Contract Associate

About AL TAIF

We are the leading provider of maintenance, repair and overhaul services, and comprehensive lifecycle support for land platforms, heavy utility vehicles and ground support equipment. We empower our customer to focus on its missions, confident that its land-based platforms and systems, warfighters and other personnel are in optimal condition to operate at peak performance.Key Responsibilities:

• Lead development, review, negotiation, and administration of acquisition contracts for vehicle systems, components, tooling, manufacturing assets, and sustainment services.
• Translate acquisition strategies, capability needs, readiness requirements, and regulatory obligations into clear, enforceable contract terms.
• Prepare and evaluate Requests for Proposals (RFPs), Requests for Quotations (RFQs), Invitations to Tender (ITTs), Statements of Work (SOWs), technical data packages, source-selection criteria, and contractual deliverables.
• Manage contract modifications, engineering change proposals, warranty provisions, depot-maintenance agreements, and Performance-Based Logistics (PBL) contracts.
• Ensure contractual structures support lifecycle readiness, affordability, technical performance, and operational availability.
• Ensure contractor technical deliverables comply with engineering standards, Military Standards (MIL-STD) requirements, safety regulations, and reliability targets.
• Interface with engineering teams on design reviews, configuration changes, Bills of Materials (BOM) updates, and manufacturing readiness assessments.
• Evaluate technical and acquisition proposals for vehicle subsystems/payloads, powertrains, electronics, armor solutions, mission kits, and integration requirements.
• Support technical risk assessments and development of acquisition decision documentation.
• Conduct cost/price analyses, negotiation support, and lifecycle cost assessments for acquisition and sustainment programs.
• Track contract budgets, funding profiles, financial obligations, and cost performance to ensure affordability and compliance.
• Ensure adherence to financial regulations, cost accounting standards, and audit readiness requirements.
• Support cost realism, cost-saving initiatives, and total ownership cost reduction strategies.
• Oversee logistical planning for procurement, material flow, warehousing, production support, and spare-parts distribution.
• Coordinate with supply chain, production, and logistics teams to sustain production schedules and readiness timelines.
• Manage supplier performance, on-time delivery, and resolution of quality or supply-chain disruptions affecting assembly lines, operational units, or maintenance depots.
• Support provisioning, spare-parts identification, and updates to technical and logistics documentation.
• Lead development and administration of sustainment, field maintenance, and depot-level repair and overhaul contracts.
• Define and monitor Service Level Agreements (SLAs), operational availability metrics, Mean Time Between Failures (MTBF), Mean Time to Repair (MTTR) targets, and maintenance performance.
• Monitor contractor performance for uptime, reliability, failure analysis, obsolescence management, and parts availability.
• Support planning for upgrades, retrofits, refurbishment programs, and end-of-life sustainment strategies.
• Monitor program performance, contractual milestones, engineering progress, and production readiness in line with acquisition timelines.
• Prepare reports, cost summaries, risk assessments, and program briefings for leadership and customers.
• Identify and mitigate risks impacting acquisition execution, manufacturing schedules, logistics performance, or sustainment readiness.
• Ensure compliance with regulations, quality systems, cybersecurity standards, and export control laws including International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) and Export Administration Regulations (EAR).
• Support audits, customer reviews, supplier assessments, and technical evaluations.
• Maintain complete documentation for all technical, financial, acquisition, sustainment, and logistics contract activities.
• Ensure processes comply with International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 9001, ISO 45001, and ISO 14001 standards, and adhere to all company policies, manuals, and procedures.
• Comply with health, safety, and environmental directives and contribute to maintaining a safe workplace.
• Support requirements analysis through consultation with requesters and end users to fully define contract requirements and SOW clarity.
• Prepare project proposals, coordinate deliveries, and manage supporting documentation.
• Lead pre-bid conferences and issue ITTs, RFPs, and RFQs; prepare technical and commercial evaluation reports.
• Prepare and maintain contractual instruments including Purchase Orders (POs), Blanket Purchase Agreements (BPAs), Subcontract Management Agreements (SMAs), and subcontracts with complete flow-down clauses and required terms.
• Support all cradle-to-grave contract activities including bid package preparation, proposal analysis, risk assessment, negotiations, vendor selection, and closeout.
• Support contract administration during vendor execution of POs/contracts; resolve delays, returns, shortages, overages, and quality issues.
• Prepare expediting/penalty reports, customer letters, verify receipt of goods/services in Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems, and support vendor payment processing.
• Maintain tracking files and ensure timely submission of correspondence and reports.
• Oversee and participate in negotiation and coordination of additions, deletions, and modifications to POs, subcontracts, and BPAs.
• Coordinate subcontract changes with functional departments and finance.
• Track subcontract records, vendor performance, and coordinate required responses with stakeholders and senior management.
• Interpret and apply import/export regulations to ensure compliance.
• Evaluate active vendors and lead sourcing and development of new suppliers.
• Mentor and train assigned team members and provide direct training and guidance to customers on contract requirements, processes, and new contract implementation.
• Ensure all high-value property is safeguarded, routinely inventoried, and maintained in serviceable condition.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical, Electrical, Industrial, Systems Engineering, or a related field; equivalent experience may be considered.
• Minimum of 5–7 years of experience in a contract-related role, preferably within acquisition, maintenance contracting, manufacturing, logistics, supply chain, or contract engineering.
• Experience in ground vehicle programs, manufacturing, depot maintenance, or vehicle sustainment, with knowledge of acquisition lifecycles, FAR/DFARS, contracting practices, and performance-based logistics.
• Professional certifications such as PMP, CIPS, CPCM, or procurement-related certifications are highly desirable.

Skills & Knowledge:

• Strong knowledge of procurement, technical specifications, and maintenance operations, with understanding of MIL-STD requirements, logistics principles, reliability engineering, and lifecycle sustainment.
• Experience with ERP systems, configuration management tools, and contract management platforms; proficiency in Microsoft Office is required.
• Strong analytical, technical, and cost-evaluation skills, with the ability to manage complex acquisition, maintenance, and supply-chain environments.
• Excellent communication, negotiation, and stakeholder-management skills, with proven ability to multitask in fast-paced environments.
• Fluency in both English and Arabic, with excellent written and verbal communication skills, is required.

Other Requirements:

• Must have, or be able to obtain, a valid UAE driver’s license and be willing to travel within the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.
• Proactive problem-solving and sound decision-making abilities.

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