Senior Contract Administrator

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine; Washington (District of Columbia); Hybrid; USD 92,000 - 127,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work arrangement

Job summary

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine is seeking a contracts and grants professional to manage an assigned portfolio of federal, private sector, state, and local government contracts, grants, and subawards. The role covers the full lifecycle from proposal review to closeout, with potential delegated signature authority.

Hybrid work arrangement with 60% onsite, 37.5 hours weekly; compensation range $92,040–$126,550, plus comprehensive benefits.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree requirement and five years of related professional experience.
• Knowledge of FAR, OMB Circulars, and related policies.
• Strong negotiation skills and ability to communicate complex procurement issues.

Responsibilities

• Review and negotiate terms and conditions of contracts, grants, and cooperative agreements.
• Administer agreements including no-cost extensions and closeout activities.
• Coordinate procurement actions and ensure policies are followed; interface with sponsors and vendors.
• Process procurement requests and manage various contract instruments (e.g., PO, subcontracts, service agreements).
• Estimate service costs, establish vendor relationships, and solicit competitive bids.

Skills

Negotiation

Contract administration

Education

Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration or related field

Job description

Job Description Summary

Supports the administration of an assigned portfolio of federal, private sector, state, and local government contracts, grants (including cooperative agreements), and subawards within the Office of Contracts and Grants (OCG) in the Office of the Chief Financial Officer (OCFO). Manages the full lifecycle of sponsored agreements, including proposal review, award negotiation, contract administration, modifications, and closeout activities. May receive delegated signature authority.

Job Description Summary

Supports the administration of an assigned portfolio of federal, private sector, state, and local government contracts, grants (including cooperative agreements), and subawards within the Office of Contracts and Grants (OCG) in the Office of the Chief Financial Officer (OCFO). Manages the full lifecycle of sponsored agreements, including proposal review, award negotiation, contract administration, modifications, and closeout activities. May receive delegated signature authority.

Reviews and negotiates contractual documents and standard terms and conditions, and provides guidance to program staff regarding award requirements, institutional policies, and sponsor regulations. Coordinates administrative actions necessary to ensure compliance with contractual policies, and procurement requirements. Serves as a primary point of contact for assigned sponsors, vendor, and internal stakeholders, exercising independent judgment in the administration of routine contractual and procurement matters while escalating complex or high-risk issues, as appropriate.

Job Description

ESSENTIAL JOB DUTIES:

• Reviews and negotiates terms and conditions of contracts, grants, and cooperative agreements with government and private sector sponsors, including providing any necessary certifications, approvals, and other supporting documentation.
• Administers agreements for assigned program units, including items such as no-cost extensions, supplemental funding requests, and closeout. Conducts post award administration, including changes, approvals, problem resolution, reporting and data synthesis.
• Responds to procurement requests from across the National Academies. Works with customers to determine the appropriate procurement instrument and to ensure that policies and procedures are followed. Interacts with staff to troubleshoot workflow problems.
• Serves as point-of-contact for processing a variety of procurement requests within the National Academies, including purchase orders, consulting letter agreements, subcontracts, fellowship grant awards, service level agreements, and other special arrangements as necessary.
• Coordinates estimates of service, material, equipment, production costs, performance requirements, and delivery schedules. Establishes vendor relationships; researches new vendors. Obtains competitive bids and selects vendors in accordance with institutional policies and procedures.
• Develops and integrates contract management tools, templates, methods, and processes required to support contract operations. Reviews and coordinates proposals and Request for Proposals for institutional risks, completeness, and conformity to National Academies’ policies and procedures. Prepares cost/price analyses.
• Prepares all paperwork to completely process the appropriate procurement instrument for an assigned portfolio. Plans, organizes, and manages all contract relationships and contract documents.
• Serves as a liaison between the National Academies and sponsors, vendors, and subcontractors regarding National Academies’ institutional policies, procedures, and operations. Represents the Academies to our customers and has significant internal liaison responsibilities to both staff and executives.

Nonessential Job Duties

Special projects as assigned.

JOB SPECIFICATIONS

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: Knowledge of Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR), Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Circulars A-110, A-122, A-133, Cost Accounting Standards, and the Uniform Commercial Code. Ability to communicate complex procurement and financial issues in simple, understandable terms. Seasoned negotiation skills with extensive knowledge of general corporate business practices and principals. Understanding of legal issues and processes including arbitration, termination for default, and order of precedence. Must be skilled in analyzing contracts to ensure compliance to company policy, sponsor specifications, and other requirements. Expertise in dealing with non-routine, and/or highly complex projects. Ability to solve intellectual problems of substantial variety and complexity using originality and ingenuity. Experience working in complex environments with a high degree of organizational effectiveness. Ability to develop relationships with co-workers and employees in other National Academies’ departments. Demonstrated ability to work independently, assess priorities, and manage a variety of activities across a broad spectrum with attention to detail. Excellent communication skills with a proven ability to effectively interact with all levels of employees.

Minimum Education/Training Requirements

Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration or related field or equivalent knowledge.

Minimum Experience

Five years of related professional experience.

Physical Capabilities

Ability to work at a computer for extended periods of time.

Required Licenses, Certification or Registration

None.

Supervisory Responsibilities/Controls

Reports to Manager or Director. General direction is provided.

Work Environment

Hybrid Office/Telecommute environment, expected onsite percentage 60%, with occasional travel between National Academies’ facilities and to off-site meeting/sponsor locations.

Compensation & Benefits

An estimated compensation range for this position is $92,040 - $126,550. Compensation offered to the selected candidate will be based on the candidate’s relevant knowledge, skills, and work experience, commensurate with compensation of current employees in comparable positions with similar knowledge, skills, and work experience, and subject to budget parameters. Note it is not typical for a candidate to be hired at the higher end of the range. This is a benefits-eligible position. Our Benefits Plan offers competitive and comprehensive benefit options, including medical, dental and vision insurance, life insurance, disability coverage, retirement and savings benefits, leave benefits such as paid holidays and paid personal leave, transportation subsidies, and education assistance. For more information, please click here.

Equal Opportunity Employer

It is the policy of the National Academies to recruit, hire, transfer, compensate, and promote people in all job categories and to administer all other personnel actions, terms and conditions of employment in a manner that does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, religion, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable laws. It is also the institution's policy to recruit, hire, promote, and provide reasonable accommodation to qualified individuals with disabilities and covered veterans who are otherwise qualified.

Any qualification to be considered equivalent, in lieu of stated minimum, requires the prior approval of the Office of Human Resources. The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work performed by employees assigned to this job. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties and skills required of personnel so classified. Some functions in this description may be specific to a particular unit of the National Academies and not applicable to other units

Job Family

CONT

Employee Type

Employee

Scheduled Weekly Hours

37.5

City/State

Washington, District of Columbia