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Overview
The Assistant Contracts Manager is responsible for the drafting, review, and negotiation of research-related agreements in partnership with ORPA staff and leadership, Technology Licensing and New Ventures, the Office of the General Counsel, and other campus stakeholders. Working under the direction of the Assistant Director and with guidance on complex or high-risk matters, the position helps protect the University’s interests and rights while providing timely, responsive service to faculty and staff.
The position independently manages an assigned portfolio of funded and unfunded research agreements within ORPA’s responsibilities, including sponsored research agreements, data use agreements, confidentiality agreements, and research collaboration agreements, from intake through negotiation and coordination of execution. The position works within established University guidance and obtains senior review of complex or high-risk matters.
The Assistant Contracts Manager also contributes to agreement-management improvements in ORPA, including the maintenance and use of standard agreement templates and related tools, effective use of systems and business processes supporting agreement processing, internal training, and the collection of agreement-related metrics and key performance indicators.
A remote work arrangement may be considered for qualified candidates with appropriate background and experience.
Responsibilities
Agreement Drafting & Negotiation:
Draft, review, and negotiate assigned research-related agreements, using established University templates, guidance, policies, and escalation pathways. This may include outgoing subawards and the associated compliance requirements.
Collaborate with faculty, staff, ORPA colleagues, and campus stakeholders to gather relevant information, identify contractual issues, and support timely agreement review and execution.
Evaluate non-standard or negotiated terms, identify potential concerns, and recommend appropriate revisions or escalation in consultation with the Assistant Director or other senior colleagues.
Coordinate with the Office of the General Counsel and Technology Licensing and New Ventures on legal, intellectual property, and other complex issues.
Explain agreement terms, obligations, and identified risks to faculty and staff, and assist in documenting decisions and required approvals.
Maintain effective working relationships with campus offices and external parties involved in assigned negotiations.
Agreement Management:
Contribute to continuous improvement efforts regarding the effectiveness and efficiency of systems and business processes supporting agreement processing, including the agreements module in Huron.
Maintain and refine standard contract terms, templates, and negotiation guidance to support timely and informed agreement processing, in alignment with ORPA leadership direction.
Monitor relevant trends, emerging issues, and regulatory developments affecting research agreements and raise significant developments for consideration.
Collaborate with offices such as Research Integrity and Assurance, Office of Information Technology, Procurement, and Audit to ensure contract-related internal controls and compliance.
Provide accurate and timely documentation of the status of contract negotiations in the appropriate document tracking systems throughout the lifecycle of the drafting process, negotiation, and final execution.
Assist with collecting, validating, and reporting metrics and key performance indicators related to the agreement lifecycle.
Administration/Other Duties as Assigned:
Support Grant and Contract Administrators within ORPA on ancillary reviews related to contracting, such as complex proposal issues, contract reviews at time of proposal, and post-award contracting questions.
Contribute to defined projects relating to contracting activities, process improvement, templates, data quality, or records management.
Assist with reporting relevant information to sponsors and collaborators in compliance with agreement terms and regulations.
Perform other duties as assigned.
Training & Outreach:
Participate in and support formal and informal training related to agreements for internal stakeholders.
Develop knowledge through relevant professional meetings, webinars, and research-administration resources, and share useful information with colleagues as appropriate.
Coordinate with internal research and development support offices, including the Office of Innovation, Strategic Partnerships and Engagement, Technology Licensing and New Ventures along with academic departments, to facilitate early-stage collaboration on sponsored projects.
