Director of Contracts
Arlington, VA
Altarum Institute – Leadership Team /
Full-time /
Hybrid
Altarum is seeking a Director of Contracts. This managerial position will be responsible for leading our contracts team and supporting project portfolios and related new business activities, as well as expense contracts for support services. The incumbent will serve as contracts advisor to the Senior Management Group and Project Management Teams. The Director will report and act as a trusted advisor to the Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer.
The Director will oversee the contracting operations activities supporting all legal entities of the Altarum Enterprise. The incumbent will support achievement of the financial goals of corporate management and the operating units and serve as primary interface of the Department with operating unit directors to ensure collaboration and effective contract support is established and maintained. This role is the interface for the Department with the General Counsel to ensure cross-function collaboration.
The Director is accountable for overseeing the successful execution of all activities with the Department, including day-to-day administrative and management functions. Delivering through a customer-focused, Shared Services model, the Director will be responsible for driving the performance of the Department by proactively managing the operations of the team through use of automation and best practices.
Compliance and Contract Management
- Ensure that contracts, grants, and proposals are designed and administered in compliance with regulatory, statutory, and legal requirements.
- Lead a contracts team responsible for supporting the assigned portfolios by providing expert guidance and advice regarding business management, contracts, subcontracts, and grant issues.
- Ensure expense contracts for support services are reviewed and evaluated for risk and properly onboarded with accounting and the support service area.
- Maintain contracting metrics in a timely, accurate, and complete manner.
- Maintain an overview of contract statuses and issues, to proactively communicate progress, risks, issues, or changes that may impact quality, timelines and/or budget.
- Build robust operational and quality control reporting and metrics to drive continuous improvement in contract terms. Coordinate with General Counsel on standard contract templates.
- Operationalize tools and processes to enable standardization, risk calibration, and playbooks for extensive contract creation/execution.
- Ensure signature policy and financial approval thresholds are governed with 100 percent compliance.
- Automate contract workflows of contract term dates, renewals, and milestones, focus on immediate and short-term (< 2 year) strategic planning horizon.
- Other duties may be assigned to meet business needs.
Internal and External Relations
- Conduct complex client, subcontractor, and grantee negotiations, including negotiation of extraordinary or unusual terms and conditions.
- Responsible for timely resolution of internal and external issues/problems related to contract administration.
- Serve as primary point of contact and official representative to clients on contractual matters.
- Support new business activities including overseeing completion of teaming agreement, NDAs, compliant business proposals, and timely submission of bids.
- Oversee proper onboarding at project start-up conducting a thorough review of the contract, explain terms and conditions to project delivery teams and ensure proper onboarding of terms in to financial and contractual systems.
- Oversee subcontractor and vendor management. Manage small business subcontracting plans and goals.
- Ensure expense contracts for support services are reviewed and evaluated for risk and properly onboarded with accounting and the support service area.
- Maintain contracting metrics in a timely, accurate, and complete manner.
- Maintain an overview of contract statuses and issues, to proactively communicate progress, risks, issues, or changes that may impact quality, timelines and/or budget.
- Build robust operational and quality control reporting and metrics to drive continuous improvement in contract terms. Coordinate with General Counsel on standard contract templates.
- Operationalize tools and processes to enable standardization, risk calibration, and playbooks for extensive contract creation/execution.
- Ensure signature policy and financial approval thresholds are governed with 100 percent compliance.
- Automate contract workflows of contract term dates, renewals, and milestones, focus on immediate and short-term (< 2 year) strategic planning horizon.
- Other duties may be assigned to meet business needs.
Team Leadership and Development
- Provide quality and timely support in all areas outlined in principal accountabilities and job responsibilities.
- Provide work direction to Department staff.
- Delegate authority and responsibilities as required to ensure quality of execution.
- Guide the staff with respect to current responsibilities and assignments, as well as career progression and growth paths.
- Continuously assess workload of the staff and identify hiring requirements or realignments necessary to maintain high quality and timely support.
- Supervise, train and mentor junior and mid-level contract professionals, as well as senior personnel, to become SMEs.
Education/Experience
- Bachelor’s degree in business administration or a related discipline. MBA or JD a plus.
- At least 10 years of Federal government contracting experience including responsibility for negotiating and managing contracts (cradle to grave).
- Minimum 8 years’ experience in personnel management, oversight, and evaluation.
- In-depth understanding and proven experience with US Government clients.
- Experience in non-profit environment a plus.
Qualifications
- Strong understanding of Federal procurement regulations and practices (FAR).
- Knowledge of (or ability to quickly learn) state procurement regulations and contract vehicles (and pursuit of same).
- Extensive knowledge in the following areas: new business development / risk mitigation analysis, cost type contracts, FFP, T&M, performance-based contracting, multiple award schedules, grants, government regulation as well as State and commercial practices, cost accounting standards, disclosure statements, forward pricing agreements, estimating systems.
- Strong problem-solving skills, ability to find creative solutions, and talent for motivating others.
- Experience managing a team responsible for overseeing complex project portfolios.
- High degree of professionalism, initiative, and flexibility.
- Ability to work independently or collaboratively, as appropriate for a given task.
- Courteous and culturally sensitive in all dealings; able to adapt communication style, delivery, and content to any audience.
- Embraces change and welcomes fresh perspectives; exhibits mature change management skills.
- Successful in deploying and managing Department processes and systems, including contract management, project management, and records management, and driving efficiency, collaboration, scalable support for the business.
- Willingness and ability to travel on occasion to other Altarum (or perhaps client/contract office) locations.
