Contracts Manager

Department: Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP)

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

Security Clearance Check: Yes

About the Department:

The Office of Sponsored Programs (OSP) supports external funding for research, scholarly and creative pursuits while ensuring the university’s financial, contractual and regulatory exposures are minimized. OSP provides guidance and support to the university’s community in its research efforts.

About the Position:

The Contracts Manager supports the contracting and subagreement requirements of the Rapid Prototyping Research Center (RPRC) and the Global Artificial Intelligence Innovation & Literacy Center (GAIL) within the College of Engineering and Computing. The position may also support additional DoD Sponsored projects as required. This position reports to the Director of Contracts in OSP with a dotted line to the Chief Business Officer in the College of Engineering and Computing.

Responsibilities:

Contract Agreement Support

• Collaborates with PI and Departmental Research Administration on contractual matters and advises on contractual issues;
• Reviews federal prime award terms;
• Identifies and documents any risks or non-standard terms and reports to senior research administrators and departmental leadership so informed decisions can be made;  
• Facilitates Mason and federal agency execution of incoming awards and modifications. Negotiates terms, as necessary; 
• Reviews, drafts, negotiates and submits for execution unfunded agreements such as Non-Disclosure Agreements, Teaming Agreements, Memoranda of Understanding, etc.; 
• Monitors and advocates for compliance with all administrative terms of contracts/grant; and
• Monitors administrative compliance with OMB, GMU and OSP policies, processes and practices. 

Subagreement Support

• Collaborates with PIs and Departmental Research Administration to negotiate subrecipient pricing and federal terms and conditions for subaward;
• Collaborates with PI and Departmental Research Administration on subcontracts matters including disputes or potential disputes with subcontractors;
• Reviews, drafts, negotiates terms and conditions of subagreement;
• Identifies and documents any risks or non-standard terms and reports to senior research administrators and departmental leadership so informed decisions can be made;
• Facilitates Mason and subcontractor execution of subawards and modifications to subawards;
• Collaborates and partners with Departmental Research Administration team to ensure compliance with DFARS 252.244-7001 Contractor Purchasing System Administration; 
• Monitors administrative compliance with OMB, GMU, OSP regulations, policies, processes and practices (Subagreement checklists/risk assessment/visual compliance screen/FFATA reporting); and
• Requests Contracting Officer cost analysis of subcontractor’s proposals when required by prime federal contract award and subcontractor is not willing to disclose cost and pricing data to Mason ($2M and above).

Support Training, Process Development and Compliance Reporting

In partnership with the RPRC, GAIL and CEC, the Contract Manager works to: 

• Support development of processes necessary for the contracting and subagreement actions leveraging university policies and procedures; 
• Conduct training to ensure all parties are aware of their responsibilities and the interaction between the different parties to ensure compliance with all rules and regulations; 
• Support compliance with FARS/DFARS clauses; and
• Participate in meetings as necessary. 

Other Related Duties as Assigned 

Required Qualifications:

• Master's degree or equivalent combination of education and experience;
• Demonstrated experience (typically 10+ years) in contract management in either a university or industry setting with typically 5 of those years managing contracts with the Department of Defense.;
• Highly knowledgeable about federal rules and regulations related to federal contracting, primarily Department of Defense contracting;
• Highly developed time-management, problem-resolution, and organizational skills;
• Ability to foster an environment that supports teamwork, collaboration, and high-quality customer service;
• Knowledge of regulatory requirements involving data protection and security, including but not limited to classified research regulations, controlled unclassified information regulations, NIST security requirements and other areas involving data protection and security; and
• Active Security Clearance or ability to obtain one.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience working in an university setting; and
• Knowledge of Virginia state and university rules and regulations related to federal contracting.

Instructions to Applicants: 

For full consideration, applicants must apply for Contracts Manager at https://jobs.gmu.edu/. Complete and submit the online application to include three professional references with contact information, and provide a Cover Letter/Letter of Intent with Resume for review. 

Posting Open Date: November 15, 2024

For Full Consideration, Apply by:  December 8, 2024

Open Until Filled:  Yes