Full-Time
Senior Subcontracts Manager
Capture & Strategy
Updated on 8/1/2026
Sierra Space
1,001-5,000 employees
Develops space vehicles, stations, propulsion systems
Compensation Overview
$135.3k - $186k/yr
No H1B Sponsorship
Centennial, CO, USA + 1 more
More locations: Louisville, CO, USA
In Person
US Top Secret Clearance Required
 Operations & Logistics (1) |
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- A bachelor's degree in a related field is required, or equivalent work experience may substitute for the degree; alternatively, a master's degree plus six years of experience is accepted.
- At least eight years of related experience is typically required.
- Advanced proficiency with Microsoft suite of products is required.
- Experience with EPR/MRP is required.
- Advanced cost-plus contracting experience is required.
- Extensive and comprehensive knowledge of all aspects of subcontract management is required.
- Expertise in government and commercial contracting regulations and compliance, including the Federal Acquisition Regulation and Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement, is required.
- Mastery of the contractual and legal frameworks governing subcontracting is required.
- In-depth understanding of financial analysis, market trends, and strategic sourcing on a global scale is required.
- Leadership and strategic thinking capabilities are required.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills are required.
- Manage the lifecycle of subcontracts from initial solicitation through contract close-out.
- Develop subcontract agreements, ensure compliance with regulatory requirements, negotiate contract terms, and manage supplier relationships.
- Oversee and manage high-risk, high-value subcontract agreements, ensuring alignment with organizational goals and compliance with regulatory requirements.
- Develop and implement organization-wide subcontract management policies and strategic initiatives to drive efficiency and consistency across the organization.
- Lead complex negotiations and resolve high-stakes disputes.
- Advise senior management on subcontracting strategy, risk management, and regulatory compliance.
- Lead projects and teams to execute subcontracts and sourcing activities, including project management, risk management, schedule and cost management, and supplier relationship management.
- Coordinate with leadership, suppliers, and external personnel across functional organizations to achieve successful outcomes.
- An advanced degree in Business Administration, Supply Chain Management, or a related field is preferred.
- Extensive experience with SAP is preferred.
- A proven track record of managing high-risk, high-value subcontract agreements is preferred.
- Strong organizational and time management skills are preferred.
- The ability to work independently and as part of a team is preferred.
- Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to handle multiple tasks simultaneously are preferred.
- Experience with advanced subcontracting strategies and best practices is preferred.
- Demonstrated leadership skills and experience mentoring junior team members are preferred.
- Expertise in cost and price analysis, including proposal management, is preferred.
- An active U.S. Top Secret Security Clearance is highly preferred.
Sierra Space develops space systems for government, commercial, and research customers, including space vehicles, space stations, and related life-support and propulsion technologies. The Dream Chaser is a reusable spaceplane that lands on conventional runways to move cargo and crew to and from orbit; space stations provide a platform for long-duration research and commercial activity in microgravity; VORTEX propulsion and life-support systems power missions and sustain crews. It combines a runway-landing spaceplane with ongoing space-station development and integrated systems, offering end-to-end space infrastructure rather than focusing on a single component. Its goal is to expand sustainable human spaceflight and commercial activity in space while delivering Earth-focused benefits.
Company Size
1,001-5,000
Company Stage
Series C
Total Funding
$2.3B
Headquarters
Louisville, Colorado
Founded
2021
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Simplify's Take
What believers are saying
- Sierra secured $550M Series C funding in March 2026, valuing the company at $8B.
- It holds a $450M satellite contract and up to $740M Space Development Agency missile-tracking deal.
- Dream Chaser's late 2026 free-flyer demo enables defense applications like rapid payload return.
What critics are saying
- Dream Chaser's late 2026 demo delay erodes cargo uniqueness and risks cash flow gaps before scale.
- Vast's $500M space station funding directly competes with Orbital Reef, threatening Sierra's revenue pipeline.
- SpaceX's 2026 IPO could undercut Sierra's valuation and crowd out Dream Chaser via lower-cost Dragon flights.
What makes Sierra Space unique
- Dream Chaser is the only commercial spaceplane landing on conventional runways for rapid turnaround.
- Sierra supplies inflatable LIFE Habitat modules for Blue Origin's Orbital Reef space station.
- The firm delivers flight-proven satellites, hypersonic tech, and propulsion systems for national security missions.
