Overview

Draper is an independent, nonprofit research and development company headquartered in Cambridge, MA. The 1,800 employees of Draper tackle important national challenges with a promise of delivering successful and usable solutions. From military defense and space exploration to biomedical engineering, lives often depend on the solutions we provide. Our multidisciplinary teams of engineers and scientists work in a collaborative environment that inspires the cross-fertilization of ideas necessary for true innovation. For more information about Draper, visit www.draper.com.

Our work is very important to us, but so is our life outside of work. Draper supports many programs to improve work-life balance including workplace flexibility, employee clubs ranging from photography to yoga, health and finance workshops, off site social events and discounts to local museums and cultural activities. If this specific job opportunity and the chance to work at a nationally renowned R&D innovation company appeals to you, apply now www.draper.com/careers.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Draper is committed to creating a diverse environment and is proud to be an affirmative action and equal opportunity employer. We understand the value of diversity and its impact on a high-performance culture. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran status, or genetic information.

Draper is committed to providing access, equal opportunity and reasonable accommodation for individuals with disabilities in employment, its services, programs, and activities. To request reasonable accommodation, please contact hr@draper.com.

Responsibilities

Reporting directly to the Vice President of Contracts, the Contracts Operations Manager is a dynamic leader responsible for the business system related roles and responsibilities for the Contracts function, as well as other operational activities of the company’s Contracting department and support processes. The Contracts Operations Manager works closely with the Contracting Staff, leaders in the Contracts and Subcontracts organization and other functional departments and program teams to ensure efficient and effective contract start-up and closeout operations, enabling successful contract execution and payment. A successful candidate will have experience in full cradle-to-grave contracts management, business administration of a functional team, with a drive towards efficiency and positive change. Familiarization with a variety of contractual instruments, such as Department of Defense Contracts, Federal Grants and Intellectual Property Licensing Agreements, is a requirement to be successful in this role.

This position is requires being on site at our Cambridge campus with some ability for hybrid work, depending on schedule and resource needs to be determined by the hiring manager.

Key Responsibilities

• Managing and coaching a team of Contracts Specialists engaged in supporting a fast-paced Contracts organization, specifically for Contract Set-Up and Contract Closeout phases of the contracting lifecycle
• Create, implement, and improve processes to mitigate risk, reduce inefficiencies, and improve responsiveness and accuracy of standard work
• Key player in business tool transitions, specifically leading our ERP implementation for our Contracts function
• Accountability for Contracts’ roles and responsibilities performed within approved business system tools for data entry, record retention, reporting, metrics, and dashboards
• Assess and analyze trends for improved outcomes
• Works effectively with all staff to advance the goals of the company
• Ensure and foster compliance with corporate and regulatory standards
• Manage oversight of other corporate processes, such as NDAs
• Maintain oversight of certifications and representations, as well as company registrations, such as CAGE Codes and other prime contractor applications
• Train new and current staff members on systems, processes, and roles and responsibilities
• Regular audit support to our accounting, compliance and finance teams coordinating and preparing contract documentation for submission to auditors
• Support business management changes and lead team into our future state processes

Qualifications

Required Qualifications:

• 7 years of experience with in-depth contract management in a DoD Contracting environment
• Expertise with enterprise ERP systems and contract lifecycle management software
• Knowledge of FAR and DFARs, legal terminology and contract principles for risk management
• Fluency with Microsoft Office Suite
• Ability to quickly learn new systems and ease of operations working in multiple systems
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills with a proven ability to work collaboratively across multiple internal functional areas
• Capacity to manage multiple priorities simultaneously and independently, using strong organizational and problem-solving skills
• Superior attention to detail and a passion for high quality work

Preferred Qualifications: 

• Active Secret or TS Clearance
• Leadership experience transitioning ERP systems for a functional team
• Proficiency with Unanet ERP and CLM tools and with Sharepoint
• Experience working in matrixed organizations with corporate oversight
• Prior ownership of approved business systems for a government contractor

Security Requirement:

• Applicants selected for this position will be required to obtain and maintain a government security clearance.