Contracts Manager

CLINICAL CONTRACTS MANAGER (Hybrid)

Description

The Contract Manager will oversee the administration, negotiation, and management of complex federal contracts, subcontracts, and research-related agreements supporting health research and public health programs. This individual will serve as a key contracts resource supporting projects funded by agencies such as NIH, CDC, FDA, and HHS, ensuring compliance with contractual requirements, federal regulations, and organizational policies.

The successful candidate will independently manage a portfolio of federal awards, provide guidance on contract administration matters, support audits and compliance initiatives, and partner closely with program teams, finance, legal, and research operations staff to ensure successful contract execution.

Key Responsibilities

Contract Administration & Negotiation

Manage the full lifecycle of federal contracts, subcontracts, task orders, and modifications.

Review, negotiate, and administer contractual agreements with federal agencies, subcontractors, and research partners.

Ensure contractual obligations, deliverables, reporting requirements, and funding actions are properly executed.

Support proposal submissions and contract transition activities for newly awarded work.

Federal Compliance

Ensure compliance with FAR, agency-specific requirements, federal cost principles, and organizational policies.

Monitor contract performance and identify potential compliance risks.

Support internal reviews, sponsor audits, and government audits.

Maintain accurate contract records and documentation.

Research Partnerships & Agreements

Draft and administer research-related agreements including:

Subcontracts, Data Use Agreements (DUAs), Data Transfer Agreements (DTAs), Research Collaboration Agreements, Confidentiality Agreements

Coordinate with legal, compliance, and operational stakeholders to facilitate timely execution of agreements.

Operational Support

Serve as a contracts subject matter expert to project managers, investigators, and operational leaders.

Interpret contractual requirements and provide guidance on compliance and risk mitigation.

Track contract funding, periods of performance, option years, and key contractual milestones.

Support issue resolution between sponsors, vendors, and project teams.

Systems & Reporting

Maintain contract data within enterprise contract management systems such as Deltek Costpoint.

Generate contract status reports and portfolio updates.

Assist with contract forecasting and resource planning activities.

Typical Day-to-Day Activities

Reviewing NIH or FDA contract modifications

Negotiating subcontract terms with research partners

Coordinating with finance regarding funding actions

Supporting proposal and pricing reviews

Reviewing compliance requirements and audit documentation

Managing data-use and research collaboration agreements

Advising project teams on contractual obligations

Maintaining contract records within Deltek Costpoint

Top Skills Details

Contract administration,contract negotiation,Government Compliance,Cost Principles,Audit Readiness,Federal Health Research Contracts

Additional Skills & Qualifications

Basic Qualifications:

• Master’s degree or equivalent education and years of experience in business, contracts, management, or a related field, with at least 10 - 15 years of experience in Federal Government contracting and contract management, including extensive leadership responsibility overseeing teams and a diverse portfolio of health-related federal contracts or equivalent experience.

• Experience supporting NIH, CDC, FDA, and/or other federal health research agencies.

• Experience developing, negotiating, and administering complex federal contracts, subcontracts, and research-related agreements.

• Knowledge of government contractor compliance requirements, audits, cost principles, and contract administration best practices.

• Familiarity working with enterprise projects and contracts software (e.g., Deltek Costpoint).

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience supporting government-funded clinical research, public health, biomedical research, health informatics, or research services programs.

• Deep understanding of NIH contracting processes, clinical research operations, and federal health research environments.

• Experience supporting contracts for clinical research, biomedical research, real-world data (RWD), real-world evidence (RWE), health informatics, and public health programs on behalf of NIH, HHS, CDC, FDA, and/or other federal health agencies.

• Experience negotiating and administering data-related agreements, including data licensing, data use agreements (DUAs), data transfer agreements (DTAs), research collaboration agreements, and partnerships involving healthcare claims, EHR, registry, and other research datasets.

• Knowledge of health data privacy, security, and regulatory requirements, including HIPAA, human subjects research protections, data governance, and compliance requirements associated with federally funded research and public health initiatives.

• Experience using GSA schedules (MAS-PSC) and Best-In-Class contracting vehicles.

Job Type & Location

This is a Contract to Hire position based out of Rockville, MD.

Pay and Benefits

The pay range for this position is $67.00 - $69.00/hr.

Individual compensation offered for this position within this range will depend on many factors, including qualifications, skills, relevant experience, job knowledge, geographic location, internal equity, and other pertinent job-related factors.

Eligibility requirements apply to some benefits and may depend on your job classification and length of employment. Benefits are subject to change and may be subject to specific elections, plan, or program terms. If eligible, the benefits available for this temporary role may include the following: • Medical, dental & vision • Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital • 401(k) Retirement Plan – Pre-tax and Roth post-tax contributions available • Life Insurance (Voluntary Life & AD&D for the employee and dependents) • Short and long-term disability • Health Spending Account (HSA) • Transportation benefits • Employee Assistance Program • Time Off/Leave (PTO, Vacation or Sick Leave)

Workplace Type

This is a hybrid position in Rockville,MD.

Application Deadline

This position is anticipated to close on Sep 12, 2026.

About Actalent

Actalent is a global leader in engineering and sciences services and talent solutions. We help visionary companies advance their engineering and science initiatives through access to specialized experts who drive scale, innovation and speed to market. With a network of almost 20,000 consultants and 5,000 clients across the U.S., Canada, Asia and Europe, Actalent serves many of the Fortune 500. We are proud to be an Engineering News-Record (ENR) Top 500 Design Firm for our engineering design services and a ClearlyRated Best of Staffing® winner for both client and talent service.

The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without regard to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected by law.

If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation, such as the modification or adjustment of the job application process or interviewing process due to a disability, please email View email address on click.appcast.io for other accommodation options.

San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance: Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, for all positions located in the city and county of San Francisco, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Massachusetts Lie Detector: It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI): We may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support parts of our hiring process, including sourcing, screening, and evaluating candidates. AI helps assess applications and qualifications, but final decisions are made by our hiring team. By applying, you acknowledge and agree that your application may be reviewed using AI tools.