[Hiring] Senior Manager, Sourcing and Subcontracts @American Institutes for Research

Role Description

AIR’s Contracts, Grants & Procurement (CGP) team is seeking a talented Senior Manager, Sourcing and Subcontracts to join its forward-thinking and supportive team. This role will lead enterprise-wide strategic sourcing initiatives and provide functional leadership and oversight for subcontract administration throughout the entire project lifecycle, from proposal development through project execution and closeout.

This role will serve as a key advisor on complex procurement and subcontracting matters, leading a high-performing team while driving sourcing strategies, supporting negotiations, ensuring regulatory and contractual compliance, and delivering reporting and insights that align with organizational objectives and client requirements. The position plays a critical role in strengthening procurement and subcontract management practices, mitigating risk, and fostering effective partnerships with internal and external stakeholders.

Reporting to the Senior Director, Subcontracts & Procurement, this position is focused on strategic procurement leadership, subcontract administration, and sourcing excellence. It is distinct from transactional purchasing functions and emphasizes strategy, governance, compliance, and operational impact at an organizational level.

This position has the flexibility to work remotely within the United States (U.S.) or from one of our U.S. office locations. Occasional travel is required for meetings, training sessions, and conferences.

Key Responsibilities

• Strategic Sourcing & Procurement Leadership
  • Lead strategic sourcing initiatives and complex competitive procurements (RFPs, RFIs, RFQs) that support both client-driven and enterprise-wide business needs.
  • Develop sourcing strategies, lead negotiations, and proactively manage procurement risks to optimize cost, quality, compliance, and business outcomes.
• Subcontract Oversight
  • Provide functional oversight and guidance to Subcontract Administrators across pre-award and post-award activities.
  • Participate in proposal and project kickoffs to determine subcontracting strategies and subcontract administrator engagement requirements.
  • Serve as the escalation point for complex subcontract administration issues, risks, and negotiations.
  • Support subcontract negotiations, contract formation, modifications, and issue resolution.
  • Develop and maintain subcontracting templates, tools, and standard operating procedures to drive consistency and effectiveness.
• Compliance, Risk Management & Reporting
  • Ensure compliance with procurement policies, subcontract requirements, and applicable regulations while supporting audits and maintaining audit-ready documentation.
  • Monitor and escalate procurement and subcontract risks, and provide management reporting on operational activity, compliance metrics, key issues, resolutions, performance trends, and process improvement opportunities.
• People Leadership & Team Development
  • Lead, coach, and develop a talented team, promoting engagement, accountability, and professional growth.
  • Set performance expectations, provide ongoing feedback, and support talent development and knowledge sharing across the team.
  • Foster a collaborative, customer-focused team culture that drives innovation, adaptability, and high-quality service delivery.
• Process Improvement & Operational Excellence
  • Lead the standardization and continuous improvement of procurement and subcontract administration processes, tools, templates, and best practices to drive efficiency and consistency.
  • Promote operational excellence through streamlined processes, enhanced stakeholder experience, transparency, accountability, and effective service delivery.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration & Stakeholder Management
  • Partner with program teams, business development, proposals, legal, compliance, finance, and purchasing to develop and execute effective sourcing and subcontracting strategies.
  • Advise stakeholders on procurement best practices, supplier performance, risk mitigation, and issue resolution to support organizational and project objectives.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or a minimum of nine years of equivalent professional experience.
• Demonstrated experience in strategic sourcing, procurement, subcontract administration, and contract lifecycle management.
• Experience working in compliance-driven environments, preferably within the U.S. Federal Government contracting space.
• Legal background or experience supporting contract drafting, review, and vendor negotiations; J.D. and/or procurement-related certifications (e.g., CPSM, CIPS, CPP) are a plus.
• Proficiency with e-sourcing platforms, procurement technologies, and contract management systems.
• Knowledge of procurement regulations, compliance requirements, risk management principles, and subcontracting best practices.

Skills

• Strong communication, influencing, and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to build relationships and engage effectively across all organizational levels.
• Strong strategic sourcing, procurement, and subcontract administration expertise, including competitive procurements, supplier management, and contract negotiations.
• Strong analytical, strategic thinking, and problem-solving skills, with the ability to evaluate risks, interpret data, and support informed decision-making.
• Strong people leadership skills, with the ability to coach, mentor, motivate, and develop a high-performing team while fostering collaboration, adaptability, and continuous improvement.
• Highly organized, with the ability to manage multiple priorities, complex procurements, and competing deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Exceptional attention to detail and commitment to accuracy, ensuring high-quality documentation, reporting, and compliance.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft 365 applications, including OneDrive, SharePoint, Excel (advanced), Word, PowerPoint, and Adobe Acrobat Pro, Copilot, and other AI tools.

Disclosures

• Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the U.S. on a full-time basis. Employment-based visa sponsorship (including H-1B sponsorship) is not available for this position.
• American Institutes for Research is an equal employment opportunity/affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without discrimination on the basis of any characteristic protected by applicable federal, state or local law.
• AIR adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo reference and background checks. AIR maintains a drug-free work environment.

Benefits

• Anticipated Annual Salary Range: $130,000 — $160,000 USD