Shalay Ackerman

About Shalay Ackerman

Who am I? If I had to describe myself in one word, it would be tenacious. I\'ve been knocked down more times than I care to admit, but I always pick myself up and continue on. I strive to continually improve myself and to learn new skills. I have many personal goals centered around growth including: getting to the novice level in Italian (and move up from there), reading at least 2 books a month for pleasure and 2 books for personal growth/work, working daily on my hobbies, etc. I am the person who makes weekly trackers for progress on their goals. My personal goals for the year are made at top level and then I create a work breakdown structure for the tasks to complete these goals. I make prioritized to-do lists to stay on top of my work and personal life. I strive to be productive (not busy) and find that structure helps me with meeting deadlines and accomplishing tasks. Who am I? I am a lifelong learner. I love to learn, travel, and research. If I am not sure how to do something, I will do whatever it takes to figure it out. I went back to school when I was older. I earned a B.S. in International Business Economics, where I had the opportunity to live in Marseilles, France, and be a leader on campus. I also earned an MBA with a focus on negotiation, project management, and consulting. I finished at the top 10% of my class. Beyond this, who am I? I live by the mantra,\"Only a life lived for others is a life worthwhile.\"- Albert Einstein. When it comes to my leadership style, I do my best to support my people and help them to grow. I genuinely believe in people; I am slow to judge and seek to understand. However, throughout my struggles, I have gained confidence in myself and my abilities, so I do not let others push me around. Throughout my career, I\'ve worn many hats. I spent over 10 years in sales and customer service. I worked in property management for over 5 years-managing apartments, townhomes, and single family properties. I\'ve handled lease-ups as well as maintaining high occupancies at established properties. I\'ve worked in Business Development at Weber State University. I am currently working as an event manager for large local events including NYE balls, weddings, dinner theater shows, etc. I am also working as a Contract Specialist at Hill Air Force Base. While there, I have completed my contracting certifications. Emotional intelligence, strategy, leadership, and project management are my strengths. I am looking for new opportunities to grow my skillset and utilize my current skillset to move into a leadership position.

Experience

1. Sr Contract Specialist

   L3Harris Technologies

   May 2025 — Present

   As a Senior Specialist in Contracts at L3Harris, I support complex government and commercial programs by managing the full contract lifecycle—from proposal through closeout—while protecting company interests and enabling program success.Key Contributions & Responsibilities: • Support $200M+ portfolio of active contracts (FFP, T&M, CPFF, CPIF,etc.) across 40+ programs. • Lead administration of complex government and commercial contracts, including review, negotiation, execution, compliance, and closeout. • Serve as a strategic partner to program management, finance, supply chain, and legal teams to ensure contractual alignment with technical, cost, and schedule objectives. • Analyze RFPs, terms and conditions, and customer requirements to identify risk, ensure compliance, and support competitive, compliant proposals. • Negotiate contract terms, modifications, and change orders with customers and partners, balancing risk mitigation with business growth objectives. • Manage contract performance, including monitoring deliverables, funding, invoicing milestones, and contractual obligations. • Interpret and apply FAR/DFARS and internal policies to maintain compliance and audit readiness. • Develop and maintain clear documentation, contract files, and management reports to support leadership decision-making. • Proactively identify contractual risks and opportunities, advising leadership on strategies that protect margin, schedule, and long-term relationships

Education

• Weber State University

  Master of Business Administration - MBA, Business Administration and Management, General

• Weber State University

  Associate's degree, Business and Economics

  2016 — 2018

• Praedo Institute

  Real Estate License

• Weber State University

  Bachelor's degree, Major: International Business Economics

  2016 — 2020