. citizenship is required.

Contracts Management (U.S. Pipeline and Programs)

• Manage the full contract lifecycle of multiple awards as both prime and sub

• Work with MarOps program and engineering leads to shape SOWs, deliverables, milestones and Data Rights assertions

• Draft, redline and negotiate prime contracts, subcontracts, OTAs, teaming agreements, MOUs, NDAs, Ts&Cs, and license and supplier agreements

• Flag risky terms early and brief leadership with a clear recommendation

• Flow down requirements (including ITAR) to engineering, operations, quality and supply chain

• Own the NDA process end to end, from first draft to signed, logged and filed

• Track invoicing and contract execution with the Director of Finance

• Keep SAM.gov and company registrations current

• Support export compliance, OCI reviews, and DCMA and Government audits

CRM Management (U.S. Team)

• Own the Kraken U.S. CRM, keeping pipeline, opportunity, contract and partner data accurate

• Build the automations, reports and dashboards leadership uses to run the pipeline

Proposals, Pricing and Process

• Support RFP/RFQ reviews, compliance matrices, technical and cost volumes, and ground rules and assumptions

• Build compliant pricing models with approved direct/indirect rates

• Help run the proposal process: bid/no-bid, gate reviews and approval authority

• Set up the SharePoint repositories, file structures, templates and workflows we'll run on

• Spot the processes a growing company needs, build them and make them stick

• Help roll out Government-approved AI tools across the team

• Considerable experience of U.S. Government or defense contracts experience in a customer-facing role

• Has negotiated both as a prime to the Government and as a sub to a prime

• Experience with OTAs and FAR-based contracts, including FFP, cost-type and T&M across development, production and sustainment

• Strong working knowledge of FAR/DFARS and TINA

• Sharp negotiator, clear writer and confident briefing C-suite leadership

• Runs independently with little supervision

• Low ego, high agency, no drama. You want the team to win first.

• A builder. You see what a growing company needs and put it in place.

• Curious, detail-driven and steady under pressure

• Works well across time zones with our UK parent team, with flexible hours when the business needs it

• Able to travel up to 25%, typically once a quarter for offsites, customer meetings or conferences

• Bachelor's degree in business, finance, law or a related field, or equivalent experience

• Must be a U.S. person eligible to work on export-controlled (ITAR) programs, and eligible to obtain a U.S. security clearance

• Startup, production or hardware experience a plus

• Commercial contracts, aftermarket sales, direct/indirect rate structures or Shipley experience a plus

• CFCM or similar contracts certification a plus

• Competitive base salary plus Growth team performance incentives

• Medical, dental and vision insurance, and a 401(k) with company match

• Paid time off, public holidays and work-life balance

• Educational assistance, tuition reimbursement and professional development

Kraken Technology Group USA is an Equal Opportunity Employer. US citizenship is required due to the nature of our government contracts.