Director of Proposal Development & Contracts Management

Overview

This position will be located in Huntsville, AL

The Office of the Senior Vice President for Research and Economic Development seeks a highly qualified and strategic leader to serve as Director of Proposal Development & Contracts Management. This position provides leadership for institutional efforts to identify, pursue, and secure external funding through large-scale, multi-institutional research proposals, federal contract opportunities, and strategic partnerships that advance Auburn University's research mission and national prominence.

The Director will lead business development and capture activities, oversee complex proposal and contract development initiatives, and ensure compliance with federal regulations, research security requirements, and sponsor expectations. Serving as a trusted advisor to AU-ARI leadership, this position provides strategic guidance on federal funding opportunities, sponsor engagement, contracting risk, research security, and organizational growth strategies. The Director will cultivate and maintain relationships with federal agencies, defense organizations, industry partners, and Redstone Arsenal stakeholders, representing Auburn University in key external engagements. Through these efforts, the position will enhance Auburn's competitiveness for sponsored research funding, expand strategic collaborations, and strengthen the university's national research and innovation footprint.

Responsibilities

• Provides strategic leadership for AU-ARI's proposal development, contracts management, and federal research growth initiatives, establishing organizational priorities and long-term funding strategies that support institutional objectives and mission-critical research programs.
• Directs federal capture and opportunity development activities by identifying, evaluating, and pursuing complex funding opportunities from the Department of Defense, NASA, Department of Energy, Department of Homeland Security, and other federal sponsors.
• Develops and implements enterprise-level capture strategies for large-scale, multi-institutional, interdisciplinary, restricted, and classified research opportunities, including cooperative agreements, Other Transaction Authorities (OTAs), Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contracts, Broad Agency Announcements (BAAs), and other federal acquisition vehicles.
• Leads strategic business development efforts to position AU-ARI for sustained growth in federally funded research, defense contracting, and technology transition programs by cultivating relationships with agency stakeholders, prime contractors, industry partners, and research collaborators.
• Serves as a principal advisor to AU-ARI leadership on federal funding strategy, sponsor engagement, research security requirements, contracting risks, partnership development, and organizational growth opportunities.
• Directs the development and submission of highly competitive proposals and contract applications, including complex multi-partner, multidisciplinary, and cost-reimbursable projects requiring extensive coordination among internal and external stakeholders.
• Provides leadership in technology transition and research commercialization activities by facilitating pathways that move research outcomes from development to operational implementation and sponsor adoption.
• Establishes and oversees strategic proposal development infrastructure, including proposal management processes, review protocols, compliance standards, templates, resource planning, and operational workflows.
• Leads research security and compliance initiatives, ensuring adherence to university policies and federal requirements related to NSPM-33, export controls, Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI), ITAR/EAR regulations, foreign influence mitigation, current and pending support disclosures, and classified research activities.
• Directs post-award contracts management and oversight activities to ensure effective project execution, fiscal stewardship, regulatory compliance, sponsor reporting, award modifications, and project closeout.
• Develops and maintains strategic relationships with federal agencies, defense organizations, Redstone Arsenal tenants, military commands, industry partners, and research consortia to expand Auburn University's research portfolio and collaborative opportunities.
• Represents AU-ARI in executive-level meetings, sponsor briefings, industry forums, proposers' conferences, consortium activities, and federal engagement opportunities to advance Auburn University's research and national security objectives.
• Provides strategic guidance to investigators, research leadership, and administrative personnel regarding sponsor priorities, proposal competitiveness, funding diversification, regulatory requirements, and research growth strategies.
• Collaborates with university leadership, the Office of Sponsored Programs, Contracts and Grants Accounting, compliance offices, principal investigators, and external stakeholders to promote effective administration of sponsored research activities and institutional compliance.
• Leads, develops, and evaluates personnel responsible for research development, proposal management, contract administration, and compliance functions, ensuring high-quality support services and achievement of organizational objectives.

Qualifications

• Must be a U.S. citizen
• Bachelor's degree field appropriate to the position.
• 7 years of experience leading federal research development, proposal strategy, contracts management, and business development initiatives within a complex research environment. 
• Some positions may need to qualify for Department of Defense security clearance. 

Desired Qualifications:

• Department of Defense security clearance upon hire. 

Desired Experience:

• Desired experience includes securing and administering sponsored programs from federal agencies such as DoD, NASA, DOE, and DHS. Experience developing capture strategies, managing large-scale interdisciplinary proposals, navigating research security and regulatory requirements, cultivating strategic partnerships, and providing executive-level leadership to grow federally funded research portfolios and technology transition efforts.

Minimum Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Comprehensive knowledge of federal research funding mechanisms, acquisition regulations, and sponsored program administration, including grants, cooperative agreements, Other Transaction Authorities (OTAs), Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contracts, Broad Agency Announcements (BAAs), and Department of Defense contracting processes.
• Extensive knowledge of federal and university research compliance requirements, including NSPM-33, export controls, ITAR/EAR regulations, Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI), classified research requirements, foreign influence mitigation, and related sponsor policies.
• Demonstrated skill in identifying, evaluating, and pursuing high-value federal funding opportunities through strategic capture planning, sponsor engagement, partnership development, and competitive positioning of complex research initiatives.
• Advanced skill in directing the development, submission, negotiation, and administration of large-scale, multi-institutional research proposals and sponsored agreements while ensuring compliance, fiscal accountability, and alignment with organizational objectives.
• Ability to provide strategic leadership for multidisciplinary proposal development, technology transition, and research expansion efforts involving diverse stakeholders, multiple funding sources, and complex regulatory environments.
• Ability to establish and maintain productive relationships with federal agencies, industry partners, military organizations, university leadership, and research collaborators to advance institutional research priorities and long-term funding success.

Contract Type

Continuing
Why Work at Auburn

• Life-Changing Impact: Our work changes lives through research, instruction, and outreach, making a lasting impact on our students, our communities, and the world.
• Culture of Excellence: We are committed to leveraging our strengths, resources, collaboration, and innovation as a top employer in higher education.
• We’re Here for You: Auburn offers generous benefits, educational opportunities, and a culture of support and work/life balance.
• Sweet Home Alabama: The Auburn/Opelika area offers southern charm, vibrant downtown scenes, top-ranked schools, and easy access to Atlanta, Birmingham, and the Gulf of Mexico beaches.
• A Place for Everyone: Auburn is committed to fostering an environment where all faculty, staff, and students are welcomed, valued, respected, and engaged.
• Ready to lead and shape the future of higher education? Apply today! War Eagle!

Equal Opportunity Compliance Statement


It is our policy to provide equal employment and education opportunities for all individuals without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, age, disability, protected veteran status, genetic information, or any other classification protected by applicable law. Please visit the Office of Equal Opportunity Compliance's website to learn more.
Posted Date

9/16/2026