Senior Contracts Manager and Buyer

About the role

The Senior Contracts Manager and Buyer leads all procurement activities for the Applied Research Laboratory for Intelligence & Security (ARLIS) at the University of Maryland, supporting DoD‑sponsored, classified, and sponsor‑sensitive research programs.

Key responsibilities

• Plan, solicit, negotiate, award, administer, and close out a broad range of procurements.
• Provide acquisition strategy and procurement guidance to Principal Investigators and laboratory leadership.
• Develop and maintain procurement procedures, internal controls, and audit‑ready documentation.
• Manage procurement activity within University systems and support audits and reporting requirements.
• Collaborate with Procurement & Business Services, Research Administration, Export Control, Security, and General Counsel.

Required profile

• Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management, Business Administration, Public Administration, Finance, or related field.
• Eight years of progressively responsible procurement, purchasing, or contract administration experience, preferably in higher education, government, or a federally regulated environment.
• Experience leading procurements for DoD‑sponsored, classified, or sponsor‑sensitive research programs.
• Current or prior U.S. security clearance up to TS/SCI level.

Required skills

• Knowledge of FAR, DFARS, Uniform Guidance (2 CFR 200), and Maryland procurement regulations.
• Skill in negotiating pricing, terms, and conditions and performing cost and price analyses.
• Proficiency with Workday or comparable e‑procurement/ERP systems.
• Ability to manage high‑volume concurrent procurements while maintaining accuracy and compliance.
• Professional procurement certification (e.g., CPPO, CPPB, CPM, CPSM, CPCM, CFCM) is preferred.