Contracts Manager

Lovelace Biomedical Research Institute•Albuquerque, NM

1d•Onsite

About The Position

Reporting to the Senior Director of Financial Operations and under limited direction, the Contracts Manager will oversee end-to-end contract management for the Institute and manage the daily operations of the Office of Research Contracts (ORC). The Contracts Manager will work closely with LBRI administrative leadership and scientific teams to oversee efficient operations of the Institute’s overall contracting process to include both pre- and post-award management. Will perform contract and subcontract administration in accordance with established policies and procedures, develop proposals, implement project controls, facilitate and manage effective internal and external client relationships, continuously analyze LBRI’s contractual risks and implement policies and practices to mitigate risk, research contract/new business opportunities, and perform all other related duties and tasks as required or assigned. Will be expected to both oversee work on all aspects of contract development, administration and execution including reviewing solicitations, developing internal analysis of contracting opportunities, and completing proposals to include drafting and reviewing all of the following: developing rates, pricing, basis of estimates, standard forms, narratives and all other related items. The Contracts Manager will be responsible for participating in and monitoring LBRI’s ongoing performance on contracts to ensure adherence to contract terms and conditions and request contract modifications as needed, and will prepare regular and ad-hoc reports as needed. Will oversee external audits relating to LBRI’s contract work including GSA, Federal, HHS and DCA audits and prepare and file all necessary governmental regulatory reports and plans. The Manager will also oversee the daily operations of the LBRI Office of Research Contracts. Will work closely with the Sr. Director of FInancial Operations and other staff to identify staffing needs and available expertise, provide leadership and mentoring to all department staff, and work with the Human Resources Department as needed on performance evaluations, training and development of staff.

Requirements

Requires a bachelor’s degree in business administration, accounting, finance, or a related field and a minimum of 5-7+ years of directly-related, progressively responsible professional-level contract management experience; or an equivalent combination of education, training and/or experience from which comparable knowledge, skills and abilities have been attained. Also requires a minimum of 1 year of personnel management experience.
Must have a demonstrated understanding of and experience with the entire contract life cycle (acquisition planning, pre-award and post-award). Requires in-depth knowledge of and demonstrated experience working in contracts subject Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), the Department of Defense supplement to FAR (DFARS), other governmental departments/agencies implementing FAR, and the ability to reference, interpret and implement Federal regulations related to Federal grants, contracts and other funding vehicles.
The Manager should have outstanding negotiating skills and a demonstrated ability navigating the complex Federal contracting environment. Requires experience in researching, interpreting and resolving contract issues, the ability to draft, review and approve moderate-to-complex non-routine contractual instruments, and demonstrated knowledge of contracting concepts, applicable public contract acquisition law and associated regulations.
Must also have previous experience working with a large team in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment and the ability to prioritize departmental functions and responsibilities to meet deadlines and goals. The successful candidate will be able to demonstrate previous success in developing professional and effective relationships with both administrative and non-administrative managers and colleagues.
Must have superior professional-level written and verbal communication skills; a high degree of professionalism, diplomacy and discretion; excellent judgment, problem-solving and decision-making skills; and strong customer-service skills. Demonstrated ability in managing a wide variety of complex tasks and projects simultaneously while meeting multiple deadlines is required. The ability to maintain confidentiality and handle sensitive situations with solid judgment and discretion is critical, as well as the ability to perform duties independently.
Requires prior experience with Deltek Costpoint or a similar system, professional-level general computer skills, advanced experience with Microsoft Excel, and the ability to learn other department-specific computer systems as needed.
Position may require minimal travel in the future to meet with customers and partners.
This position requires a post-offer credit check.

Responsibilities

Oversee end-to-end contract management for the Institute
Manage the daily operations of the Office of Research Contracts (ORC)
Work closely with LBRI administrative leadership and scientific teams to oversee efficient operations of the Institute’s overall contracting process to include both pre- and post-award management
Perform contract and subcontract administration in accordance with established policies and procedures
Develop proposals
Implement project controls
Facilitate and manage effective internal and external client relationships
Continuously analyze LBRI’s contractual risks and implement policies and practices to mitigate risk
Research contract/new business opportunities
Oversee work on all aspects of contract development, administration and execution including reviewing solicitations, developing internal analysis of contracting opportunities, and completing proposals to include drafting and reviewing all of the following: developing rates, pricing, basis of estimates, standard forms, narratives and all other related items
Participate in and monitoring LBRI’s ongoing performance on contracts to ensure adherence to contract terms and conditions and request contract modifications as needed
Prepare regular and ad-hoc reports as needed
Oversee external audits relating to LBRI’s contract work including GSA, Federal, HHS and DCA audits and prepare and file all necessary governmental regulatory reports and plans
Oversee the daily operations of the LBRI Office of Research Contracts
Work closely with the Sr. Director of FInancial Operations and other staff to identify staffing needs and available expertise
Provide leadership and mentoring to all department staff
Work with the Human Resources Department as needed on performance evaluations, training and development of staff