Director, Grants & Contracts

Urban Institute; Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 116,302 - 207,050; Full time

Job summary

Urban Institute seeks a Director to lead its Prime Awards team within the Grants and Contracts Department. You will guide pre-award and post-award activities, negotiate with funders, and ensure regulatory compliance across a diverse portfolio including federal, state, local, and private funders.

Ideal candidates bring 10+ years in grants management, strong leadership, and a proven ability to drive policy and process improvements in a nonprofit research setting.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required; Master’s degree, MBA, JD, or other advanced degree preferred.
• 10+ years progressively responsible experience in grants and contracts administration.
• Extensive knowledge of federal, state, local, and private funding regulations including FAR and Uniform Guidance.
• Experience negotiating and administering a diverse portfolio of grants and contracts.
• Strong leadership, change management, and stakeholder advisory skills.

Responsibilities

• Oversee the full lifecycle of grants and contracts administration from opportunity identification to closeout.
• Lead the Prime Awards team (5+ staff) and align with senior leaders across GC and research divisions.
• Develop and implement contracting strategies, risk assessments, and compliance processes.
• Collaborate with Subawards, Purchasing, and Budget Review teams for integrated service delivery.
• Drive continuous improvement and modernization of GC processes and tools.

Skills

Leadership

Grants & contracts

Negotiation

Risk management

Regulatory compliance

Cross-functional collaboration

Strategic thinking

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Master’s degree preferred

MBA/JD or advanced degree preferred

Tools

Grants management systems

CRM platforms

Microsoft Office

Job description

About Urban Institute:

The Urban Institute is a research-to-impact institution founded on one simple idea: To improve lives and strengthen communities, we need practices and policies that work. From advancing well-being to fostering shared prosperity, leaders across sectors are working every day to create brighter futures for all people and communities. For more than 50 years, Urban has delivered evidence and solutions that drive meaningful change, and this remains our charge today.

Our Mission

To drive impact by equipping changemakers with evidence and solutions.

Our Values

Collaboration, Fairness Inclusivity, Independence, and Integrity.

For more information on the Urban Institute, please visit https://www.urban.org.

The Opportunity:

The Urban Institute’s Grants and Contracts (GC) Department seeks an experienced Director to lead the Prime Awards team and oversee the management of all incoming funder awards. This position offers an exciting opportunity for a strategic and innovative leader with deep expertise in contract negotiation, risk management, business partnership, contracting strategy, and regulatory compliance. The ideal candidate will bring a solutions-oriented mindset and a demonstrated ability to develop practical, compliant approaches to complex challenges while helping the Institution adapt to an evolving funding, regulatory, and technology landscape.

This role is not simply focused on maintaining existing processes; it is an opportunity to help shape the future of operations for the Prime Awards team at Urban. The Director will drive organizational change, modernize practices, identify opportunities for continuous improvement, and develop new approaches that support the Institution’s long-term success. As research funding, regulatory requirements, and technologies—including AI—continue to evolve, the Director will play a key role in positioning the Prime Awards team to meet emerging challenges and opportunities.

Serving as a strategic partner to research divisions and operational departments, the Director translates Institutional priorities into effective grants and contracts strategies that support growth, innovation, and compliant project delivery. The Director provides risk-informed guidance that balances opportunity and compliance, enabling sound decision-making across a complex funding environment, and promotes a collaborative, advisory, and customer-focused approach to partnership across the organization.

The Director oversees the full lifecycle of grants and contracts administration—from opportunity identification and proposal development through award negotiation, implementation, and closeout—while driving process improvements that enhance efficiency, consistency, and mission delivery. The portfolio includes a diverse range of funders and award types, including federal, state, and local governments, foundations, and private-sector entities.

Working closely with senior leadership, the Director advances institutional priorities and collaborates with other GC teams, including Subawards, Purchasing, and Pricing/Budget Review, to ensure integrated and consistent service delivery. The Director leads a team of at least five staff members, providing strategic vision, guiding complex cross-functional decisions, and ensuring the high-quality execution of pre-award and post-award activities. As a hands‑on leader, the Director sets clear priorities, fosters a high‑performing and collaborative team culture, and strengthens GC’s role as a trusted enterprise‑wide partner.

Responsibilities include:

