Director, Pre-Award Contracts

The posting, as American Institutes for Research wrote it

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

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, 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 tboone@air.org 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 jdoe@air.org is correct and jdoe@aircareers.org is not a legitimate AIR email address. If you are unsure of the legitimacy of a communication you have received, please reach out to recruitment@air.org. 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.

#LI-MP1 #LI-REMOTE
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