Compliance Specialist III

Job Title: Compliance Specialist III Job Description
The Compliance Specialist III focuses on government contract and procurement compliance, ensuring that procurement activities align with applicable regulations, contractual requirements, and internal policies. Working under general direction, this role analyzes procurement data and complex compliance situations, identifies trends and risks, and recommends practical solutions and process improvements. The specialist participates in the development, implementation, and auditing of procurement policies and procedures, and serves as a key point of contact for internal stakeholders, external customers, and audit agencies. This position also provides guidance and training to less-experienced employees, translating government contracting and procurement requirements into clear, practical guidance for the organization.
Responsibilities
- Analyze procurement data and complex compliance situations to assess adherence to regulatory, contractual, and internal requirements.
- Evaluate procurement activities, policies, procedures, and documentation for compliance and identify gaps, risks, and trends.
- Develop and recommend practical corrective actions and process improvements to address compliance issues and enhance procurement practices.
- Participate in the development, implementation, and auditing of procurement policies, procedures, and internal controls.
- Perform or support procurement file reviews, compliance reviews, and internal or external audits, including government purchasing-system reviews.
- Conduct regulatory research and interpret government procurement regulations, including their impact on purchasing and procurement decisions.
- Apply knowledge of price analysis and cost analysis to assess pricing and cost proposals, and distinguish between the two approaches in practice.
- Support or contribute to CPSR-related activities and interactions with oversight agencies, as applicable.
- Collaborate with procurement, purchasing, subcontract administration, international trade, program management, engineering, and other stakeholders to ensure compliant procurement practices.
- Prepare and deliver clear presentations, reports, and communications that explain regulatory requirements, compliance expectations, and audit findings to stakeholders without compliance expertise.
- Provide guidance, coaching, and training to less-experienced employees on government procurement requirements, policies, and best practices.
- Contribute to the design and delivery of procurement compliance training, internal guidance, and reference materials.
- Identify root causes of compliance issues and recommend sustainable corrective actions rather than temporary fixes.
- Support continuous improvement of procurement compliance processes, tools, and documentation under evolving leadership and changing requirements.
- Organize and coordinate assignments to meet established milestones and deadlines in a fast-paced, highly regulated environment.
- Exercise strong professionalism, discretion, and judgment when handling sensitive information, audits, and stakeholder interactions.
- Work independently on assigned tasks while recognizing when to escalate issues or seek guidance.
- Engage actively in a small, collaborative compliance team environment that emphasizes knowledge-sharing, mentorship, and professional development.
Essential Skills
- Bachelors degree in a related discipline or equivalent professional experience.
- Approximately 6+ years of progressive professional experience in contracting, procurement, purchasing, subcontract administration, procurement auditing, or procurement compliance.
- Strong working understanding of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) and related government procurement requirements, and the ability to apply them to procurement activities.
- Solid understanding of government procurement and purchasing processes, including the procurement lifecycle and government-specific documentation and compliance requirements.
- Experience evaluating procurement documentation, activities, policies, and procedures for compliance with regulatory, contractual, and company requirements.
- Knowledge of price analysis and cost analysis, including a clear understanding of the distinction between price and cost analysis and how each is used in government procurement.
- Experience analyzing procurement documentation and identifying potential compliance gaps or risks.
- Internal or external audit experience, or procurement compliance-review experience, with the ability to support or lead file reviews and compliance assessments.
- Ability to interpret regulations and translate complex requirements into practical guidance for procurement and business stakeholders.
- Ability to identify root causes of issues and recommend sustainable corrective actions and process improvements.
- Experience contributing to policies, procedures, training materials, and process improvement initiatives.
- Strong analytical skills with the ability to assess complex problems and recommend appropriate actions.
- Strong presentation, written communication, and verbal communication skills, including the ability to communicate with stakeholders who may not have compliance expertise.
- Demonstrated professionalism, discretion, and sound judgment in a highly regulated environment.
- Ability to work independently while recognizing when issues require escalation or collaboration.
- Comfort providing guidance or training to less-experienced employees and supporting their development.
- Ability to organize and coordinate assignments effectively to meet milestones and deadlines.
- U.S. citizenship.
Additional Skills & Qualifications
- Knowledge of additional regulations and requirements such as Cost Accounting Standards (CAS), Department of Energy Acquisition Regulation (DEAR), International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), and Export Administration Regulations (EAR).
- Experience in subcontract administration, government purchasing, or procurement auditing as a strong transferable background for this role.