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Benefits
Health Insurance
Dental Insurance
Vision Insurance
Life Insurance
401(k) Retirement Plan
401(k) Company Match
Paid Vacation
Growth & Insights and Company News
6 month growth
↓ -2%1 year growth
↓ -4%2 year growth
↓ -2%Astrion hires former Sierra Space CEO vice as new leader. Astrion's new CEO Tom Vice previously led Sierra Space in a four-year period that included Series A and B capital rounds. Astrion photo. Stay Connected Find opportunities - and win them. April 3, 2026 Brightstar Capital Partners formed Astrion in 2023 and the company has been on an aggressive expansion push since. Astrion has hired a new chief executive in Tom Vice, the former Sierra Space CEO and a four-decade veteran of the aerospace-and-defense sector. Vice also will hold the title of executive chair and his appointment is effective immediately, Astrion said Thursday. Vice succeeds Dave Zolet, who has led the engineering and technical services provider since it launched in 2023. Astrion is owned by the private equity firm Brightstar Capital Partners, which formed the company through the merger of ERC and Oasis Systems. Astrion has since embarked on an aggressive expansion push that included the purchase of Axient in the summer of 2024. Only a few months before that transaction, Zolet told our WT 360 podcast that the company was pushing toward $1.5 billion in annual revenue and prioritizing the development of a culture he called the "Astrion Way." In a LinkedIn post on his departure, Zolet touted Astrion as a 6,000-employee company today with annual revenue north of $1 billion. Vice will pick up that groundwork laid out as Astrion focuses on programs across defense, homeland security, critical infrastructure, space operations and allied missions. Astrion touts its core service lines as including systems engineering, threat analysis, modeling and simulation, testing and evaluation, and training. "Astrion's strength starts with its people - a talented team with deep mission understanding, strong customer relationships, and a proven record of execution," Vice said in a release. "We are building on that foundation with focus, urgency, and resolve - strengthening what we do best today while expanding the operational capabilities, integrated solutions, and innovative technologies we bring to our customers." Vice led Sierra Space in a four-year tenure that included $1.7 billion in Series A and B capital rounds, as well as the capture of several national security and defense programs. He is also a former CEO of Aerion Corp., an aerospace company founded in 2003 that sought to build supersonic jets before it shut down in 2021. Prior to Aerion, Vice spent three decades at Northrop Grumman including his last four years there as president of its aerospace systems segment. His tenure in that role included the capture of the Air Force's Long-Range Strike Bomber program in 2015. Astrion also announced Thursday its hire of Eric Brown, formerly a vice president at Lockheed Martin, as president of space operations and allied missions. Conn Doherty, a former executive at RTX and Chaos Industries, also has joined Astrion as chief growth officer.
Sierra Space has appointed Jeff Schrader as chief strategy officer, where he will guide the company's strategic growth initiatives, including corporate development, mergers and acquisitions strategy, and major contract planning. Schrader brings over 25 years of aerospace and defence experience. Most recently, he served as vice president of strategy and business development at Lockheed Martin Space, leading a team supporting a $13 billion business area. He previously led SEAKR Engineering and Blue Canyon Technologies with a combined workforce exceeding 1,000 employees, and held leadership positions at RTX and General Dynamics. The Colorado-based defence-tech space company designs and manufactures satellites, spacecraft and space subsystems for national security, civil and commercial customers.
The week's 10 biggest funding rounds: space tech, AI infrastructure lead fundraises. March 6, 2026 Want to keep track of the largest startup funding deals in 2025 with our curated list of $100 million-plus venture deals to U.S.-based companies? Check out The Crunchbase Megadeals Board. This is a weekly feature that runs down the week's top 10 announced funding rounds in the U.S. Check out last week's biggest funding deal roundup here. The first week of March was a relatively brisk period for large startup funding rounds, led by three deals of $500 million or more in the space tech and AI infrastructure sectors. In addition, we saw some good-sized deals around healthcare, neuroscience and enterprise software. 1. Sierra Space, $550M, space tech: Sierra Space, a space and defense tech company that designs and manufactures satellites, spacecraft and space subsystems, secured $550 million in equity funding led by LuminArx Capital Management. The financing sets an $8 billion valuation for the 5-year-old, Louisville, Colorado-based company. 2. (tied) Ayar Labs, $500M, AI infrastructure: Ayar Labs, a producer of co-packaged optics for use in AI infrastructure, landed $500 million in Series E funding led by Neuberger Berman. The financing sets a $3.75 billion valuation for the 11-year-old, San Jose, California-based company. 2. (tied) Vast, $500M, space tech: Long Beach, California-based Vast, a startup developing next-generation space stations, announced it has raised $500 million in fresh funding. The financing includes $300 million in Series A equity and $200 million in debt, with Balerion Space Ventures as lead investor. 4. Findhelp, $250M, care platform: Findhelp, developer of a platform to coordinate care across health systems, governments, benefits providers and other entities, secured $250 million in investment from TPG's The Rise Fund. Founded in 2010, Austin-based Findhelp describes its mission as connecting people to help and support systems. 