• Ensure all proposals and signed agreements are consistent with Urban’s funding principles, practices and rules of engagement, as well as compliant with funder regulations.
• Actively oversee the GC Prime Awards team participation in the proposal process by reviewing requests for proposals, providing risk assessments and translating proposal requirements into sound contracting strategies and advice.
• Facilitate solutions that balance compliance with business needs to contract and grant negotiations, requests for information, proposal processes, teaming arrangements, uniform guidance and FAR interpretations, disputes, and special circumstances.
• Work closely with GC Subaward, GC Purchasing and GC Pricing/Budget Review team leaders to facilitate internal GC department partnership, collaboration and integration.
• Strengthen internal coordination and handoffs between operational departments across the award lifecycle to improve efficiency, reduce silos, and enhance overall service delivery.
• Serve as main point of contact and trusted partner to other GC team leaders, operational department leaders and research division leaders concerning specific grant/contract questions, issues, and risk mitigation strategies related to prime awards.
• Collaborate with Urban’s research divisions and operational departments to build internal infrastructure, process and culture that ensures GC is proactively engaged early in the business development cycle to shape successful outcomes and reduce last-minute risk.
• Foster a culture of continuous improvement and collaboration, ensuring team members are equipped to manage complex grants/contracts and adapt to evolving federal, state and local and foundation funder requirements.
• Engage agency contracting, grant-making and procurement executive counterparts to develop and cultivate relationships.
• Develop and implement strategies for staff growth and professional development, including succession planning, mentoring, and training programs to build a high-performing grants and contracts team.
• Proactively manage deadlines and fairly allocate workload across the Prime Awards team.
• Ensure appropriate coverage in times of staffing shortages and assess ongoing staff capacity needs.
• Provide tailored training to new and existing GC team members, as well as Urban research and management/operational staff, regarding grants/contracts management and compliance.
• Perform quality assurance reviews and verify accuracy of work products for the GC Prime Awards team.
• Engage with new and existing business intelligence and enterprise-wide systems and tools to understand Urban’s current funding pipeline, business model and GC’s role in sustaining and growing Urban’s work.

Leadership Requirements

• Demonstrated success leading teams and delivering organizational priorities in complex, fast-changing environments.
• Proven ability to drive organizational change, improve business processes, and develop innovative, compliant solutions.
• Strong people leadership experience, including setting direction, developing talent, fostering accountability, and building high-performing teams.
• Ability to serve as a trusted advisor, providing risk-informed guidance that supports sound decision-making and institutional objectives.
• Experience establishing enterprise-wide service standards and driving consistent, customer-focused service delivery.
• Demonstrated use of performance metrics and data to improve team effectiveness, operational efficiency, and outcomes.
• Proven ability to build strong cross-functional partnerships and lead through regulatory, funding, and technology changes.

What you’ll bring:

The successful candidate will have:

• Bachelor’s degree required; Master’s degree, MBA, JD, or other advanced degree preferred.
• Minimum of 10+ years of progressively responsible experience in grants and contracts administration, including experience in a leadership role overseeing pre-award and post-award functions.
• Extensive knowledge of federal, state, local, and private funding regulations and requirements, including the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), Uniform Guidance, contract compliance, risk management, and audit requirements.
• Demonstrated experience negotiating and administering a diverse portfolio of grants, cooperative agreements, contracts, and other funding instruments across government, foundation, university, and private-sector funders.
• Proven ability to lead complex negotiations, assess and mitigate risk, and develop compliant solutions that support organizational and business objectives.
• Experience overseeing the full award lifecycle, including opportunity assessment, proposal development, budgeting and pricing, negotiation, award administration, modifications, compliance monitoring, and closeout.
• Demonstrated success developing and implementing policies, standard operating procedures, service standards, and process improvements that enhance operational effectiveness, consistency, and customer service.
• Strong strategic planning, problem-solving, and change management skills, with the ability to lead teams through evolving funding, regulatory, and technology environments.
• Experience building collaborative partnerships and effectively advising senior leaders and stakeholders on grants and contracts strategy, risk, and compliance matters.
• Ability to interpret and review complex budgets, pricing proposals, financial analyses, and cost applications.
• Strong analytical, organizational, and project management skills, with the ability to manage competing priorities and deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Proficiency with grants and contracts management systems, customer relationship management (CRM) platforms, workflow tools, and Microsoft Office applications.
• Professional certification in contract management, grants management, research administration, or a related field (e.g., CPCM, CFCM, CGMS, CRA, or CFRA) preferred.
• Experience working in a nonprofit research organization, higher education institution, think tank, or other mission-driven organization preferred.

What You’ll Experience:

No matter your role with Urban, you will contribute to meaningful work that makes a difference for people and communities across the country. We are committed to working in a manner defined by our mission and values.

Urban’s greatest asset is our people.

The target salary range for this position is $116,302 - mid $161,600 - $207,050. Salary offered is commensurate with experience and considers internal comparisons. Salaries are just one component of Urban Institute’s total compensation package. Urban is committed to supporting our staff’s physical, emotional, and financial well-being through a robust benefits package for yourself, eligible dependents, and domestic partners. It includes generous paid time off, including nine federal holidays, medical (including prescription), dental and vision insurance, and transit benefits. Urban is unique in that we offer 403(b) retirement plan participation immediately after you’re hired and a generous employer contribution after six months of service and 500 hours, with immediate vesting. You’ll also have access to a health advocate, personal finance coaching, an Employee Assistance Program, and educational assistance for undergraduate and graduate degree programs.

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of the work being performed by the people assigned. This posting is not an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities, and requirements. Urban management reserves the right to amend and change duties, responsibilities, and requirements to meet business and organizational needs as necessary.

The Urban Institute is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified candidates will receive consideration without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, gender or gender identity, age, marital status, personal appearance, sexual orientation, veteran status, pregnancy or family responsibilities, matriculation, disability, political affiliation, or any other protected status under applicable law.

We are committed to equal employment opportunity and providing reasonable accommodations to applicants with physical and/or mental disabilities. If you have a physical and/or mental disability and are interested in applying for employment and need special accommodations to use our website to apply for a position, please contact Human Resources at [e-mail]. Reasonable accommodation requests are considered on a case-by-case basis.