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Position Details

Position Information

Announcement Number STAFF - VA - 26178

For questions regarding this position, please contact:

Leif Ibsen

[email protected] (%[email protected])

Classification Title Program/Project Lead

Working Title Partnership & Agreements Manager

Brief Position Overview

The Partnership & Agreements Manager is responsible to manage, execute, and support a wide range of high level required project and program actions that ensure the DIU OnRamp Hub and supported agreements successfully meet all federal, state, Montana State University, and government statutory and regulatory compliance objectives for government partnerships. This position will review complex government agreements and identify, advise on, and assist in formulating and executing operational actions needed to ensure MSU , OSP , program, and compliance requirements are met, as well as directly engaging with government partners and MSU and the DIU OnRamp Hub to drive compliant and successful agreement outcomes.

Position Number 4C9751

Department Inst National Security Rrsch & Ed

Division Office of Research and Economic Development

Appointment Type Professional

Contract Term Fiscal Year

Semester

If other, specify From date

If other, specify End date

FLSA Exempt

Union Affiliation Exempt from Collective Bargaining

FTE 1.0

Benefits Eligible Eligible

Salary Starting $85,000 annually, commensurate with experience, education, and qualifications

Contract Type LOA

If other, please specify

Recruitment Type Open

Position Details

General Statement

MSU’s Institute of National Security Research and Education ( INSRE ) has been awarded a cooperative agreement to establish and serve as the Defense Innovation OnRamp Hub within Montana to support the Defense Innovation Unit’s efforts to build an ecosystem in Montana and across the U.S. to synchronize warfighter needs with commercial capabilities, lower DOD barriers to entry for commercial dual use technology, and catalyze a unified innovation ecosystem. This INSRE award is initially funded for 2 years with potential to be extended every 2 years contingent on DOD funding. Partnership & Agreements Manager is a suggested position by DIU in the award and statement of work. Additionally, the Partnership & Agreements Manager will be located in Bozeman, MT at the EngineWorks DIU OnRamp Hub space.

Duties and Responsibilities

This Partnership & Agreements Manager will execute a wide variety of short- and long-term projects and actions that facilitate successful, compliant, and ongoing DIU OnRamp Hub agreements, including but not limited to the following:

Agreement Program and Project Management

+ Proactively lead engagement with government contracting teams and program managers on assigned projects to ensure DIU OnRamp Hub and MSU processes are aligned with all government agreement and applicable Federal, State and other requirements.

+ Manage and monitor assigned project tasks and activities to ensure agreement deliverables and deadlines are met, and to ensure accuracy, proper resource allocation, and compliance with all applicable requirements. Advise of any potential compliance issues that need to be resolved.

+ Communicate proactively and effectively with all internal and external stakeholders in all project phases, with special focus on agreement set up and close-out periods to ensure all compliance-related requirements are correctly executed.

+ Utilize and update project management tools that support accurate tracking, reporting, and recordkeeping of all agreement and security compliance requirements including partner Non-Disclosure Agreements, quarterly and monthly Government partner reporting and metrics.

+ Review new project plans and overall program objectives to ensure that proposed work is in scope and aligned with performance requirements of each project, and advising teams if any concerns are identified.

Partner Engagement and Collaboration

+ Serve as internal team and government partner resource for education on accurate/appropriate use of available contract types and different types of funding mechanisms. Where needed, provide government and industry partners insight and clarification into relevant MSU processes and requirements.

+ Collaborate with the DIU OnRamp Hub team in identifying, developing, and executing new or modified operational actions and processes that continually improve MSU , OSP , program, and agreement requirements.

+ Assist with DIU OnRamp Hub program review development and other outreach activities designed to support DIU OnRamp Hub partnership efforts.

+ Engage proactively and extensively with other MSU teams to ensure compliance and alignment, including OSP for grant management and TTO for vendor contract management.

Agreement Grant Management and Fiscal Guidance

Provide agreement-related finance and budget expertise including, but not limited to, the following activities for DIU OnRamp Hub efforts:

+ Develop new project budgets to ensure they cover all project components appropriately, that all rates are calculated appropriately, and that they align with CFR200 and any relevant State of MT requirements.

