Agile Acquisition Subject Matter Expert

Riverside Research is seeking an experienced Agile Acquisition Subject Matter Expert (SME) to oversee the acquisition, development, negotiation, and administration of individual R&D projects and subcontracts within an enterprise-wide Research and Development (R&D) program portfolio and prime contract in support of the U.S. Department of War (DoW). As an Agile Acquisition SME, you will be managing the full lifecycle of individual R&D project awards - from solicitation and abstract review through award and post-award execution - ensuring alignment with program objectives and resource constraints. The Agile Acquisition SME will serve as a supporting role to the Riverside Research Contracts and Procurement Teams to help develop contract and agreement structures, KPIs, deliverable requirements, statements of work, and task descriptions for subcontractors and university teams that enable rapid R&D project execution.

Key Responsibilities:

Collaborate with the Riverside Research Contracts and Procurement Teams to develop agile acquisition strategies, contract structures, resource agreements, nondisclosure agreements, teaming agreements, statements of work, and terms and conditions with universities, frontier AI companies, and subcontractors
• Support program kickoff activities, prepare agendas, and deliver early-phase program materials and reports, with regular updates provided thereafter
• Collaborate with the Program Manager and R&D project stakeholders to establish strategies for IP considerations and security requirements
• Lead all R&D project solicitation activities to include publishing semiannual solicitation RFIs/RFPs; establishing and managing secure abstract submission processes; and coordinating abstract review cycles, stakeholder distribution, documentation, and Pitch Day invitations
• Issue selection and non-selection notifications with accuracy and compliance
• Align frontier AI companies and compute/model resources with selected university performers
• Work with Riverside Research Contracts and Procurement Teams to rapidly execute individual R&D projects and subcontracts and manage subsequent post-award administration
• Track deliverables, performance metrics, resource utilization, and financial execution across individual R&D projects and subcontracts
• Organize and prepare for R&D project demonstrations of prototype capabilities to key stakeholders to include leading demo preparations with university teams, managing demo logistics and reports, and overseeing the successful execution of R&D project demos
• Maintain stakeholder reporting, compliance, risk management, and formal closeout documentation for all R&D projects
• Communicate cross-functionally with other Riverside Research groups to align and leverage best practices in support of program security, information technology, and reporting requirements
• Other duties as assigned

Minimum Requirements:

• B.A./B.S. degree in engineering, computer science, finance, business, program management, or related field
• 8+ years of experience in contracts management, project management, or business operations
• 3+ years of experience managing fundamental research efforts in support of the USG defense and intelligence communities
• 3+ years of experience managing non-traditional acquisition efforts to include direct experience with Other Transaction Authority (OTA) or Commercial Solutions Openings (CSO) contract vehicles
• Excellent communication, documentation, and stakeholder coordination skills
• Demonstrated experience working with and negotiating terms and conditions with universities, frontier AI companies, or other commercial entities
• Active TS clearance and ability to obtain and maintain a TS/SCI clearance

Preferred Requirements:

• M.S. or M.B.A. degree
• Prior experience managing or collaborating on fundamental research or R&D efforts with DARPA, IARPA, NSF, and university teams
• Federal Acquisition Certification for Contracting Officer's Representatives or related certifications for Contracting Officer support
• DAWIA Level I or II Contracting Certification
• Familiarity with the state-of-the-art, R&D best practices, and go-to-market strategies in one or more of the following areas: AI/ML, high performance cloud computing, Agentic AI systems and platforms, dual-use (i.e., Commercial / Government) AI applications and solutions
• Current TS/SCI