Senior Manager, Sourcing and Subcontracts

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.

The key responsibilities for the position include, but are not limited to, the following:

• - Lead strategic sourcing initiatives and complex competitive procurements (RFPs, RFIs, RFQs) that support both client-driven and enterprise-wide business needs.
• - Develop sourcing strategies, lead negotiations, and proactively manage procurement risks to optimize cost, quality, compliance, and business outcomes.

• - Provide functional oversight and guidance to Subcontract Administrators across pre-award and post-award activities.
• - Participate in proposal and project kickoffs to determine subcontracting strategies and subcontract administrator engagement requirements.
• - Serve as the escalation point for complex subcontract administration issues, risks, and negotiations.
• - Support subcontract negotiations, contract formation, modifications, and issue resolution.
• - Develop and maintain subcontracting templates, tools, and standard operating procedures to drive consistency and effectiveness.

• - Ensure compliance with procurement policies, subcontract requirements, and applicable regulations while supporting audits and maintaining audit-ready documentation.
• - Monitor and elevate procurement and subcontract risks, and provide management reporting on operational activity, compliance metrics, key issues, resolutions, performance trends, and process improvement opportunities.

• - Lead, coach, and develop a talented team, promoting engagement, accountability, and professional growth.
• - Set performance expectations, provide ongoing feedback, and support talent development, and knowledge sharing across the team.
• - Foster a collaborative, customer-focused team culture that drives innovation, adaptability, and high-quality service delivery.

• - Lead the standardization and continuous improvement of procurement and subcontract administration processes, tools, templates, and best practices to drive efficiency and consistency.
• - Promote operational excellence through streamlined processes, enhanced stakeholder experience, transparency, accountability, and effective service delivery.

• - Partner with program teams, business development, proposals, legal, compliance, finance, and purchasing to develop and execute effective sourcing and subcontracting strategies.
• - Advise stakeholders on procurement best practices, supplier performance, risk mitigation, and issue resolution to support organizational and project objectives.

• - Bachelor’s degree or a minimum of nine years of equivalent professional experience.
• - Demonstrated experience in strategic sourcing, procurement, subcontract administration, and contract lifecycle management.
• - Experience working in compliance-driven environments, preferably within the U.S. Federal Government contracting space.
• - Legal background or experience supporting contract drafting, review, and vendor negotiations; J.D. and/or procurement-related certifications (e.g., CPSM, CIPS, CPP) are a plus.
• - Proficiency with e-sourcing platforms, procurement technologies, and contract…