Director of Contracting

Texas A&M University System; College Station (TX); On-site; USD 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Texas A&M University System is seeking a Director of Contracting for INSPIRE Alliance in College Station, TX. The role leads the full lifecycle of federal contracts, grants, and teaming agreements, ensuring timely execution, risk management, and regulatory compliance.

You will partner with executive leadership, finance, program managers, and institutional partners to translate opportunities into executable agreements and to support performance from proposal through closeout.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in business administration, public administrat.

Responsibilities

• Lead the review, drafting, negotiation, administration, modification, and closeout of prime contracts, subcontracts, grants, cooperative agreements, and teaming arrangements; coordinate execution by appropriately authorized officials.
• Serve as the principal contracting interface with government contracting personnel, industry partners, and institutional counterparts, consistent with assigned authority.
• Evaluate terms and conditions, funding limitations, deliverables, milestones, reporting requirements, payment provisions, intellectual property and data rights, publication provisions, and termination exposure.
• Manage contract actions, including modifications, options, task orders, funding changes, extensions, and closeout; maintain complete records of approvals and commitments.
• Provide clear guidance on contractual obligations and promptly elevate material performance, funding, compliance, or business risks to executive leadership.
• Assess the applicability of federal acquisition requirements, including FAR, DFARS, Cost Accounting Standards, and other sponsor requirements; coordinate specialized interpretation with legal and compliance personnel.
• Develop solicitation and award compliance reviews, clause matrices, representations and certifications, and subcontract flow-down requirements appropriate to each agreement.
• Coordinate with research security, export control, information technology, legal, and compliance personnel to address contractual security, controlled information, cybersecurity, export, and foreign involvement requirements before commitments are made.
• Support contract reviews, audits, sponsor inquiries, and corrective actions with organized documentation and timely responses.
• Partner with business development and technical teams to evaluate opportunity eligibility, acquisition pathways, contractual requirements, teaming structures, and execution readiness.
• Review solicitation instructions and contractual submission requirements; coordinate required approvals, exceptions, and clarifications before proposal submission.
• Work with the Chief Financial Officer and Controller on pricing assumptions, contract type, billing terms, funding exposure, indirect cost treatment, and financial feasibility.
• Negotiate confidentiality agreements, teaming agreements, and related pre‑awards instruments in coordination with legal counsel and authorized signatories.
• Establish subcontracts and partner agreement processes that document scope, deliverables, funding, applicable clauses, reporting, and performance expectations.
• Coordinate partner due diligence, required reviews, negotiation, modifications, monitoring, and closeout with technical, finance, procurement, and compliance personnel.
• Develop contracting policies, procedures, templates, approval workflows, and a central agreement repository to support a growing award portfolio.
• Coordinate with designated Texas A&M University System and TEES personnel to define responsibilities, routing, approvals, and handoffs under applicable service arrangements.
• Build scalable contracting capabilities and support the potential transition of contracting functions and personnel to direct INSPIRE Alliance operations, subject to approved plans and delegations.
• Implement practical tracking for pending actions, deadlines, deliverables, funding, and contractual risks; train staff and supervise contracting personnel as positions are established.
• Perform other related contracting duties assigned by the Chief Financial Officer.
• Bachelor's degree in business administration, public administrat.

Education

Bachelor's degree in business administration, public administrat

Job description

Job Title

Director of Contracting

Agency

Texas A&M Engineering

Department

Vice Chancellor Engineering

Proposed Minimum Salary

Commensurate

Job Location

College Station, Texas

Job Type

Staff

Job Description

The Director of Contracting serves as INSPIRE Alliance's senior contracting professional and leads the development and administration of the contracting infrastructure needed to support applied national security research, engineering, and technology transition.

Under the general direction of the Chief Financial Officer, the Director manages the full lifecycle of federal contracts, grants, cooperative agreements, subcontracts, and industry teaming arrangements. The Director establishes contracting practices that support timely execution, sound risk management, and compliance with applicable award terms and acquisition requirements.

Working with executive leadership, finance, business development, program managers, principal investigators, and institutional partners, the Director translates opportunities into executable agreements, clarifies contractual obligations, and supports accountable performance from proposal through closeout.

Responsibilities

Contract Strategy and Lifecycle Management

Lead the review, drafting, negotiation, administration, modification, and closeout of prime contracts, subcontracts, grants, cooperative agreements, and teaming arrangements; coordinate execution by appropriately authorized officials.

Serve as the principal contracting interface with government contracting personnel, industry partners, and institutional counterparts, consistent with assigned authority.

Evaluate terms and conditions, funding limitations, deliverables, milestones, reporting requirements, payment provisions, intellectual property and data rights, publication provisions, and termination exposure.

Manage contract actions, including modifications, options, task orders, funding changes, extensions, and closeout; maintain complete records of approvals and commitments.

Provide clear guidance on contractual obligations and promptly elevate material performance, funding, compliance, or business risks to executive leadership.

Federal Acquisition and Compliance

Assess the applicability of federal acquisition requirements, including FAR, DFARS, Cost Accounting Standards, and other sponsor requirements; coordinate specialized interpretation with legal and compliance personnel.

Develop solicitation and award compliance reviews, clause matrices, representations and certifications, and subcontract flow-down requirements appropriate to each agreement.

Coordinate with research security, export control, information technology, legal, and compliance personnel to address contractual security, controlled information, cybersecurity, export, and foreign involvement requirements before commitments are made.

Support contract reviews, audits, sponsor inquiries, and corrective actions with organized documentation and timely responses.

Proposal and Business Development Support

Partner with business development and technical teams to evaluate opportunity eligibility, acquisition pathways, contractual requirements, teaming structures, and execution readiness.

Review solicitation instructions and contractual submission requirements; coordinate required approvals, exceptions, and clarifications before proposal submission.

Work with the Chief Financial Officer and Controller on pricing assumptions, contract type, billing terms, funding exposure, indirect cost treatment, and financial feasibility.

Negotiate confidentiality agreements, teaming agreements, and related pre‑awards instruments in coordination with legal counsel and authorized signatories.

Subcontracts and Partner Agreements

Establish subcontracts and partner agreement processes that document scope, deliverables, funding, applicable clauses, reporting, and performance expectations.

Coordinate partner due diligence, required reviews, negotiation, modifications, monitoring, and closeout with technical, finance, procurement, and compliance personnel.

Contracting Infrastructure and Organizational Transition

Develop contracting policies, procedures, templates, approval workflows, and a central agreement repository to support a growing award portfolio.

Coordinate with designated Texas A&M University System and TEES personnel to define responsibilities, routing, approvals, and handoffs under applicable service arrangements.

Build scalable contracting capabilities and support the potential transition of contracting functions and personnel to direct INSPIRE Alliance operations, subject to approved plans and delegations.

Implement practical tracking for pending actions, deadlines, deliverables, funding, and contractual risks; train staff and supervise contracting personnel as positions are established.

Perform other related contracting duties assigned by the Chief Financial Officer.

What We Need:

Bachelor's degree in business administration, public administrat