Executive Director, Baroni Center for Government Contracting

Department: Costello College of Business

Classification: Administrative Faculty

Job Category: Administrative or Professional Faculty

Job Type: Full-Time

Work Schedule: Full-time (1.0 FTE, 40 hrs/wk)

Location: Fairfax, VA

Workplace Type: Hybrid Eligible

Salary: Salary commensurate with education and experience

Criminal Background Check: Yes

About the Department:

The Donald G. Costello College of Business at George Mason University is one of the largest business schools in Virginia, and is located near Washington, D.C., in Arlington and Fairfax, and at George Mason’s global campus in Incheon, South Korea. The college’s AACSB-accredited business and accounting curricula prepare undergraduate and graduate students from the U.S. and across the globe for career success in business and government. Its research-based faculty and focus on multi-disciplinary academic programs, inclusive entrepreneurship, modular education, experiential learning, and corporate partner engagement are transforming the landscape of business education and workforce development. Learn more at business.gmu.edu.

The mission of the Greg and Camille Baroni Center for Government Contracting is to work across the university and stakeholders in government, industry, and academia to be a thought leader in government contracting and address related business, policy, and regulatory issues through research, education and training, and collaboration, spurring innovative mission driven engagement between the industry and government and achieving mutually beneficial outcomes.

About the Position:

The Executive Director is a strategic leader who is responsible for all aspects of the center’s activities including strategic planning, operations, financial viability, design and delivery of programs, new initiatives, growth, research, communications, and fundraising to build relationships in the government contracting industry as well as the government and raise the presence and reputation of the Baroni Center as a platform for thought leadership and engagement forum for innovative government and industry partnerships. The Executive Director will lead expansion of the Center’s offerings complementing other programs at the Costello College of Business including graduate and executive education offerings, experiential learning initiatives for students and the undergraduate Minor in Government Contracting program.

Responsibilities:

Supervision

• Responsible for setting goals for performance and deadlines in ways that comply with the university's plans and vision and communicate them to center team members;
• Organizing workflow and ensuring that employees understand their duties or delegated tasks;
• Monitoring employee productivity and providing constructive feedback and coaching including receiving complaints and resolving problems;
• Maintaining timekeeping and personnel records including passing on information from upper management to employees and vice versa;
• Preparing and submitting performance evaluations including deciding on rewards and promotions based on performance and hiring and training new employees;
• Ensuring adherence to legal and university policies and procedures and undertaking disciplinary actions if the need arises;
• Directs and works with the Associate Director, Industry Fellows, and Instructors on program content and execution;
• Ensures quality employees are recruited, retained, and appropriately compensated; and
• Establishes program expectations and objectives for execution by the Director of Operations. 

Financial & Operations

• Oversee the center's philanthropic efforts, grants, and revenue-generating activities to ensure long-term financial sustainability and cost neutrality;
• Leads the Director of Operations in the development of the annual budget for the center;
• Ensures that Center is appropriately staffed with researchers and other support staff;
• Ensures that the Center has sufficient funding to meet daily operational expenses;
• Principally responsible within the Center for developing leads for fundraising; and
• Develop and manage substantive programs or initiatives that add value to the region.

Outreach, Advancement & Extramural Funding

• Serve as the primary point of contact for the center to the government contracting industry;
• Attend key industry events;
• Work with Advisory Board and Director of Operations to facilitate strategic outreach to the industry including awareness building, special events, etc. related to center programs;
• Ensure that materials/content for the center website, newsletter and applicable social media channels are current and updated;
• Serve as the Center’s point of content for internal and external media opportunities;
• Manage Advisory Board including organizing Advisory Board meetings, maintain relationships with Advisory Board members, managing agenda content for these meetings and developing leads for recruitment of new Board members;
• Works with the Chair of Mason Government Contracting Board of Advisors and the College's Advancement and Marketing and Communications teams to coordinate and execute the annual fundraising and Marketing and Communications objectives;
• Collaborate with the Advancement and Alumni Relations Team to develop and execute fundraising strategy to ensure long-term sustainability of the center;
• With the Advancement Team, identify potential private and institutional donors – this includes participation in donor pitches as well as participation in meetings with potential donors; and
• In concert with the Advancement Team, develop and implement stewardship and relationship management plan for center supporters and donors; and
• Work with relevant GMU team members to identify and execute grant opportunities. 

Strategic and Academic Leadership

• Develop short and long-term strategic plans with consultation and participation of the Dean, Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Global Engagement, the Chair of the Advisory Board and the Director of Operations;
• Seek and promote programmatic activities, faculty collaborations (research and teaching), and student learning experiences across various units of the Costello College of Business and the University;
• Build the academic reputation of the Center through academic research and white papers in coordination with the Center’s research staff;
• Actively promote government contracting across campus;
• Assist in developing and promoting executive education programs in government contracting;
• Develop/teach courses in Government Contracting or related topics as needed; and
• Consults with the Chair of the Board of Advisors.

Teaching

• Teaching load of 3-credits per academic year.

Required Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in related field;
• At least 15 years of progressively responsible experience in leadership, program management, or strategic planning in business or government;
• Demonstrated experience managing staff and leading organizational teams;
• Demonstrated success in fundraising, donor engagement, or grant writing;
• Experience developing and managing budgets and financial plans;
• Experience managing Advisory Boards or similar external stakeholder groups;
• Experience and successful track record of building positive relationships with business and government professionals;
• Knowledge of the government contracting sector and its policy, legal, or business environment;
• Knowledge of effective supervision, employee performance management, and legal HR compliance;
• Knowledge of budgeting, grant compliance, and financial management;
• Knowledge of donor cultivation, fundraising strategy, and grant writing;
• Knowledge of strategic planning;
• Skill in performance evaluation, coaching, and conflict resolution;
• Skill in budget creation, financial oversight, and reporting;
• Skill in writing compelling donor materials, grants and funding proposals;
• Skill in building strategic partnerships and managing Advisory Boards;
• Skill in media relations, public speaking, and external communication;
• Ability to lead and manage a diverse team with professionalism and integrity;
• Ability to align resources with strategic goals and ensure cost neutrality;
• Ability to cultivate relationships with donors, alumni, industry, and university stakeholders; and
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and maintain high standards of performance.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Terminal degree in a related field;
• Experience in an academic or research center leadership role;
• Demonstrated experience in managing philanthropic funding, grant administration, and revenue-generating operations to support financial sustainability and cost neutrality in an academic or nonprofit setting;
• Record of scholarly or policy publications in government contracting or related areas;
• Strong industry connections in the government contracting space;
• Knowledge of budgeting, grant compliance, and financial management in an academic setting;
• Knowledge of strategic planning and academic collaboration;
• Knowledge of curriculum development and trends in government contracting education;
• Familiarity with higher education operations and shared governance;
• Skill in teaching and delivering curriculum aligned with business/government practice;
• Ability to lead academic collaborations and research initiatives; and
• Ability to teach graduate level Government Contracting related courses effectively and incorporate experiential learning.

Instructions to Applicants: 

For full consideration, applicants must apply for Executive Director, Baroni Center for Government Contracting at https://jobs.gmu.edu/. Complete and submit the online application to include three professional references with contact information, and provide a cover letter and resume for review.

Posting Open Date: August 27, 2025

For Full Consideration, Apply by:  September 29, 2025

Open Until Filled:  Yes