Contracts Manager

Overview

Draper is an independent, nonprofit research and development company headquartered in Cambridge, MA. The 2,000+ employees of Draper tackle important national challenges with a promise of delivering successful and usable solutions. From military defense and space exploration to biomedical engineering, lives often depend on the solutions we provide. Our multidisciplinary teams of engineers and scientists work in a collaborative environment that inspires the cross-fertilization of ideas necessary for true innovation.

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The Manager, Contracts is a portfolio manager supporting complex product lines or a full Business Area of responsibility. This role accomplishes work through a team of individual contributors spanning multiple job grades and may include a Senior Supervisor. This functional leader is program-facing with cross-functional matrix reporting to the VP/GM of a Business Area and/or the Business Area Directorate. The Manager, Contracts is a pivotal leader, developing a highly effective team of direct reports, and collaborating closely with program teams to ensure efficient and effective cradle-to-grave contract management that drives efficiency and partnership, supporting our annual operating plan, functional initiatives, and future-focused corporate strategies.

This role drives customer solutions and positive outcomes for business growth. Familiarization with a variety of contractual instruments, such as Department of Defense Contracts, Other Transactional Authority Agreements, Prime-to-Sub Contracts, and Intellectual Property Licensing Agreements, is a requirement to be successful in this role.

• Sole responsibility for cradle-to-grave contract management across a complex and strategic portfolio or a full Business Area
• Manage and coach a team of Contract Representatives engaged in supporting a fast-paced Contracts organization; work effectively with all staff to advance the goals of the corporation while developing talent on-the-job to motivate for excellence and encourage career progression
• Proactively work across the Contracts Operations team, other functions, Program Managers, and Business Area leaders to identify industry, customer, and situational trends, which may introduce risk into our contract terms and conditions, negotiation strategies, or execution plans; develop thorough and sustaining solutions to complex problems by applying a high degree of ingenuity, creativity, and innovation
• Prioritize customer relationships as an advocate for the corporation while addressing escalations and influencing for results
• Monitor and refine standard work processes to mitigate risk, reduce inefficiencies, and improve the responsiveness and accuracy of standard work; appropriately resource staffing needs within our annual operating budget and utilization goals
• Foster a compliance culture for regulatory standards, contract requirements, corporate policies, and functional procedures

• A leader within the Contracts function with expert level knowledge of FAR/DFARS, regulatory compliance, government acquisition framework, industry best practices for Contracts processes, and a lifelong student of understanding industry trends and anticipating regulatory changes/impacts
• Highly effective in understanding the complexity of the Contracts role in a cross-functional program team environment and influencing for results with government and industry partners
• Expert level business acumen, gained from working in a variety of roles with increasing responsibilities for a vast range of Contracts and customers within the Government Contracting industry, while being accountable for achieving annual operating plans, functional budgets, and other corporate objectives
• Industry expert in competitive captures, proposal management, negotiations, change management, dispute resolution, contract compliance, terms and conditions analysis, developing contracting and negotiation strategies, and contract closeout for a variety of contract types, vehicles, agreements, and customers
• Demonstrated experience with license agreements and Intellectual Property terms for furthering the goals of a Business Area IP Strategy
• Strong written and verbal communication skills and presentation skills with comfort around higher level leaders and direct reports
• Ability to perform in a leadership capacity for career development, mentoring, and knowledge transfer at multiple levels of an organization and grow a highly effective performing team
• Skilled in making and executing data-based decisions with a strong sense of timing, while remaining flexible and adaptable to pivot when making tough calls; ability to demonstrate effective soft skills in a multitude of situations while remaining diplomatic and relationship-centered
• Experience implementing and monitoring compliance to functional processes, business systems, and managing a variety of complex projects of strategic…