5. Science Corp., $230M, neurotech: Alameda, California-based Science Corp., a biotech startup focused on brain-computer interface technologies, announced it has closed on a $230 million Series C fundraise. Lightspeed Venture Partners, Khosla Ventures, Y Combinator, IQT and Quiet Capital were among the investors participating in the syndicated round. 6. Cart.com, $180M, e-commerce: Cart.com, provider of an e-commerce platform and logistics services for brands to sell across digital channels, picked up $180 million in growth equity investment. Springcoast Partners led the financing for the Houston-based company. 7. Grow Therapy, $150M, mental health care: Grow Therapy, a New York-based platform for providing mental health care, raised $150 million in Series D funding led by TCV and Goldman Sachs Growth Equity. 8. Cognito Therapeutics, $105M, neuroscience: Cambridge, Massachusetts-based Cognito Therapeutics, a developer of therapies for neurodegenerative diseases, secured $105 million in Series C funding. Morningside, IAG Capital Partners and Starbloom Capital led the financing. 9. Nominal, $80M, engineering software: Nominal, a self-described provider of tools for engineers to test and operate critical technology, picked up $80 million in new funding. Founders Fund led the financing, which set a $1 billion valuation for the Austin-based company. 10. Sage, $65M, health software: New York-based Sage, provider of a software platform for senior living and skilled nursing, raised $65 million in Series C funding led by Goldman Sachs Alternatives. Methodology. We tracked the largest announced rounds in the Crunchbase database that were raised by U.S.-based companies for the period of Feb. 28-March 6. Although most announced rounds are represented in the database, there could be a small time lag as some rounds are reported late in the week. Stay up to date with recent funding rounds, acquisitions, and more with the Crunchbase Daily. March 5, 2026 Science Corp., a biotech startup focused on brain-computer interface technologies, announced Thursday that it has closed on a $230 million Series C... March 5, 2026 San Francisco-based Denki, which has built AI-powered software for financial auditors at public companies, has raised $4.1 million in funding, the... March 5, 2026 February closed with the largest startup investment of all time - OpenAI's $110 billion financing - but did not bring a jump in overall deal count... March 4, 2026 Over 127,000 workers at U.S.-based tech companies were laid off in mass job cuts in 2025, per a Crunchbase News tally, and the layoffs have continued... April 3, 2025 Discover and act on private market opportunities with predictive company intelligence.
Sierra Space valued at $8 billion as investors double down on defense, space tech. March 5 (Reuters) - Sierra Space said on Thursday it has raised $550 million in a Series C funding round that values it at $8 billion, as investor appetite for national security assets grows amid geopolitical tensions and strong interest in commercial space infrastructure. Space companies with government contracts and proven production capacity are seeing more capital flow, amid a broader push toward space-based data centers and orbital infrastructure. Investors are also closely watching SpaceX's expected initial public offering, which could reshape the competitive landscape in the sector. Sierra Space said the funding round was led by LuminArx Capital Management, with participation from existing backers including General Atlantic, Coatue, Moore Strategic Ventures and Andalusian Private Capital. The Louisville, Colorado-based company has sought to position itself as a key supplier of satellites, space transportation systems and defense technologies to U.S. national security customers. It had raised $290 million in a Series B round in 2023 which valued the company at $5.3 billion. The space company said the fresh capital would support expanded production capacity and development of solutions for defense and intelligence missions. "As we scale, our priority remains strengthening national security capabilities while delivering the discipline, reliability, and performance our government and commercial partners depend on," CEO Dan Jablonsky exclusively told Reuters. Space-based assets are playing an increasingly central role in intelligence gathering, secure communications and other critical defense missions as governments seek greater resilience and real-time data. Sierra Space has won cornerstone contracts including a $450 million award to build more than four satellites for a national security customer and a Space Development Agency contract with a potential value of up to $740 million. Beyond satellites, the company is developing the reusable Dream Chaser spaceplane, designed to ferry cargo, and eventually crew, to low Earth orbit. It completed key manufacturing milestones in 2025, with a demonstration flight planned for late 2026. (Reporting by Akash Sriram in Bengaluru; Editing by Krishna Chandra Eluri)
Sierra Space has raised $550 million in a Series C funding round led by LuminArx Capital Management, valuing the spacecraft manufacturer at approximately $8 billion. Existing investors also participated in the round. Based in Louisville, Colorado, Sierra Space was formed in 2021 as a commercial spinout of Sierra Nevada Corporation. The company initially focused on its Dream Chaser reusable spaceplane for ISS cargo missions, with a demonstration flight planned for late 2026. Sierra Space has recently expanded into defence markets, securing contracts to build missile-tracking satellites for the Space Development Agency. The funding will support the company's national security space efforts and manufacturing expansion in Colorado. The round follows the recent appointment of Dan Jablonsky as chief executive officer.