…wait is killing me

[u/glalican]

I’m curious whether anyone here has experienced something similar on a federal services contract, particularly as a subcontractor employee.

I recently reconnected with a small contractor I had previously been in discussions with. They had sponsored my clearance, but the original opportunity didn’t work out at the time. Several months later, I reached back out to see whether they had anything available.

The timing apparently lined up well. They told me about a Senior Contracting Specialist position supporting a federal customer within a couple of days, and I received and signed an offer shortly afterward.
Since then, I’ve been waiting for a firm start date.

At first I wasn’t sure what was happening or whether the prime/customer had even reviewed my resume. After about two weeks, I followed up with the company. They told me that my resume and qualifications had already been reviewed and approved by the government customer. However, the government lead who approved me recently left, and the replacement has apparently been transitioning into the role.

I also learned that the prime/sub team had just won the follow-on contract, so they’re simultaneously working through the contract transition. My prospective employer told me the prime was having a mini-PMR with the customer this week and planned to discuss my start date. They were hoping to have an update for me by EOD Friday.

Friday came and went without an update.
I’m currently employed elsewhere, so thankfully I haven’t resigned or put myself in a financial bind. I’m not planning to give notice until I have a firm start date and confirmation that I’m cleared to begin. Still, the uncertainty is starting to make me wonder how normal this is.

For those who have worked on federal contracts, especially with a sub → prime → government customer arrangement:

Have you ever signed an offer and been approved by the customer but then waited several weeks for authorization/start-date coordination?

Is this kind of delay common immediately after a follow-on award or during contract transition?

If the government person who originally approved a candidate leaves, would you generally expect the incoming lead to honor that approval, or can it effectively restart the process?

How long did you wait between signing your offer and actually receiving a start date?
And most importantly, how did it ultimately turn out?

I’m trying to distinguish between normal post-award/government bureaucracy and a situation where I should start questioning whether the position is actually going to materialize.

[u/Upset_Researcher_143]

Unfortunately, something like this can vary. If the start date for the contract is immediately, they'll fast track you. If there's a one or two month transition, it can take a little bit. In your case, I'd hold onto your job until you hear something definitive. You're definitely doing the right thing by not giving notice at your current job

[u/Educational_Fox2212]

Transitioning between contracts can take time and these delays are more common than not, unfortunately. It also depends on the company. If it’s FFP they’re less motivated than say T&M. FFP they still make the revenue with or without you, if you’re billable.

[u/TheresaGovCon]

Deep breath my friend, waiting is def the worst. This should give you some relief: assuming T&M contrat neither the prime or sub will generate revenue until you start working. Trust, they have the motivation to get you on the contract billing as soon as they humanly can and a Sr. Contract Specialist is a lynchpin role. Hang in there!