Contracts Manager - Federal - Lovelace Biomedical Research Institute

Reporting to the Director of Research Administration and under limited direction, the Contracts Manager – Federal Contracts and Compliance, will oversee end-to-end contract management for the Institute and manage daily operations for all federal contracts and compliance of the Office of Research Contracts (ORC).

The Contracts Manager - Federal Contracts and Compliance will work closely with LBRI administrative leadership and scientific teams to oversee efficient operations of the Institute’s federal contracting process to include both pre- and post-award management and compliance reporting.  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 federal 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 federal contracts to ensure adherence to contract terms and conditions, request contract modifications as needed, work with Federal agencies on contract closeouts and will prepare regular and ad-hoc reports as needed.

Will oversee external audits relating to LBRI’s federal 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 Director of Research Administration 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.

Requires a bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, business administration or a related field and a minimum of 5+ years of directly-related, progressively responsible professional-level research administration 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 2 years personnel management experience.

Must have a demonstrated thorough understanding of and experience with the entire contract and grant life cycles (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), the National Institute of Health (another other similar organizations) granting rules and guidelines, 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 funding environment. Requires experience in researching, interpreting and resolving funding, contract and grant issues, the ability to draft, review and approve moderate-to-complex non-routine contractual instruments, and demonstrated knowledge of contracting concepts, applicable public acquisition laws and associated regulations.

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.

Ability to gain and maintain access to Kirtland Air Force base (KAFB) is required.

Work is performed in an office environment.  Will operate standard office equipment and will frequently stand, walk, sit, perform desk-based computer tasks, use a telephone, perform repetitive motions and occasionally lift objects that weigh up to 10 pounds.

The above is intended to describe the general requirements for the position and should not be interpreted as an exhaustive statement of physical requirements.  The Institute will provide reasonable accommodation to any employee with a disability who requires an accommodation to perform the essential functions of the position.

Salary is commensurate with experience.

EEO, including disability/vets