Lead Acquisition Specialist

We are looking for an experienced and dynamic Lead Acquisition Specialist to oversee the execution, performance, and compliance of a broad portfolio of subcontractors, vendors, and partner agreements to support the FAA’s Brand New Air Traffic Control System (BNATCS) program. This position is a Sr. Director and reports directly to the VP, Program Manager.

This role is directly accountable for BNATCS procurement activity and is key to the delivery of overall program success. The successful candidate develops and delivers an innovative acquisition model to modernize a challenging, multi-contract legacy environment. To achieve this objective, this specialist will work with PMO, engineering, and field teams to align all agreements and BNATCS partner efforts with FAA technical requirements, program goals, and delivery schedules.

The successful candidate will navigate complex contract structures and build effective relationships to enforce service-level agreements (SLA), align vendor efforts with incentives and penalties, and support the timely, cost-effective, and risk-managed delivery of all third-party contributions (subcontractors, industry partners, and mission stakeholders). 

This role requires more than contract oversight only, but also involves mission-critical orchestration of delivery, risk, and performance.

 Responsibilities:

• Lead procurement strategy design to provide a comprehensive acquisition roadmap that aligns to strategic priorities, such as the National Airspace System (NAS) modernization roadmap, BNATCS strategic roadmap, and operational objectives
• Execute robust contract life cycle management to oversee the drafting, negotiation, and execution of a wide range of contract types
• Serves as the single point of accountability for the management of all subcontracts, teaming agreements, performance-based contracts, and vendor SOWs
• Support the development, negotiation, and execution of incentive structures, award fees, SLAs, and penalties
• Verify the structure of all vendor agreements to support program acquisition policies, cybersecurity requirements, and government flow-down clauses
• Establish vendor performance metrics and lead regular performance reviews, including SLA compliance, milestone adherence, and corrective actions
• Act as a liaison between technical leads (Automation, Telecom, Voice, Surveillance) and vendors to maintain requirements clarity, scope control, and change management
• Support vendor onboarding, kickoff, delivery coordination, and post-go-live operations, including warranty tracking and issue resolution
• Facilitate cross-vendor integration planning and dependency management
• Track and report vendor progress against key milestones, cost profiles, and incentive triggers
• Identify and escalate performance risks, scope deviations, or schedule slips across third-party partners
• Maintain documentation of contractual obligations, vendor communications, change orders, and formal correspondence
• Collaborate with the PMO and Risk Manager to align vendor risks with broader program-level risk management
• Collaborate with Program Manager, Deputy PM, PMO, subcontractors, and FAA to verify alignment of delivery progress with program-level goals and controls
• Champion a culture of accountability, systems thinking, and mission focus across the technical team

Required Experience:

• 16+ years of experience in the strategic sourcing of federal acquisition and contract management
• Deep understanding of government contracting, including performance-based agreements, incentive models, and complex SOWs
• Demonstrated ability to coordinate procurement with cross-functional teams under time-boxed execution and dynamic reprioritization
• Ability to manage vendor contracts with award and incentive fee structures
• Proven success in managing large portfolios of vendors with high-value and complex contract types
• Experience supporting Agile program acquisition needs within a PI-based execution model, including coordination of procurement timelines with Agile delivery milestones
• Experience with CMMC controls and critical supply chain management
• Understanding of contract structures that support Agile execution, such as modular contracting, performance-based incentives, and teaming models
• Knowledge of government procurement policies, vendor governance, and regulatory oversight
• Proven experience in SLA management, subcontractor performance, and vendor accountability
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, able to build trust and negotiate solutions across diverse technical and commercial stakeholders
• Familiarity with Lean-Agile principles and how acquisition supports incremental delivery, backlog-based scope definition, and rapid reprioritization
• Highly analytical with expertise in performance frameworks
• Use of acquisition tools and dashboards to align vendor actions with Jira- and Confluence-based execution artifacts
• Leadership style grounded in integrity, precision, and mission alignment

Prerequisites:

• US Citizen
• Ability to obtain a public trust and Top Secret clearance

Preferred Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Contracting, or systems engineering, Master’s degree in Procurement, Law, or Public Sector Management
• PMP certification
• Certified Profession Supply Chain Management

Note: This opportunity is currently in the proposal phase. Employment is contingent upon contract award.

Peraton is a next-generation national security company that drives missions of consequence spanning the globe and extending to the farthest reaches of the galaxy. As the world’s leading mission capability integrator and transformative enterprise IT provider, we deliver trusted, highly differentiated solutions and technologies to protect our nation and allies. Peraton operates at the critical nexus between traditional and nontraditional threats across all domains: land, sea, space, air, and cyberspace. The company serves as a valued partner to essential government agencies and supports every branch of the U.S. armed forces. Each day, our employees do the can’t be done by solving the most daunting challenges facing our customers. Visit peraton.com to learn how we’re keeping people around the world safe and secure.