- Exposure to Contractor Purchasing System Reviews (CPSR) and oversight agencies such as the Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA) is highly desirable.
- Experience with audit compliance, procurement file review, and government purchasing-system reviews.
- Familiarity with cost analysis concepts and their application in government contracting environments.
- Experience working in defense, aerospace, or other highly regulated industries.
- Comfort working in an evolving compliance environment where procedures, processes, and practices are subject to improvement and change.
- Interest in developing deeper expertise in FAR, government procurement, compliance, audits, and price/cost analysis.
- Desire to grow into a senior technical subject-matter expert or pursue future leadership opportunities.
- Strong interpersonal skills and a collaborative mindset suited to a small, close-knit team.
- Motivation to contribute to a culture of continuous learning, mentorship, and professional development.
Work Environment
This role operates within a government contracting and procurement compliance environment supporting a defense and aerospace-focused organization. The position is primarily on-site in Poway, California, with a current practice of one work-from-home day per week, coordinated around team coverage and aligned with company policies. The role follows a 9/80 work schedule, providing every other Friday off to support work-life flexibility. You will work as part of a small, collaborative compliance team that emphasizes coaching, mentorship, and knowledge-sharing across experience levels. Daily work includes a mix of procurement file review, regulatory research, data analysis, audit and compliance activities, reporting, stakeholder consultation, and process improvement initiatives. You will interact regularly with procurement, purchasing, subcontract administration, international trade, program management, engineering, and other business stakeholders in a cross-functional setting. The environment is highly regulated and demands professionalism, sound judgment, attention to detail, and discretion when handling sensitive information and compliance matters. Procedures and compliance practices are actively evolving under new leadership, so you should be comfortable working in a changing environment and contributing to the ongoing improvement of processes, policies, and internal guidance.
Job Type & Location
This is a Permanent position based out of Poway, CA.
Pay and Benefits
The pay range for this position is $76000.00 - $127750.00/yr. Individual compensation offered for this position within this range will depend on many factors, including qualifications, skills, relevant experience, job knowledge, geographic location, internal equity, and other pertinent job-related factors. Broad business exposure
The compliance team interacts with procurement as well as areas such as subcontract administration, international trade, program management, and engineering. This gives employees visibility into how government contracting requirements affect the broader business.
Opportunity to influence change
The function is evolving under new leadership. New team members will have opportunities to contribute to policies, procedures, training, process improvements, and compliance practices rather than simply maintaining existing processes.
Professional development
The team supports continued learning around government contracting regulations and gives employees opportunities to develop toward deeper technical expertise or future leadership responsibilities.
Collaborative leadership environment
Stephen described a management approach centered on coaching, knowledge sharing, employee development, and giving experienced professionals room to operate without unnecessary micromanagement.
Career progression
Someone coming from purchasing, subcontract administration, or procurement auditing can use this position to develop broader FAR/DFARS and government compliance expertise.
Schedule
The team operates on a 9/80 schedule with alternating Fridays off. The intake also described current limited work-from-home flexibility, although I would verify the final policy before advertising that externally.
Job Type & Location
This is a Permanent position based out of Poway, CA.
Application Deadline
This position is anticipated to close on Oct 31, 2026.
Workplace Type
This is a hybrid position in Poway,CA.

About Aston Carter

Aston Carter provides world-class corporate talent solutions to thousands of clients across the globe. Specialized in accounting, finance, human resources, talent acquisition, procurement, supply chain and select administrative professions, we extend the capabilities of industry-leading companies. We draw on our deep recruiting expertise and expansive network to meet the evolving needs of our clients and talent community with agility and excellence. With offices across the U.S., Canada, Asia Pacific and Europe, Aston Carter serves many of the Fortune 500. We are proud to be a ClearlyRated Best of Staffing® Platinum Award winner for both client and talent service.

The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without regard to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected by law.

If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation, such as the modification or adjustment of the job application process or interviewing process due to a disability, please email [email protected] for other accommodation options.

San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance: Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, for all positions located in the city and county of San Francisco, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Massachusetts Lie Detector: It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI): We may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support parts of our hiring process, including sourcing, screening, and evaluating candidates. AI helps assess applications and qualifications, but final decisions are made by our hiring team. By applying, you acknowledge and agree that your application may be reviewed using AI tools.