(634) Director of Contracts

Position Summary

The Director of Contracts & Governance serves as the company’s authoritative FAR, SBA, and contractual governance authority, responsible for overseeing the full contract lifecycle while establishing and enforcing enterprise contract governance, internal controls, and risk management frameworks. This role ensures the organization operates with discipline, consistency, and audit defensibility across FAR/DFARS compliance, SBA 8(a) execution, Joint Ventures, and Mentor-Protégé Program (MPP) structures, supporting both current small business operations and long-term transition to full-and-open competition.

Key Responsibilities:

Contract Governance & Internal Controls

• Establish and maintain a formal contracts governance framework, including policies, approval authorities, escalation paths, and risk tolerance thresholds.
• Define and enforce contract review boards, delegation of authority matrices, and signature authorities.
• Ensure consistency and compliance across all contract actions, including primes, subcontracts, JVs, and MPP entities.
• Serve as the executive owner of contractual internal controls, supporting audit readiness and enterprise risk management.

FAR, DFARS & Regulatory Authority 

• Act as the company’s primary FAR/DFARS authority, providing definitive interpretation and guidance.
• Ensure compliance with FAR Parts 1–16, 19, 31, 44, 52, DFARS, and agency supplements.
• Provide governance oversight for contract type selection, pricing structures, and clause applicability.
• Review and approve deviations, exceptions, and non-standard terms in alignment with governance standards. 

8(a), JV & Mentor-Protégé Program (MPP)

• Governance Oversee governance and compliance for SBA 8(a) contracts, including eligibility, performance of work, and reporting obligations. 
• Govern Joint Venture and MPP contractual structures, ensuring alignment with SBA approvals, operating agreements, and workshare requirements.
• Ensure compliance with FAR 52.219-14, SBA affiliation rules, JV profit distribution, and mentor/protégé responsibilities.
• Coordinate with executive leadership on SBA annual reviews, data calls, and compliance reporting.

Pre-Award & Proposal

• Governance Lead contractual governance for proposal development, including RFP review, compliance matrices, and contractual risk assessments. 
• Establish standards for go/no-go decision support, documenting contractual and regulatory risk posture.
• Ensure proposals align with corporate governance policies, approved contract types, and risk tolerance.

Post-Award Administration & Risk Management

• Govern execution of contracts, modifications, options, novation's, and closeout activities. 
• Lead negotiations with Contracting Officers and prime contractors within approved authority limits.
• Oversee claims, disputes, and protests in coordination with Legal and executive leadership.
•  Ensure governance controls over data rights, intellectual property, and security obligations.

Subcontracts & Supplier Governance

• Establish governance standards for subcontracting, including flow-downs, make/buy decisions, and workshare compliance.
•  Ensure subcontract execution aligns with FAR 52.244-2, SBA requirements, and JV agreements.
• Oversee supplier risk management, performance monitoring, and corrective actions.

Audit Readiness & Enterprise Risk Management

• Maintain audit-ready contract files and governance documentation supporting DCAA, DCMA, SBA, and agency reviews.
• Partner with Finance to ensure governance alignment on allowable costs, SCA wage determinations, indirect rates, and billing compliance.
• Lead corrective action planning and continuous improvement efforts related to contractual findings.

Leadership & Governance Maturity

• Build and lead a Contracts team with strong FAR, SBA, and governance discipline.
• Develop and maintain contracts policies, SOPs, templates, training, and governance artifacts.
• Support enterprise maturity initiatives aligned with ISO, CMMI, and internal cont.

Responsibilities and/or Success Factors:

• FAR decisions are consistent, defensible, and audit-ready, with minimal corrective actions required. 8(a), JV, and Mentor-Protégé Program structures remain fully compliant, with no eligibility, workshare, or affiliation findings.
• Contract risks are identified early, documented, and mitigated prior to award or execution.
• Proposals demonstrate strong contractual compliance and clear risk positioning, supporting wins without downstream issues.
• Audits (DCAA, DCMA, SBA) are supported with complete, well-organized documentation and timely responses.
• Contract documentation, approvals, and records are complete, accurate, and audit-ready at all times, with governance workflows consistently followed and no material findings related to file management, approvals, or version control.
• Governance processes are applied consistently across the enterprise, including primes, subcontracts, JVs, and MPP entities.
• The Contracts function operates as a trusted business partner, enabling growth without compromising compliance.
• Executive leadership receives clear, actionable guidance on contractual, regulatory, and governance risk

Required Qualifications Including Certificates: 

• Bachelor’s degree in business, Legal Studies, Finance, or related field (JD or Master’s preferred)
• 10+ years of federal government contracting experience with deep FAR application.
• Demonstrated experience supporting SBA 8(a) contracts and compliance activities.
• Direct experience with Joint Ventures and SBA Mentor-Protégé Program (MPP) structures.
• Proven experience establishing contract governance frameworks and internal controls.
• Strong working knowledge of FAR, DFARS, SBA regulations, and agency supplements.
•  Experience supporting audits, protests, claims, and disputes.
• Executive-level communication and decision-making capability.

Desired Qualifications:

• Experience guiding organizations through small business to full-and-open transitions.
• NCMA certification (CPCM, CFCM, CCCM).
• Experience with DoD and civilian agencies.
• Familiarity with Deltek Costpoint, ServiceNow, and GovCon CRM tools.
• Experience supporting ISO, CMMI, or similar governance frameworks