Director of Contracting (National Security Research)

Location: On-site in College Station, Texas, United States; travel required as organizational needs require.

Company

INSPIRE Alliance is a Texas nonprofit corporation established by TEES to advance applied national security research and mission-ready engineering through government, academic, and industry partnerships.

What you will do

• Lead the review, drafting, negotiation, administration, modification, and closeout of federal contracts, grants, cooperative agreements, subcontracts, and teaming arrangements.
• Evaluate contractual terms, funding limits, deliverables, milestones, reporting, payment provisions, intellectual property, data rights, publication provisions, and termination exposure.
• Advise executive leadership, finance, business development, program managers, principal investigators, government personnel, industry partners, and institutional counterparts on contract obligations and risks.
• Assess FAR, DFARS, Cost Accounting Standards, sponsor requirements, clause flow-downs, representations, certifications, and proposal compliance.
• Coordinate security, controlled information, cybersecurity, export-control, and foreign-involvement requirements with legal, compliance, research-security, and IT personnel.
• Build contracting policies, workflows, templates, records standards, agreement repositories, tracking systems, and staff capabilities for a growing award portfolio.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in business administration, public administration, law, finance, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience consistent with applicable employment requirements.
• Ten years of progressively responsible contracting experience, including substantial experience negotiating and administering federal contracts and complex agreements.
• Strong knowledge of federal contracting practices, acquisition requirements, contract types, subcontract administration, and proposal compliance.
• Ability to negotiate complex agreements, explain contractual obligations clearly, exercise sound judgment, and escalate matters requiring executive or legal decisions.
• Ability to establish efficient workflows, maintain accurate records, manage competing deadlines, and collaborate across government, academia, and industry.
• Professional discretion and commitment to ethical contracting, confidentiality, and appropriate separation of approval responsibilities.
• Eligibility for security clearance is required for assignments requiring access; an active clearance is strongly preferred.
• Ability to satisfy security and access requirements, maintain confidentiality of sensitive information, work on-site in College Station, and travel as required.
• Ability to present acceptable original documents proving identity and authorization to work in the United States for federal I-9 verification.

Nice to have

• Experience interpreting solicitations and award terms, assessing contractual risk, and coordinating with technical, finance, legal, and compliance teams.
• Experience in defense, national security, sponsored research, or nonprofit contracting environments.
• Experience developing contracting procedures, leading teams, or establishing contracting systems.
• Advanced degree or relevant professional contracting certification.
• Active security clearance.

Culture & Benefits

• Full-time staff employment with medical, prescription, vision, dental, life, and long-term disability insurance options.
• Defined-benefit retirement plan with an 8.25% employer contribution, plus voluntary 403(b) and 457(b) programs.
• Paid holidays, vacation, and sick leave, along with flexible spending accounts.
• Professional development through LinkedIn Learning, tuition assistance, educational release time, and wellness programs.
• Support the development of INSPIRE Alliance’s independent contracting capabilities and the potential transition of contracting functions and personnel to direct corporate employment, subject to approved plans and delegations.

Hiring process

• Submit a resume or CV, a letter of interest, and contact information for three work references, including at least one supervisor or former supervisor.
• All required application data must be entered; incomplete application data may result in an invalid submission and rejection.
• Employment is contingent on credential verification, criminal history investigation, and other institutional checks.