Contracts, Lead

The MITRE Corporation • McLean, VA

2d • $118,000 - $177,000 • Hybrid

About The Position

MITRE is seeking an experienced contracts professional to lead and support day-to-day contract execution activities across a portfolio of FFRDC work, with primary support to Center for Government Effectiveness and Modernization (CGEM). This role is part of the Contracts Execution Services team and plays a key role in contract administration, business operations, data quality, compliance, and process improvement. The ideal candidate brings a balance of federal contracting expertise and business/financial acumen and must be flexible enough to support other FFRDCs as needed.

Requirements

• Typically requires a minimum of 8 years of related experience with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Finance, Accounting, or a related field; or 6 years and a Master’s degree; or a PhD with 3 years’ experience; or equivalent combination of related education and work experience.
• Strong knowledge of U.S. Government contract laws and regulations, including FAR and other applicable acquisition regulations.
• Proven track record in preparing proposals and negotiating contracts in a complex federal contracting environment.
• Experience with Cost Reimbursable, FFP, and T&M agreements in a labor-based service environment.
• This position requires a minimum of 50% hybrid on-site.

Nice To Haves

• Demonstrated ability to exercise independent judgment, manage competing priorities, and resolve complex issues while meeting critical deadlines.
• Strong customer service skills, with exceptional relationship management skills to collaborate across contracts, finance, legal, operations, technical teams, and leadership.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to explain contractual, compliance, operational, and business issues to varied audiences.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, especially Excel, and experience with contract management or enterprise business systems preferred.
• Strong organizational skills and ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines in a dynamic, team-based environment.
• Ability to work collaboratively in a partnership-oriented organization, influencing outcomes through expertise, responsiveness, and sound judgment.

Responsibilities

• Provide cradle-to-grave contract administration for one or more MITRE FFRDC contracts, primarily supporting CGEM contracts with Treasury/IRS, Commerce, and Veterans Affairs, while remaining flexible to support other FFRDCs as business needs evolve.
• Support direct contract engagements with federal, state, local, non-profit, commercial, and other external entities aligned with MITRE’s corporate strategy.
• Manage and foster strong relationships with U.S. Government Contracting Officers and other sponsor representatives.
• Represent MITRE to external organizations, building trusted partnerships through a professional, collaborative, and solutions-oriented approach.
• Collaborate with senior leadership, program teams, finance, legal, and other stakeholders to provide timely, practical, and business-focused guidance and recommendations. Support mission execution, operational priorities, and compliance objectives.
• Exercise independent judgment in resolving complex contract issues, with strong communication, relationship management, and practical business-focused problem solving.
• Develop and maintain compliance frameworks on major contracts that can be implemented effectively by business and financial partners and support consistent execution across the portfolio.
• Identify, track, mitigate, and resolve contract risks.
• Review task order descriptions, applying FFRDC contracting expertise and technical understanding of sponsor competencies to assess appropriateness of work and contractual alignment.
• Ensure timely, accurate, and complete entry of awards, modifications, and related actions into contract systems; maintain high-quality contract data across assigned portfolios.
• Generate, review, negotiate, and administer contractual documents such as modifications, NDAs, software evaluation and license agreements, public release requests, and related instruments.
• Advise technical staff on proprietary information, patent disclosures, intellectual property, and other contract issues.
• Lead the review and management of Contract Performance Review Assessments (CPARs) to ensure compliance and drive continuous improvement.
• Partner with Finance to support funding administration, accounts receivable, sponsor inquiries, and invoice-related issue resolution.
• Oversee closeout of contracts and task orders, ensuring adherence to sponsor, regulatory, and organizational requirements.
• Champion the FFRDC mission and value proposition, helping stakeholders understand MITRE’s role, contractual framework, and impact.
• Own the consistency, quality, and integrity of contract data across assigned portfolios, using reporting and analysis to identify trends, gaps, risks, and required follow-up actions.
• Translate contract and portfolio data into actionable recommendations for leadership and stakeholders.
• Lead and implement process improvements that strengthen workflows, standards, templates, documentation, and team consistency.
• Contribute to continuous improvement across the CES team by identifying efficiencies and sharing best practices.

Benefits

• competitive benefits
• exceptional professional development opportunities for career growth
• a culture of innovation that embraces adaptability, collaboration, technical excellence, and people in partnership

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior