Senior Manager, Strategic Contract Initiatives

Job description

CONSEQUENTIAL WORK. DEDICATED PEOPLE. ABOUT ONEBRIEF Onebrief builds collaboration and AI-powered workflow software for military planning and operational coordination. Today, many critical planning workflows still rely on fragmented systems, static documents, and disconnected tools that make collaboration and decision-making unnecessarily difficult. Onebrief brings modern software, AI, and real-time collaboration into those environments, helping teams operate with greater clarity, coordination, and adaptability in situations where decisions carry real-world consequences. We are a distributed team of builders from military, operational, and technology backgrounds who care deeply about improving how important work gets done. Some team members work remotely, while others work directly alongside customers in operational environments around the world. Founded in 2019, Onebrief is backed by leading investors including General Catalyst, Battery Ventures, Insight Partners, Sapphire Ventures, and Human Capital. Valued at more than $2 billion, we continue to invest in product innovation, AI capabilities, and team growth. WHY THIS ROLE EXIST Onebrief's most strategic government initiatives require more than strong contract administration. They require experienced leadership capable of navigating complex contractual obligations while partnering closely with program managers, customer success, product, finance, and customer stakeholders to ensure successful execution. This role exists to provide contract leadership across a portfolio of the company's highest-priority initiatives, where effective communication, thoughtful risk management, and disciplined execution directly influence customer success and long-term strategic growth. You'll help ensure contractual commitments remain aligned with operational realities, proactively identify and communicate emerging risks, and work across teams to resolve issues before they become customer or program challenges. You'll also help build and lead a team of contract professionals supporting these initiatives, creating repeatable practices that improve consistency, transparency, and execution across Onebrief's most important government programs. ABOUT YOU You are an experienced contracts professional who thrives in complex, high-visibility environments where thoughtful execution, sound judgment, and strong partnerships directly influence customer success and business outcomes. You understand that successful contract management is about more than compliance—it requires anticipating risk, enabling informed decisions, and helping cross-functional teams deliver on critical commitments. You have managed the post-award execution of complex government contracts and understand how contractual requirements intersect with program delivery, customer relationships, financial performance, and organizational priorities. You're equally comfortable discussing contract strategy with executives, collaborating with program managers and customer success teams, or working directly with government stakeholders to resolve issues and maintain productive relationships. You communicate clearly, document thoroughly, and remain composed when navigating ambiguity, competing priorities, and evolving customer needs. Rather than reacting to problems, you proactively identify risks, facilitate alignment across stakeholders, and ensure issues are addressed before they impact program execution. You build trust through consistency, accountability, and professionalism. You're comfortable leading difficult conversations, providing clear recommendations, and exercising independent judgment on matters with significant business impact. You know when to escalate concerns, when to drive consensus, and how to balance contractual obligations with practical operational realities. As a people leader, you develop high-performing teams by setting clear expectations, creating operational discipline, and empowering contract professionals to grow in responsibility and ownership. You foster collaboration across functions while raising the overall quality, consistency, and effectiveness of contract execution across your portfolio. You are energized by meaningful work, motivated by ownership, and committed to helping Onebrief successfully deliver some of its most strategic government initiatives. WHAT YOU'LL DO - Own contract execution across Onebrief's portfolio of strategic project initiatives, ensuring contractual obligations, customer commitments, and business objectives remain aligned throughout program execution. - Partner closely with Program Management, Customer Success, Finance, Legal, Product, and executive leadership to proactively identify contractual risks, resolve issues, and support successful program outcomes. - Serve as the primary contracting advisor for complex initiatives, translating contractual requirements into practical guidance for internal stakeholders while helping teams effectively communicate with customers. - Lead the development of contract management strategies, documentation, governance practices, and operational processes that improve visibility, consistency, and execution across strategic initiatives. - Build, mentor, and manage a team of Contract Managers responsible for supporting the strategic initiatives portfolio while fostering high standards of ownership, collaboration, and customer service. - Provide executive-level visibility into contract health, performance concerns, key milestones, and emerging risks, enabling timely decision-making across the organization. MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS - Bachelor's degree or equivalent professional experience. - 10–15 years of progressive experience administering and managing complex U.S. Government contracts. - Demonstrated experience leading contract execution for large, high-visibility government programs involving multiple internal and external stakeholders. - Experience supporting commercial software or SaaS companies selling into the federal government. - Experience managing and developing contract professionals. - Deep knowledge of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), contract lifecycle management, and post-award administration. - Ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. Government security clearance (U.S. citizenship required). PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS - Prior experience as a U.S. Government Contracting Officer, Contract Specialist, or supporting major defense acquisition programs. - Experience translating commercial software delivery models into traditional government acquisition and contract structures. - Experience supporting Other Transaction Authorities (OTAs), prototypes, production transitions, or rapidly evolving acquisition programs. INDICATORS OF SUCCESS A successful Senior Manager, Strategic Contract Initiatives will: - Establish trusted partnerships with Program Management, Customer Success, and government stakeholders across the strategic initiatives portfolio. - Create predictable, well-documented contract execution processes that improve visibility and reduce program risk. - Ensure contractual issues, performance concerns, and customer communications are identified early, documented appropriately, and resolved proactively. - Build a high-performing team of Contract Managers capable of independently supporting complex government initiatives. - Improve organizational confidence in the contracting function through thoughtful leadership, sound judgment, and consistent execution. Notice to Third Party Recruitment Agencies Please note that Onebrief does not accept unsolicited resumes from recruiters or employment agencies. In the absence of an executed Recruitment Services Agreement, there will be no obligation to any referral compensation or recruiter fee. In the event a recruiter or agency submits a resume or candidate without an agreement Onebrief explicitly reserves the right to pursue and hire those candidate(s) without any financial obligation to the recruiter or agency. Any unsolicited resumes, including those submitted to hiring managers, shall be deemed the property of Onebrief.