Associate Specialist, Contract Term & PM

Associate Specialist, Contract Terminations and Project Management Position Overview The Associate Specialist, Contract Terminations and Project Management supports the close out of terminated projects, including documentation for Termination Settlement Proposals (TSPs), audit responses, and settlement negotiations. The Associate Specialist also supports the delivery of DAI’s portfolio of international development programs. In both roles, the position provides operational, financial, contractual, and compliance support, helping teams manage risks, meet client requirements, and maintain complete, audit-ready records. The role contributes to business development through capture, proposal coordination, pricing, and country and client intelligence.

Key Responsibilities

Termination Settlement and Closeout Support

• Compile, organize, and validate supporting documentation for the preparation, submission, and negotiation of TSPs for terminated projects.
• Check that settlement documentation is complete, internally consistent, defensible, and aligned with applicable U.S. Government and contractual requirements.
• Coordinate with project, finance, contracts, and compliance colleagues to resolve documentation gaps and respond to audit and settlement negotiation requests.
• Support project closeout by maintaining organized records of supporting evidence, submissions, and responses.

Compliance and Audit Readiness

• Organize and standardize project, grant, subcontract, and operational files to meet client requirements, DAI policies, and record retention standards.
• Review files for completeness, accuracy, and compliance; identify documentation gaps, coordinate their resolution, and recommend process improvements.
• Maintain audit-ready documentation for active, terminated, and closing projects, including records supporting costs and contractual actions.
• Support responses to incurred cost audits and other audit requests by compiling and validating records and coordinating timely responses across teams.
• Conduct compliance and quality assurance checks, flag risks and inconsistencies, and recommend corrective actions.

Project Management and Operations

• Support projects from start-up and implementation through termination, as applicable, and closeout; serve as a primary liaison for day-to-day operational guidance and problem solving.
• Coordinate project administration, including staff and consultant documentation, procurement requests, deliverable tracking, and mobilization and demobilization for international assignments.
• Perform and monitor requisitions, vendor payments, accounts payable submissions, expense report reviews, and other project transactions.
• Monitor operational, financial, contractual, and compliance risks; recommend mitigation measures and escalate complex issues and proposed solutions to the Portfolio Lead.
• Maintain productive relationships with project teams, technical staff, corporate services, clients, subcontractors, consultants, and partners; contribute to knowledge sharing and specialized support across portfolios.

Contract Management

• Draft accurate requests for internal and client approvals; coordinate contract and subcontract modifications and other requests for contracts office support.
• Prepare routine and more complex contractual documents using approved templates, with limited guidance.
• Analyze moderately complex contractual issues and recommend solutions based on applicable client requirements, including U.S. Government and FCDO requirements, and DAI policies.
• Monitor contractual and regulatory compliance and advise subcontractors and consultants on routine subcontract, budget, compliance, and operational questions.

Financial Management

• Independently review and process project financial transactions, monthly project invoices, and consultant, subcontractor, and vendor invoices through DAI’s financial management system.
• Create and maintain project budgeting tools and coordinate data inputs from project and home office teams with limited guidance.
• Support monthly financial analysis, quarterly forecasts, financial risk identification, and ad hoc troubleshooting and reporting.
• Analyze project financial performance, recommend corrective actions, and draft budget modifications with limited guidance from the Portfolio Lead.

Business Development

• Contribute to the portfolio’s opportunity pipeline and support capture efforts.
• Serve as Proposal Coordinator or Proposal Pricer for opportunities within the assigned portfolio or across other portfolios, as needed.
• Contribute country and client intelligence, partner information, and local staffing insights to positioning, proposal development, and pricing.
• Undertake other related responsibilities as assigned.

Qualifications and Skills Minimum Requirements

• A college degree and more than three years of relevant professional administrative or project management experience supporting donor-funded programs, including at least one year managing U.S. Government-funded programs. Equivalent combinations of education and experience will be considered.
• Experience in program operations and compliance support, including record retention, administrative file management, and maintaining accurate supporting documentation.
• Demonstrated understanding of U.S. Government and other client regulatory and management requirements and ability to apply them in project delivery.
• Experience supporting U.S. Government-funded budget management, including financial pipelines, forecasts, and analysis; advanced Microsoft Office proficiency, particularly Excel.
• Strong administrative, analytical, organizational, and process improvement skills, with meticulous attention to detail and discretion in handling confidential or sensitive information.
• Ability to take initiative, manage ambiguity, solve problems, adjust to changing demands, and work effectively in a team with limited direction.
• Strong written and oral communication skills and ability to build collaborative relationships across cultures, functions, and levels of seniority.
• Willingness to adjust working hours to support teams in different time zones and to travel to countries where DAI operates and the DAI Global Security team deems travel safe.
• Familiarity with DAI’s systems, policies, and procedures.
• Authorization to work in the United States.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supporting terminated projects, TSP documentation, audit responses, or project closeout.
• Experience with Enterprise Resource Planning software and other data management systems.
• Professional proficiency in a second language, preferably Spanish, French, or Arabic.

Compensation and Benefits

The full-time equivalent annual base salary for this U.S.-based position is expected to be $70,262 to $76,462. Actual offers will reflect qualifications, education, experience, skills, seniority, performance, and business or organizational needs. Eligible U.S.-based employees may enroll in medical, dental, and vision insurance and a 401(k) retirement plan. Benefits also include company-paid annual leave and holidays, sick leave, parental leave, and short- and long-term disability coverage. Details will be provided with a formal offer. Equal Employment Opportunity and Ethical Standards

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, or status as a protected veteran. DAI is committed to confronting discrimination, fostering respectful working relationships, and attracting and retaining employees from diverse backgrounds.

DAI upholds the highest ethical standards, including the prevention of sexual exploitation, abuse, and harassment and other ethical breaches. All positions are subject to stringent vetting and reference checks.