Director of Contracts

Overview

We are seeking an experienced Director of Contracts to provide strategic leadership and oversight of the contracts function, ensuring efficient execution, regulatory compliance, effective risk management, and successful administration of federal government contracts throughout the contract lifecycle. The Director of Contracts will partner closely with executive leadership, business development, finance, program management, legal, security, IT, and operations to support organizational growth while protecting the company's interests. This is a working leader position that combines strategic leadership with hands-on contract management. The successful candidate will directly supervise contracts personnel while also serving as an individual contributor responsible for complex contract activities, negotiations, mentoring, workload coordination, and process oversight.

Education & Experience

• Bachelor's degree required
• 12-15+ years of federal government contracts experience
• 5+ years of experience leading contracts professionals
• Extensive experience with FAR and DFARS
• Experience with FFP, CPFF, T&M, IDIQ, and OTA contracts
• Experience administering complex government contracts, grants, cooperative agreements, CRADAs, commercial agreements, and subcontracts
• Experience negotiating with U.S. Government contracting officers, prime contractors, and subcontractors
• Experience supporting federal acquisition and proposal activities
• Experience with Deltek Costpoint is preferred
• Experience supporting Research and Development (R&D) contracts is preferred
• Experience working with nonprofit organizations is preferred
• Candidates with a JD/attorney background and contract management experience are highly preferred
• MBA, JD, or Master's degree in Business or a related field is preferred
• NCMA certification such as CPCM, CFCM, or CCCM is preferred
• Must be a U.S. Citizen capable of obtaining and maintaining a TS Clearance

Skills & Knowledge

• In-depth knowledge of FAR, DFARS, and applicable agency supplements
• Strong knowledge of 2 CFR 200, including Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards
• Strong understanding of federal contract administration and compliance requirements
• Contract negotiation and risk management expertise
• Strong leadership, mentoring, and personnel management skills
• Ability to interpret complex contractual terms and advise executive leadership
• Strong procurement and purchasing knowledge
• Ability to develop and implement contracting policies, SOPs, templates, and workflows
• Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills
• Experience developing KPIs, dashboards, reporting, and contract analytics
• Ability to identify opportunities for automation and process improvement
• Experience with contract lifecycle management systems and procurement technology
• Strong written and verbal communication skills

Responsibilities

• Leadership & Team Development: Lead and oversee the Contracts function while serving as the company's designated contractual authority as assigned. Provide day-to-day leadership and technical direction to contracts personnel. Assign workloads, establish priorities, and ensure effective task management. Mentor and develop staff through coaching and cross-training. Conduct peer reviews and quality assurance reviews. Assist with recruiting, onboarding, performance management, and succession planning. Exercise delegated signature and contractual authority in accordance with the company's authorization matrix.
• Contract Administration & Management: Lead the full lifecycle administration of prime contracts, subcontracts, teaming agreements, NDAs, and other agreements. Administer complex government contracts, grants, cooperative agreements, OTAs, CRADAs, commercial agreements, and subcontracts. Independently negotiate contract terms and conditions with government customers, prime contractors, and subcontractors. Interpret FAR, DFARS, agency supplements, and applicable financial assistance regulations. Advise executive leadership and Program Managers regarding contractual obligations, risks, and opportunities. Resolve complex contractual issues while balancing business objectives and compliance requirements. Lead contract kickoff meetings and support contract closeout activities. Oversee funding versus ceiling controls, contract modifications, closeouts, and subcontract flow-down requirements. Identify contractual, financial, schedule, and compliance risks and develop appropriate mitigation strategies.
• Procurement & Process Improvement: Lead purchasing and procurement operations in accordance with company policies, authorization requirements, and applicable regulations. Review and approve purchase requisitions, purchase orders, justifications, price analyses, and procurement documentation. Ensure procurement files are complete, accurate, and audit-ready. Develop and maintain procurement policies, SOPs, templates, and standard work instructions. Monitor purchasing workload, cycle times, and customer service metrics. Resolve procurement issues and provide guidance to budget owners, project teams, and purchasing staff. Lead supplier management activities and coordinate resolution of procurement issues. Identify opportunities to streamline procurement through automation, workflow improvements, and system enhancements. Develop and maintain dashboards, KPIs, reporting, and procurement analytics. Serve as the functional owner for purchasing processes within Deltek Costpoint and related procurement systems.
• Pre-Award & Proposal Support: Lead contractual strategy for proposals and capture efforts. Review solicitations and identify contractual risks. Support proposal development and pricing strategy. Negotiate teaming agreements, NDAs, consulting agreements, MOUs, and subcontracts. Review customer terms and conditions and develop appropriate negotiation positions. Support RFPs, OTAs, BAAs, CSOs, and other federal acquisition methods.
• Compliance & Strategic Initiatives: Develop and maintain contracting policies, SOPs, templates, and training programs. Lead internal compliance initiatives and contract file audits. Support DCMA, DCAA, CPSR, CMMC, customer, and internal audits. Develop metrics and dashboards to improve contracting performance. Support M&A due diligence and executive Contract Review Boards. Evaluate and implement automation and AI-enabled tools to improve contract lifecycle management while maintaining appropriate oversight and compliance. Support implementation and optimization of contract lifecycle management systems. Collaborate on enterprise-wide business process improvements. Participate in strategic initiatives supporting organizational growth.
• Compliance & Audit Expectations: Ensure compliance with FAR, DFARS, CAS, ITAR/EAR, OCI, subcontracting requirements, and applicable federal regulations. Maintain contract files and procurement documentation in an audit-ready condition. Support DCAA, DCMA, CPSR, CMMC, customer, and internal audits. Maintain strong compliance practices with the objective of successfully completing required audits without major findings.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree in Business or a related field
• JD/Attorney background combined with contract management experience
• MBA
• NCMA CPCM, CFCM, or CCCM certification
• Deltek Costpoint experience
• Federal R&D contract experience
• Nonprofit organization experience
• Experience with contract lifecycle management systems
• Experience supporting government research, technology, or innovation programs

Work Environment

• Primarily office-based professional environment
• Regular use of computers, contract management systems, and other business software
• Frequent communication through in-person meetings, telephone, and video conferencing
• May require occasional standing, walking, bending, kneeling, or reaching
• May occasionally require lifting or moving equipment weighing approximately 10-20 lbs
• Extended periods of sitting and computer-based work may be required

Ideal Candidate

The ideal candidate is a senior federal contracts professional and hands-on leader with 12-15+ years of government contracting experience and at least 5 years of leadership experience. The strongest candidate will have deep FAR/DFARS expertise, experience managing complex federal contract vehicles, strong negotiation capabilities, and a proven ability to lead contracts teams while remaining actively involved in day-to-day contract administration. Candidates with Deltek Costpoint, R&D contract, DCAA/DCMA audit, OTA, IDIQ, and federal proposal/capture experience will be particularly well suited for this opportunity.