Smart to be hesitant? Am I crazy? What would you do if you were me? Job offer from subcontractor
Hi all, full-stack software engineer (angular, java) here with 11 years in the industry, though some of that was non-dev work, 6 years backend, and 1.5 years front end.
I have a job offer (senior dev, non-lead) from a small business working on a giant contract with Customs and Border Protection. The company offering me the job is a subcontractor. I've interviewed with them and the prime contractor. The prime liked me and is all good for me to be brought on. From everything I've researched, the contract had an initial one year base period and 4 option years, which have already passed. Then there was a 2 year extension after that, and that extension consisted of a single base year and one option year. That second option year ends on September 29, 2026.
The job I'm being offered requires a background check. The job offer is contingent upon me passing that background check and the start date wouldn't be until after the interim clearance is received from Customs and Border Protection.
If I were to accept the job today, the background check would probably be complete and I would be able to start in early-mid August. Because this is such a large contract, it's impossible for the government to go through the entire re-compete and process to award the follow-on contract by September 29th. Thus, another extension of some sort is 99% likely to happen, however the exact type and length of extension is anyone's guess as far as I'm concerned, and we all know how unpredictable the government contracting world is.
Background context: I love my current company (it's a large gov't contractor). I enjoy my current job enough, however there's a 50/50 chance I'll be searching for another job internally in November anyway, due to the team shrinking after go-live. I'm making 98k in a medium COL area.
The offer is a 44k raise.....I know (and have known for a while) that I've been underpaid, and I've stayed because money isn't everything and it's literally my only complaint about my current company, however there's a point right? 44k is hard to ignore.
But I have a really hard time with the idea of joining a contract when its Period of Performance would be ending in 60ish days. The small business and their independent recruiter are of course re-assuring me that there will be an extension, which I am confident of, however for all I know it could end up being a 3-month bridge contract with just enough funding to keep important production apps running and all new development is paused and the subcontractor doesn't get funding. Or it could also be a fully funded one year extension and all would be great for me. I just don't have the insight to be able to place likelihoods on either situation or anything in-between.
What would you do here? It's been a week and I'm being asked for an answer preferably by Monday, apparently the prime is asking for an update.
My current plan is to propose a Conditional Employment Start Agreement, where I go through the background check and everything, however we agree that I don't start until
a. the government contract extension is official, AND
b. a contract between the prime and "my" sub is official, AND
c. I've been provided written notice/confirmation that the above conditions have been satisfied.
I don't anticipate them liking that, but I feel like just going forward as they'd like is an unnecessarily risky move that could work out great, or could leave me looking for a new job in 3 months (which...en esta economía?!). So to repeat, what do you think you would do in my situation?
Also, I'm not crazy for being extremely hesitant here, right!?