Director, Pre-Award Contracts

Join AIR as the Director, Pre-Award Contracts and leverage your leadership and expertise to advance our mission. This role provides strategic and operational leadership across the business development ecosystem supporting the contracting process from capture to execution of new awards from funders which will ensure compliant, efficient, and mission-aligned execution of all activities. The position reports to the Vice President, Contracts, Grants and Procurement.

The Director oversees the pre-award phase of the contracting process including identifying opportunities, execution of teaming agreements and Non Disclosure Agreements, developing business volumes for proposals and communicating with clients/funders on solicitation and award terms. This position will lead a team of specialists in supporting AIR’s Growth strategy while strengthening systems, mitigating risk, and driving continuous improvement.

This position has the flexibility to work remotely within the United States (U.S.) or from one of AIR’s U.S. office locations with occasional travel for meetings, training sessions, and conferences. This does not include U.S. territories.

About AIR

Founded in 1946 and headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, the American Institutes for Research (AIR) is a nonpartisan, not-for-profit organization that conducts behavioral and social science research and delivers technical assistance to address some of the most pressing challenges in the United States and globally. We generate evidence and apply data-driven solutions that expand opportunities and improve lives for all.

Responsibilities

The responsibilities for the position include:

Strategic Leadership

• Lead the development and execution of enterprise-wide strategies for pre-award contracts, aligned with organizational priorities and funding requirements.
• Serve as a trusted advisor to senior leadership on compliance, risk management, and optimization opportunities across all areas.

Contracts Management

• Oversee pre-award contracting processes, including solicitation, evaluation, and negotiation of new awards across federal, state, foundation, commercial, and other funding sources.
• Ensure effective planning and execution across a diverse portfolio of projects, funders, and vendors.

Compliance & Risk Management

• Ensure adherence to federal, state, and sponsor regulations, including Uniform Guidance and FAR, as well as internal policies.
• Establish and maintain risk management practices to safeguard organizational and legal interests and ensure audit readiness.

Operational Excellence

• Drive process improvements to enhance efficiency, transparency, and service delivery across contracting functions.
• Oversee systems, tools, and workflows to support effective tracking, reporting, and performance management.

People Leadership

• Lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing team by establishing clear goals, accountability, and professional development pathways.
• Support career development through coaching, training, and succession planning.
• Foster a culture of collaboration, continuous improvement, and service excellence.
• Align team structure and capabilities with organizational priorities and evolving business needs.

Cross-Functional Partnership

• Partner with Post-Award Contract Administration, Procurement, Finance, Legal, HR, and program teams to ensure alignment and effective support for project execution.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with clients, external partners, and other stakeholders within the business development ecosystem.

Reporting & Insights

• Provide leadership with insights on key metrics, including proposal compliance, client engagement, work process efficiency, cost savings, and risk trends.
• Support audits and reporting requirements through accurate and timely documentation.
• Duties, responsibilities, and activities may evolve based on business priorities and external requirements.

Qualifications

Education, Knowledge, and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Public Administration, Supply Chain Management, or a related field (Master’s or JD preferred).
• 12+ years of progressive experience across contracts, grants management, procurement, or related functions, including 5+ years in people management.
• Deep knowledge of federal and state contracting and grants regulations (e.g., FAR, Uniform Guidance).
• Experience supporting a wide range of funders from both public, private and commercial sectors.
• Experience negotiating a wide range of contract types including teaming agreements, NDAs, Federal Acquisition Contracts (CPFF, T&M, FFP), Federal Assistance Agreements (Cooperative Agreements), State funded contracts, Foundation grants and international/multilateral donor agreements.

Skills

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to influence across all levels.
• Strong organizational and project management skills, with the ability to thrive in a busy, high-volume, and deadline driven work team environment that requires coordination of multiple activities and the judgment and flexibility to reprioritize to accommodate emergency requests.
• Analytical and problem-solving capabilities with a focus on continuous improvement.
• Promote intelligent risk-taking by encouraging data-driven experimentation, challenging the status quo, and making bold decisions that strengthen operational effectiveness and business impact.
• Strategic thinker with the ability to translate complex requirements into actionable plans and measurable outcomes.
• Demonstrated success leading complex operations in highly regulated environments.
• Strong negotiation, stakeholder management, and decision-making capabilities.
• Proven ability to lead and develop high-performing, collaborative teams.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite and enterprise systems (e.g., ERP, contract and procurement platforms).

Disclosures: Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the U.S. on a full-time basis. Employment-based visa sponsorship (including H-1B sponsorship) is not available for this position. Depending on project work, qualified candidates may need to meet certain residency requirements.

American Institutes for Research is an equal employment opportunity/affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without discrimination on the basis of any characteristic protected by applicable federal, state or local law, including, but not limited to, actual or perceived race (including traits historically associated with race, such as hair texture, hair type, and protective hairstyles such as braid, locs, and twists), creed, color, religion, alienage or national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, age, physical or mental disability, medical condition (e.g., cancer), sex, gender, gender identity or expression (including transgender status), sexual orientation, marital status, civil union status, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, genetic information, or military or veteran status. AIR adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo reference and background checks. AIR maintains a drug-free work environment.

ACCESSIBILITY NOTICE: If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the employment process due to a physical or mental disability, please send an email to Taliba Boone at [email protected] or call 202.403.5000.

Fraudulent Job Scams Warning & Disclaimer: AIR is aware of individuals falsely presenting themselves as AIR representatives. Fraudulent job scams seek to extract sensitive information or money from victims. To protect yourself, please be aware that AIR recruitment will only email you from an “@air.org” domain. Please take extra caution while examining the email address, for example [email protected] is correct and [email protected] is not a legitimate AIR email address. If you are unsure of the legitimacy of a communication you have received, please reach out to [email protected]. If you see a job scam, or lose money to one, report it to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. You can also report it to your state attorney general. Find out more about how to avoid scams atftc.gov/scams.

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AIR’s Total Rewards Program, is designed to reward our staff competitively and motivate them to achieve our critical mission. This position offers the anticipated annual salary as listed. Salary offers are made based on internal equity within the institution and external equity with competitive markets. Please note this is the annual salary range for candidates that are based in the United States.

Anticipated Annual Salary Range$160,000—$200,000 USD