Senior Contract Specialist

About the Alliance: The Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay (Alliance) is a regional nonprofit organization whose vision is clean streams and rivers flowing through resilient landscapes, cared for by the people who live, work, and play in the Chesapeake Bay watershed; and whose mission is to bring together communities, companies, and conservationists to improve our lands and waters. The Alliance was founded in 1971 and has offices in Annapolis, MD, Lancaster, PA, Washington, D.C., and Richmond, VA.

Job Description: The Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay is seeking a highly experienced Senior Contract Specialist to lead and manage the organization’s contracting and procurement processes and support grant-related compliance, reporting, and administration. This role will be responsible for negotiating, drafting, reviewing, and executing contracts, in close coordination with applicable program staff, on behalf of the organization with delegated authority from executive leadership. In close coordination with the Chief Operating Officer and Finance Director, this position will ensure strong systems are in place to manage contract risk, support program implementation, and uphold compliance with complex federal, state, and foundation grant requirements. The ideal candidate will bring deep knowledge of nonprofit contract and grant structures, strong risk management instincts, and experience developing internal policies and tools to support organizational growth and accountability.

Specific Duties of the Position:

• Review, draft, negotiate, and execute contracts, subawards, and MOUs with partners, vendors, landowners, consultants, and funders.
• Provide expert guidance on complex agreement terms, risk management, indemnity, intellectual property, and insurance requirements.
• Serve as the organization’s point of contact for contract oversight and liaise with program and leadership staff when needed.
• Maintain contract and procurement lifecycle tools, templates, and documentation procedures across all teams.
• Support compliance with applicable grant agreement terms on a project-specific basis. This includes federal grant regulations (e.g., 2 CFR 200), and state or foundation-specific terms and conditions.
• Collaborate with finance and program teams to align contract scopes, deliverables, and budgets with grant requirements.
• Maintain the organization’s contract database.
• Support and advise on grant reporting processes, especially as they relate to deliverables, payment structures, and subrecipient management.
• Lead periodic internal reviews of contractual and grant documentation to identify gaps or risks. Work with staff and Board to review and implement practices to mitigate contractual risk.
• Train staff on procurement and contract protocols and grant compliance standards.

Minimum Qualifications & Experience:

• 5+ years of progressive experience in contracts management, procurement, or legal administration, preferably within a nonprofit or government-funded organization.
• Bachelor’s degree in business administration, law, public administration, or related field; JD or paralegal certification a plus.
• Deep familiarity with federal grant regulations (including 2 CFR 200) and nonprofit procurement standards.
• Demonstrated success independently negotiating and managing a variety of agreement types (subawards, consultant contracts, MOUs, service agreements).
• Experience supporting grant reporting processes and documentation alignment across departments.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills with a collaborative and proactive approach.

Supervision: The Senior Contract Specialist reports to the Chief Operating Officer, with secondary supervision provided by the Finance Director.

Hours and Location: The Specialist position is full-time remote, with the ability to work in one of the Alliance’s four regional offices (Annapolis, Lancaster, Richmond, or Washington D.C.). Some infrequent travel to the Alliance offices or partner sites may be required occasionally for meetings. The position is exempt, full-time (40 hours per week).

Salary: $85,000 – $100,000, commensurate with experience. Competitive benefits include: health, dental, and vision insurance, 403b retirement fund, life insurance, professional development opportunities, vacation, sick, and holiday and other leave, and more.