Strategic Procurement & Partnerships Lead

Urban Institute; United States; Remote; USD 114,000 - 152,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Remote work option

Competitive benefits

Job summary

Urban Institute in the United States seeks an Associate Director of Procurement and Partnerships to lead pre-award strategy, market research, and subcontracting with research teams across federal, state, local, corporate, and philanthropic funding.

Reporting to the Director of Subawards, you will shape supplier strategy, pricing considerations, teaming arrangements, and compliance, while mentoring staff and improving tools and processes. The role may be fully remote.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in business administration, public administration, public policy, nonprofit management, law, finance, or a related field.
• Seven+ years of progressive procurement, subcontracts, proposal development, supplier/partner management, or related work across federal, state, local, corporate, or philanthropic funding environments.
• Hands-on experience with U.S. federal procurement and financial assistance requirements, including the FAR, and 2 CFR 200 / Uniform Guidance.
• Experience with small business subcontracting requirements and reporting.
• Demonstrated experience with managing staff preferred.
• Ability to translate procurement requirements into guidance for research teams and operational partners.

Responsibilities

• Lead pre-award partner and supplier processes, including sourcing, market research, solicitations, proposal documentation, evaluations, risk assessments, cost and price analysis, and objective selection.
• Advise research teams on partnership and teaming strategies; cultivate local, M/WBE, and other priority partners; and advance engagement in key jurisdictions.
• Develop procurement, subcontracting, and teaming strategies that support competitive proposals, compliant and defensible partner selection, durable partnerships, and long-term value.
• Evaluate and negotiate scopes, budgets, pricing, workshare, deliverables, subcontracting instruments, and contract terms; identify and mitigate risks and incorporate applicable funder and flow-down requirements.
• Oversee procurement and subcontract actions throughout the award lifecycle, including pre-award processes, award issuance, documentation, subcontract administration, performance monitoring, and closeout.
• Ensure compliance with federal, state, local, corporate, and philanthropic requirements, including small business and M/WBE subcontracting plans, commitments, documentation, and required utilization reporting.
• Strengthen procurement operations and cross-functional coordination through standardized workflows, controls, governance, handoffs, templates, guidance, partner-management practices, centralized supplier information, and stakeholder training.

Skills

Procurement strategy

Subcontracts

Partner management

Negotiation

Communication

Education

Bachelor’s degree in business administration, public administration, public policy, nonprofit management, law, finance, or a related field

Tools

GSA schedules

Job description

Urban Institute in the United States seeks an Associate Director of Procurement and Partnerships to lead pre-award strategy, market research, and subcontracting with research teams across federal, state, local, corporate, and philanthropic funding.

Reporting to the Director of Subawards, you will shape supplier strategy, pricing considerations, teaming arrangements, and compliance, while mentoring staff and improving tools and processes. The role may be fully remote.