+ Review and submit monthly invoices, tracking expenditures and correct liquidation.

+ Audit to ensure MSU liquidation matches government liquidation and investigate any discrepancies for resolution.

+ Maintain future funding information.

+ Travel by all modes of transportation to support projects as needed.

Required Qualifications – Experience, Education, Knowledge & Skills

+ Bachelor’s degree in business administration, program management, engineering, or related field.

+ Demonstrated extensive and progressive experience interpreting and working compliantly with complex regulatory governing grants and cooperative U.S. Government agreements language, including Title 2 of the Code of Federal Regulations (2 CFR 200).

+ Demonstrated strong written and verbal communication skills with all stakeholders, including experience engaging directly as a representative with Dept of Defense ( DOD ), other government contracting teams or program managers.

+ Demonstrated extensive and progressive project and program management experience multitasking on simultaneous projects utilizing MSU processes, including the following:

+ Information-gathering processes to engage with stakeholders and ensure compliance requirements are being met.

+ Tracking and presenting project status and other critical communications to internal and external stakeholders.

+ Ensuring completion of all MSU and government-required compliance actions to close out projects/agreements.

Preferred Qualifications – Experience, Education, Knowledge & Skills

+ Proven ability to innovate and recommend process improvements in compliance heavy environments.

+ Demonstrated ability to rapidly identify problems, develop solutions, and communicate recommendations to government and internal stakeholders.

+ Demonstrated ability to serve as a compliance and agreement authority with cross functional teams.

The Successful Candidate Will

+ Represent the DIU OnRamp Hub in a professional manner when interacting with all stakeholders and personnel.

+ Possess excellent communication skills and the ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing.

+ Be a self-starter who can work independently to identify, plan, organize, manage and execute projects and tasks.

+ Exhibit good judgment, flexibility and innovation to respond to the needs of a wide variety of clients.

+ Possess the ability to quickly identify problems and formulate possible solutions.

+ Be highly detail-oriented and organized, with the ability to rapidly respond to inquiries and requests.

+ Continue to increase functional knowledge of agreement-related State of Montana, Montana State University, MilTech, and DOD and other government procurement and operating policies and guidelines to ensure compliance across full range of MilTech-supported agreements.

Position Special Requirements/Additional Information

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily with or without reasonable accommodations. The requirements listed above are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.

Physical Demands

This position is contingent upon continued grant funding.

This position requires the ability to meet government-defined restrictions appropriate for work level and access. Other security-related requirements will include receiving favorable background checks by state and federal agencies pursuant to federal law and regulations.

This position requires ability to travel via all modes of transport when necessary to interact with DOD and/orDIU OnRamp Hub stakeholders, including travel throughout the Continental United States as well as Alaska, Hawaii, U.S territories and possessions, and possibly other worldwide locations.

Successful candidate must be able to comply with the federally mandated requirements of U.S. export control laws, which may require proof that candidate is a U.S. person. Per 22 CFR §120.15, U.S. person means a person who is a lawful permanent resident as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1101(a)(20) or who is a protected individual as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3).

This job description should not be construed as an exhaustive statement of duties, responsibilities or requirements, but a general description of the job. Nothing contained herein restricts Montana State University’s rights to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time.

This position has supervisory duties? No

Posting Detail Information

Number of Vacancies 1

Desired Start Date Upon completion of a successful search

Position End Date (if temporary)

Open Date

Close Date

Applications will be:

Screening of applications will begin on November 11, 2025; however, applications will continue to be accepted until an adequate applicant pool has been established.

Special Instructions

EEO Statement

Montana State University is an equal opportunity employer. MSU does not discriminate against any applicant on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, political ideas, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, marital status, national origin, physical or mental disability, or any other protected class status in violation of any applicable law.

In compliance with the Montana Veteran’s Employment Preference Act, MSU provides preference in employment to veterans, disabled veterans, and certain eligible relatives of veterans. To claim veteran’s preference, please complete the veteran’s preference information located in the Demographics section of your profile.