Overview:
The Senior Contracting Officer will support proposal submissions and provide guidance on various rules and regulations (the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) including the Federal Acquisitions Regulation (FAR) and supplementary regulations, OMB Circulars, commercial regulations, and contract terms and conditions) that may affect technical and cost strategies, contract negotiations, and may present risk to RTI that would require mitigation.
Here at RTI, we share your drive to make the world better. We work to solve challenges facing science and society. We strive to learn and grow in a diverse and inclusive global environment. We make that happen by investing in you, through dynamic professional development, employee wellness, and work/life balance support. We believe this empowers our employees to accomplish our shared mission.
This position can be in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina or in any other US location or as a telecommuter.
Responsibilities:
- Review highly complex solicitations, administer highly complex contracts, and work closely with the technical team, subcontracts and procurement teams, and finance team to analyze and provide expert guidance on acquisition requirements, both federal and commercial (the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) including the Federal Acquisitions Regulation (FAR) and supplementary regulations, OMB Circulars, commercial regulations, and other terms and conditions), strategies, and risk, suggesting alternatives that lead to the best solution or engaging necessary stakeholders.
- Review proposals, applications, and modifications before final submission and/or execution.
- Coordinate with post-award staff to advise of contract compliance or other issues which will continue upon contract execution, including financial issues, payment terms, deliverables, security levels or other issues.
- Develop and integrate contract management tools, templates, methods, and processes.
- Review, draft, edit, and negotiate contractual terms and conditions with external customers.
- Attend bid boards, proposal review team meetings, kick-off meetings, lessons learned, and project risk meetings, and contribute to these meetings by presenting and championing contract-related issues and identifying technical and financial issues that may have contractual implications.
- Prepare teaming agreements, non-disclosure agreements, correspondence with customers, and other documents.
- Understand the appropriate use of standard forms and templates, and access current examples of contractual language as references for new transactions.
- Understand and apply RTI Policies and Procedures and organizational operating directives to the work as assigned.
- Escalate complex, risk related contracts issues appropriately to avoid unnecessary delays.
- Identify process improvements to maximize internal and external customer satisfaction and achieve increased effectiveness and efficiency.
- Share knowledge gained and lessons learned with other Office of Contracts staff, Finance, and other team members to enhance the contracting knowledge of RTI as a whole, and for individual contracts on topics including financial terms, payment terms, deliverables, security levels, or other issues.
- May provide some guidance to other lower lever positions, possibly as a mentor.
Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree with at least 5 years of experience or a Master’s degree and 3 years of experience or equivalent education and experience.
- Advanced knowledge of standard federal contractual agreements and regulations that include the following: CFR, FAR, OMB Circulars, and other federal terms and conditions.
- Knowledge of standard commercial contracting practices and contractual terms and conditions.
- Preferred: Experience managing and utilizing GSA Schedules.
- Comprehensive business knowledge and understanding of how to interpret corporate policies and procedures and operating guidance, coupled with the ability to apply these policy and procedures in submitting the business proposal and to explain the applicability.
- Experience working in a professional, cooperative, and collaborative manner with government and non-government clients and to work independently to resolve issues.
- Expert analytical skills, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills, including the ability to discern and analyze risks and recommend solutions.
- Highly organized and able to meet business-driven deadlines and commitments for a high-volume workload while maintaining a high level of quality and professionalism.
- Exemplary written and oral communication skills.
- Excellent negotiation skills and understanding of the negotiation process.
- Ability to exercise independent judgment in developing methods, techniques, and evaluation criteria for obtaining results.
- Able to resolve contracts and pricing issues independently and skillfully with reliable judgment.
- Excellence in advising and interacting with all levels of management, both orally and in writing.
- Proficiency in computer-based business applications (Microsoft software products, such as Word, Excel, Outlook or comparable software)