Vice President, Contracts Security Clearance

Position: Vice President, Contracts with Security Clearance
The Vice President, Contracts (VP, Contracts) will report to the Chief Legal Officer (CLO) and will lead STR's contracts function as a strategic enabler of growth, speed, and mission impact. This role oversees the full lifecycle of STR's contractual agreements while ensuring disciplined compliance, risk management, and execution quality. As STR accelerates its company-wide pivot to a Tech-Enabled Services (TES) strategy-building reusable software and hardware "TES Cores" and deploying them rapidly across multiple missions-the VP, Contracts will help design and operationalize contracting models that support (i) faster time-to-award and time-to-impact, (ii) scaling product reuse, (iii) higher margins through value-based and outcomes-aligned pricing, and (iv) customer-funded R&D and early prototypes that mature into larger, longer-term programs.

The VP, Contracts will be a valued member of STR leadership, relied upon as a subject matter expert, and key partner to the other Functional and Division Leaders. This role will lead a team of approximately 20 employees. Duties and Responsibilities Contracting Strategy for TES, Prototyping, and Transition-to-Scale
* Partner with executive leadership (CLO, COO, CFO, Product leadership, and Program/Pursuit leaders) to develop contracting strategies that enable STR's TES business model.
* Build repeatable contracting "playbooks" for:
* Productized software / software-enabled systems,
* Reference designs and modular hardware/firmware deliverables,
* Customer-funded prototypes and pilots,
* Transition pathways from prototype to production/sustainment.
* Create and continuously refine contract structures that align incentives and produce mission outcomes for our customers, and scalable delivery and acceptable risk allocation for STR. FFP, OT, and Alternative Acquisition Pathways
* Lead STR's approach to FFP and OTA contracting, including:
* Working with the Government to select the right contract type and incentive structure for the technical and delivery risk profile,
* Establishing practical strategies for scope definition, acceptance criteria, and change management,
* Supporting rapid negotiation and award timelines for prototypes and early deployments,
* Designing clear, executable paths for follow-on production and scaling.
* Advise capture and program teams on pricing, milestones, and performance measures that support predictable delivery and value-based outcomes. Contract Management and Negotiation
* Review solicitations and advise on business-impactful requirements, clauses, and acquisition strategies.
* Analyze, negotiate, and execute agreements including prime contracts, subcontracts, proprietary information agreements, teaming agreements, consulting agreements, licensing agreements, vendor agreements, and lease agreements.
* Ensure agreements are documented, accurate, internally consistent, aligned with company policy, and compliant with applicable regulations and customer requirements.
* Support price-to-win negotiations, including contract milestone development.
* Own enterprise procurement strategy and operating model in partnership with Finance and Operations, ensuring STR has scalable, compliant, and cost-effective sourcing and purchasing capabilities across indirect spend (IT, facilities, professional services) and direct program-related procurements where appropriate. IP, Data Rights, and Product Commercialization Enablement
* Serve as the contracts lead for IP/data-rights strategy to support TES Cores and product reuse, including:
* Negotiating appropriate data rights and license terms consistent with STR's long-term product strategy,
* Ensuring STR preserves the ability to reuse, improve, and scale TES Cores across programs while meeting customer mission needs,
* Structuring licensing, subscriptions, enterprise-use rights, and other commercialization-relevant terms where appropriate.
* Collaborate with Legal, Finance, Product, and Engineering leadership to ensure contracting terms align with STR's IP governance, repository strategy, and emerging accounting structures for product IP. Risk Mitigation and Decision Support
* Provide counsel on mitigating contractual risks, including IP/data rights, indemnity, cybersecurity, security/classification, export controls, schedule, warranty, acceptance, pricing/payment terms, and flowdowns.
* Ensure material risks and tradeoffs are clearly articulated with recommended options to senior leadership, including structured decision memos when appropriate.
* Drive practical, mission-aware risk allocation-avoiding both unnecessary risk-taking and unnecessary conservatism that slows delivery or impedes scale. Responsiveness, Prioritization, and Escalation
* Be responsive to business needs, transparent about constraints, and proactive in anticipating and escalating risks (capacity, timing, negotiation friction, or customer dependencies).
* Work closely with the COO's staff to prioritize contracting actions aligned with…