Director, Pre-Award Contracts

American-Institutes-For-Research; Arlington (VA); Hybrid; USD 150,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

American Institutes for Research seeks a Director, Pre-Award Contracts to lead enterprise-wide pre-award contracting strategies across federal, state, and foundation funders. You will oversee a team, ensure compliance, drive risk management, and align with growth objectives while partnering with legal, finance, HR and program teams.

This role offers remote work within the U.S. and occasional travel, reporting to the Vice President, Contracts, Grants and Procurement.

Qualifications

• 12+ years of progressive experience across contracts, grants management, procurement.
• 5+ years in people management.
• Deep knowledge of federal/state contracting and grants regulations (FAR, Uniform Guidance).
• Experience with diverse funders from public, private and commercial sectors.
• Experience negotiating teaming agreements, NDAs, CPFF, T&M, FFP, cooperative agreements.

Responsibilities

• Strategic Leadership: develop and execute enterprise-wide pre-award strategies.
• Contracts Management: oversee solicitation, evaluation, and negotiation of awards.
• Compliance & Risk Management: ensure adherence to regulations and audit readiness.
• Operational Excellence: drive process improvements and effective tracking/reporting.
• Team development: mentor and build a high-performing team.
• Cross-Functional Partnership: collaborate with Post-Award, Procurement, Finance, Legal, HR, and programs.

Skills

Strategic Leadership

Compliance & Risk

Pre-Award Contracting

Team Leadership

Stakeholder Management

Negotiation

Process Improvement

Microsoft Office

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration / Public Administration / Supply Chain Management

Tools

ERP systems

Contract management software

MS Office Suite

Job description

Join AIR as the Director, Pre-Award Contracts and leverage your leadership and expertise to advance our mission. This role provides strategic and operational leadership across the business development ecosystem supporting the contracting process from capture to execution of new awards from funders which will ensure compliant, efficient, and mission-aligned execution of all activities. The position reports to the Vice President, Contracts, Grants and Procurement.

The Director oversees the pre-award phase of the contracting process including identifying opportunities, execution of teaming agreements and Non Disclosure Agreements, developing business volumes for proposals and communicating with clients/funders on solicitation and award terms. This position will lead a team of specialists in supporting AIR’s Growth strategy while strengthening systems, mitigating risk, and driving continuous improvement.

This position has the flexibility to work remotely within the United States (U.S.) or from one of AIR’s U.S. office locations with occasional travel for meetings, training sessions, and conferences. This does not include U.S. territories.

About AIR:

Founded in 1946 and headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, the American Institutes for Research (AIR) is a nonpartisan, not‑for‑profit organization that conducts behavioral and social science research and delivers technical assistance to address some of the most pressing challenges in the United States and globally. We generate evidence and apply data‑driven solutions that expand opportunities and improve lives for all.

Responsibilities:

The responsibilities for the position include:

Strategic Leadership

• Lead the development and execution of enterprise‑wide strategies for pre‑award contracts, aligned with organizational priorities and funding requirements.
• Serve as a trusted advisor to senior leadership on compliance, risk management, and optimization opportunities across all areas.

Contracts Management

• Oversee pre‑award contracting processes, including solicitation, evaluation, and negotiation of new awards across federal, state, foundation, commercial, and other funding sources.
• Ensure effective planning and execution across a diverse portfolio of projects, funders, and vendors.

Compliance & Risk Management

• Ensure adherence to federal, state, and sponsor regulations, including Uniform Guidance and FAR, as well as internal policies.
• Establish and maintain risk management practices to safeguard organizational and legal interests and ensure audit readiness.

Operational Excellence

• Drive process improvements to enhance efficiency, transparency, and service delivery across contracting functions.
• Oversee systems, tools, and workflows to support effective tracking, reporting, and performance management.
• Lead, mentor, and develop a high‑performing team by establishing clear goals, accountability, and professional development pathways.
• Support career development through coaching, training, and succession planning.
• Foster a culture of collaboration, continuous improvement, and service excellence.
• Align team structure and capabilities with organizational priorities and evolving business needs.

