Head of Contracts

About Alvarez & Marsal

Alvarez & Marsal (A&M) is a global consulting firm with entrepreneurial, action and results-oriented professionals. We take a hands-on approach to solving our clients' problems and assisting them in reaching their potential. Our culture celebrates independent thinkers and doers who positively impact our clients and shape our industry. The collaborative environment and engaging work—guided by A&M's core values of Integrity, Quality, Objectivity, Fun, Personal Reward, and Inclusive Diversity—are why our people love working at A&M.

Summary / Objective:

The Director of Contracts and Risk Management leads the Public Sector Contracts Office to provide enterprise contract management and risk governance for public sector engagements across Federal, State, Local, and Education markets. The role partners with client-facing go-to-market teams, A&M’s Global Risk Officer, and General Counsel to manage risk and provide operational support across the full contact lifecycle – capture / pre-proposal, contract award / negotiation, post-signature delivery, and close-out -- including designing tools, templates, and policies that operationalize contractual obligations, compliance requirements, and delivery risk mitigation.

Essential Functions / Key Responsibilities:

Core responsibilities include:

• Serving as Public Sector’s Risk Manager
• Leading Public Sector’s Contracts Office and team of Contracts Manager(s)
• Executing a global engagement risk lifecycle: identify, assess, manage, monitor, and report
• Building tools, templates, processes, governance, and training to strengthen public-sector delivery risk and compliance
• Partnering with client-facing go-to-market teams in the capture process to strategically position opportunities and assess fundamental risks given the nature of the work
• Reviewing and redlining RFPs and contractual documents (Prime Contracts, Subcontracts, SOWs, change orders, renewals) in alignment with A&M’s risk profile and to avoid overextended obligations or guaranteed results
• Leading negotiations including complex agreements

Contracts and Risk Management:

• Serve as Public Sector’s Risk Manager
• Collaborate with Legal and Risk Management teams
• Identify, mitigate, and monitor contractual risk
• Prepare executive summaries for internal stakeholders; leverage tools to streamline review and analysis
• Apply customized work rules and risk protocols based on engagement factors; build tools/processes that help teams operationalize obligations and mitigate delivery risk
• Lead risk-related strategic initiatives
• Define future-state processes and success criteria
• Design/test templates and frameworks
• Facilitate stakeholder engagement, reviews, and pilot sessions
• Develop implementation plans
• Lead training
• Design operating model for Risk Management / Contracts Office
• Establish risk management governance model and reporting cadence with Legal, Global Risk, and Public Sector leadership
• Establish escalation pathways for risk reviews, conflicts, and complex proposals/contracts
• Define metrics (e.g., cycle time, exception rate, issue closure SLA, compliance audit findings, SPRS/CMMC status) and dashboard reporting
• Provide responsive, flexible support on emerging or unplanned risk matters; respond to engagement teams’ requests; collaborate on special projects
• Govern and maintain the internal risk management SharePoint site, including standard engagement letter formats, knowledge assets, and training content
• Participate in and contribute to A&M Risk Community and leverage best practices and processes developed by the Global Risk Office and/or other SBUs for the benefit of Public Sector
• Lead front-end deal support across Federal, State, Local, and Education pursuits
• Collaborate on capture strategy and opportunity positioning
• Review and revise RFPs / RFQs to align with firm policies as well as firm/Public Sector risk standards
• Prepare compliant response language, administrative content, and representations and certifications
• Draft, redline, and negotiate NDAs, Teaming Agreements, and modifications with appropriate involvement of A&M’s General Counsel
• Advise on FAR/DFARS and State & Local regulatory clauses and impacts
• Support contract negotiations, including complex and non-standard agreements
• Serve as the primary contracts interface with client stakeholders and teaming partners
• Maintain communications with Contracting Officers, CORs, Contract Specialists, teaming partners, and subcontract administrators to resolve proposal/contract questions and discuss modifications
• Lead SOW risk consultation, required escalation with Public Sector Leadership, Division, and Sphere Head, and post-signature contracting support (change orders, renewals), ensuring obligations are understood and operationalized in partnership with engagement leadership, client-facing teams, Global Risk Officer, and General Counsel

Compliance:

• Manage compliance and accuracy of Federal and S&L administration requirements
• Ensure timely reporting and data integrity in systems such as SAM.gov, GSA E-Buy, and Assist; monitor updates and resolve discrepancies
• Monitor Supplier Performance Risk System (SPRS) score and Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) compliance and flow downs
• Integrate cloud/data/privacy/security considerations into risk and compliance practices for public sector engagements
• Develop, write, and modify contract and compliance policies, SOPs, and guidelines
• Maintain a catalog of policies, procedures, and protocols related to client engagements
• Collaborate with A&M’s Global People Organization (GPO) to manage internal records and documentation
• Evaluate and analyze compliance data and present assessments

Leadership and Development:

• Lead and mentor contracts team and client-facing / go-to-market teams, providing guidance, coaching, feedback, and professional development
• Foster an inclusive, collaborative culture, promoting knowledge sharing and delivery excellence

Competencies – Refer to Competency Framework / Operations Senior Director:

• Operations Competency Framework­­­­­­­­­­ TBD

Work Environment:

• Fast-paced and dynamic consulting environment with tight deadlines, multiple projects, and shifting / competing priorities
• Stakeholder / client centric
• Flexible working hours required to meet practice needs and project demands and deadlines

Travel Required:

• Travel may be required to AM office sites

Skills:

• Mastery of Federal and State & Local contract types (FFP, LOE, T&M, CTAs, etc.), solicitation frameworks, (FAR Parts 8, 15, 16), and OTAs; fluency with GSA Schedules, GWACs, IDIQ/BPAs
• Expertise in state and local laws, regulations, and contract statutes
• Proven expertise in:
• Executive advisory and stakeholder influence
• C-suite communication and decision support
• Complex and non-standard contracts negotiation
• Regulatory compliance strategy and interpretation
• Privacy governance (policy design and operationalization)
• Risk assessment and mitigation (regulatory, privacy, operational)
• Public sector governance and accountability frameworks
• Ethical leadership and integrity-driven decision-making
• Protocol development for sensitive information handling
• Confidentiality management (legal, personnel, business disclosures)
• Cross-functional coordination with legal, HR, and compliance
• Policy implementation and compliance monitoring
• Incident response and escalation for sensitive matters
• Training and awareness on ethics, privacy, and compliance
• Documentation and audit readiness for regulated environments
• Change management in regulated/public sector contexts
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment under tight deadlines
• Ability to engage, communicate, and influence senior executives
• Excellent writing and organization skills
• Proficient in Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and experience managing pages and assets on SharePoint

Education & Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in business administration or related field required
• Advanced degree (MBA, JD) and/or professional NCMA certifications (CFCM, CCCM, CPCM) preferred
• Ability to obtain a US government security clearance
• 15 years of relevant experience across Federal and State & Local government procurements with 5-7 years of end-to-end contracting lifecycle ownership and delivery risk mitigation
• 5-7 years of people leadership experience preferred
• Proven experience in contracts management, risk management, and consulting within management consulting
• Experience with multiple contract types (e.g., FFP, FFP LOE, T&M, CTAs), solicitation types (e.g., FAR Parts 8, 15, 16), and Other Transaction Agreements (OTAs); familiarity with managed services / BPO constructs and modern public sector technology domains (cloud/data/privacy/security)
• Experience with Federal and State & Local vehicles and frameworks, including GSA Schedules, GWACs, IDIQ/BPAs, OTAs; sector breadth in Healthcare and Education is a plus