Cross‑Functional Partnership

• Partner with Post‑Award Contract Administration, Procurement, Finance, Legal, HR, and program teams to ensure alignment and effective support for project execution.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with clients, external partners, and other stakeholders within the business development ecosystem.

Reporting & Insights

• Provide leadership with insights on key metrics, including proposal compliance, client engagement, work process efficiency, cost savings, and risk trends.
• Support audits and reporting requirements through accurate and timely documentation.
• Duties, responsibilities, and activities may evolve based on business priorities and external requirements.

Qualifications:

Education, Knowledge, and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Public Administration, Supply Chain Management, or a related field (Master’s or JD preferred).
• 12+ years of progressive experience across contracts, grants management, procurement, or related functions, including 5+ years in people management.
• Deep knowledge of federal and state contracting and grants regulations (e.g., FAR, Uniform Guidance).
• Experience supporting a wide range of funders from both public, private and commercial sectors.
• Experience negotiating a wide range of contract types including teaming agreements, NDAs, Federal Acquisition Contracts (CPFF, T&M, FFP), Federal Assistance Agreements (Cooperative Agreements), State funded contracts, Foundation grants and international/multilateral donor agreements.

Skills

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to influence across all levels.
• Strong organizational and project management skills, with the ability to thrive in a busy, high-volume, and deadline driven work team environment that requires coordination of multiple activities and the judgment and flexibility to reprioritize to accommodate emergency requests.
• Analytical and problem‑solving capabilities with a focus on continuous improvement.
• Promote intelligent risk‑taking by encouraging data‑driven experimentation, challenging the status quo, and making bold decisions that strengthen operational effectiveness and business impact.
• Strategic thinker with the ability to translate complex requirements into actionable plans and measurable outcomes.
• Demonstrated success leading complex operations in highly regulated environments.
• Strong negotiation, stakeholder management, and decision‑making capabilities.
• Proven ability to lead and develop high‑performing, collaborative teams.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite and enterprise systems (e.g., ERP, contract and procurement platforms).

Disclosures: Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the U.S. on a full‑time basis. Employment‑based visa sponsorship (including H‑1B sponsorship) is not available for this position. Depending on project work, qualified candidates may need to meet certain residency requirements.

American Institutes for Research is an equal employment opportunity/affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without discrimination on the basis of any characteristic protected by applicable federal, state or local law, including, but not limited to, actual or perceived race (including traits historically associated with race, such as hair texture, hair type, and protective hairstyles such as braid, locs, and twists), creed, color, religion, alienage or national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, age, physical or mental disability, medical condition (e.g., cancer), sex, gender, gender identity or expression (including transgender status), sexual orientation, marital status, civil union status, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, genetic information, or military or veteran status. AIR adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo reference and background checks. AIR maintains a drug‑free work environment.

ACCESSIBILITY NOTICE: If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the employment process due to a physical or mental disability, please send an email to Taliba Boone at [e-mail] or call 202.403.5000.

Voluntary Self-Identification

For government reporting purposes, we ask candidates to respond to the below self‑identification survey.Completion of the form is entirely voluntary. Whatever your decision, it will not be considered in the hiringprocess or thereafter. Any information that you do provide will be recorded and maintained in aconfidential file.

As set forth in American Institutes for Research’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy,we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law.

If you believe you belong to any of the categories of protected veterans listed below, please indicate by making the appropriate selection.As a government contractor subject to the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA), we request this information in order to measurethe effectiveness of the outreach and positive recruitment efforts we undertake pursuant to VEVRAA. Classification of protected categoriesis as follows:

A "disabled veteran" is one of the following: a veteran of the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service who is entitled to compensation (or who but for the receipt of military retired pay would be entitled to compensation) under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; or a person who was discharged or released from active duty because of a service‑connected disability.

A "recently separated veteran" means any veteran during the three‑year period beginning on the date of such veteran's discharge or release from active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval, or air service.

An "active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran" means a veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service during a war, or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized under the laws administered by the Department of Defense.

An "Armed forces service medal veteran" means a veteran who, while serving on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service, participated in a United States military operation for which an Armed Forces service medal was awarded pursuant to Executive Order 12985.