Assistant Director for Contracts & Negotiation

Department: Office Sponsored Research
Salary/Grade: EXS/11

Job Summary:

As a member of Northwestern University Sponsored Research (SR) leadership, the Assistant Director for Contracts & Negotiations is an integral part of the institutional infrastructure that supports innovative research for ten schools, colleges, Centers and Offices across three campuses (Chicago and Evanston, Illinois and Doha, Qatar) at a distinguished AAU institution. The Sponsored Research Contracts & Negotiations unit is responsible for negotiating and executing thousands of agreements each year while providing the highest levels of professionalism and service.

The Assistant Director oversees a team of Associate Contracts Officers (with juris doctorate degrees) and maintains an advanced/complex portfolio of constituency assignments. The Assistant Director works with the Senior Director to manage the Contracts & Negotiations staff and functions in Northwestern Sponsored Research ("SR"). The incumbent is responsible for overseeing the negotiation, review, and execution of a substantial portion of SR's unfunded agreements (MTA, NDA, DUA) as well as negotiation, acceptance, of funded contracts and agreements (standard research, master/umbrella, clinical, corporate, federal and international), many of substantial complexity. The Assistant Director is responsible for being the knowledge area expert for the Contracts & Negotiations team for data and privacy and will train and provide support to the rest of the team.

The Assistant Director for Contracts & Negotiations will support the Office for Research mission and values by exhibiting the following: understand empathy, model accountability, ensure fairness, embrace community and value creativity. The incumbent will strive to provide excellent service when performing job responsibilities.

Specific Responsibilities:

• Manages a team of professional Sponsored Research (SR) Associate Contracts Officers (with juris doctorates). Provides daily guidance and mentoring to staff on operational and policy issues, as well as routine activities. Reviews and monitors the daily workflow of proposals, aging list, and reassigns work as needed. Maintain awareness of individual workload and flow of contracts and other administrative activities.
• Convenes and participates in office-wide and team meetings.
• Facilitates cross-team collaborations to understand important and frequent contracting issues and to ensure seamless handoffs between Sponsored Research Officers and Contract Officers in all SR units
• Hires, promotes, evaluates and counsels staff with input from Senior Director and Assistant Vice President, Sponsored Research (AVP-SR).
• Maintains and manages an advanced portfolio of sponsored research activity for designated university schools, departments and/or centers.
• Exercise delegated signature authority from the AVP-SR. Reviews, negotiates, and signs research contracts, clinical trial agreements, other award documents, and administrative correspondence to sponsors as authorized by the University president. Safeguards university interests with respect to indemnification, intellectual property, publications, export controls, liability, effort reporting, and compliance issues. Ensures compliance and fiscal integrity of proposal submissions and appropriated awards.
• Supports Contract Officers and the Senior Director in the negotiation of complex projects including serving as the lead/expert negotiator when needed.
• Constructs various complex contracts, subcontracts, and other legal documents.
• Serves as expert in contractual terms and interpretation of contracts. Alerts the Senior Director and/or AVP-SR when resolution is not able to be reached in a timely manner or when there are issues that are broad-based or potentially applicable to or problematic in other situations.
• Solicits input from Principal investigators and other central administrative offices, such as COI, IRB, IACUC, INVO, ASRSP, General Counsel, and Risk Management as appropriate.
• Represents Sponsored Research in meetings with principal investigators, school administrators, and senior university administrators in areas related to sponsored research. Provide guidance on policies and procedures. Accurately convey current practices in research administration and work collaboratively across all sectors of the university to develop appropriate changes in procedures and policies, and implement best practices, standard operating procedures, and tools for the benefit of the university community.
• Present as needed to a variety of constituents including campus-wide and national meetings.
• Develops, implements and trains staff in standard procedures that support Northwestern University research policy. Coordinates with other units to ensure the timing and integrity of the sponsored research life cycle. Communicates and presents procedures and policy within SR and externally to the university community.
• Assists in the development of the agenda for the campus-specific sponsored research campus meetings.
• Monitors policy changes implemented by external sponsors (related to electronic research administration and otherwise).
• Assists faculty and staff in electronic proposal submissions and award monitoring.
• Provides significant input to optimize enterprise-level systems supporting research administration, and participates in managing change within the research administration community.
• Provides education, training and research information for SR staff and NU departments, schools and Centers through a variety of venues. Participates in designing and implementing research administration training programs.
• Leads ongoing service excellence and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Optimizes staff skills and organizational structure and is responsible for staff development and continuing education. Provides staff with feedback and direction.
• Advises Senior Director and AVP-SR on emerging and pressing issues.
• Participates in resolution of issues.
• Other duties as assigned

Minimum Qualifications: (Education, experience, and any other certifications or clearances)

• Juris Doctorate
• 3-5 years' experience in central sponsored research or other research-related office is required.
• Previous work experience in the administration of sponsored research at an educational institution, in the federal government, or other entity engaged in sponsored research.
• Experience supervising and/or mentoring professional staff.
• Capable of presenting at various meetings across campus including faculty meetings and campus-wide meetings and at professional organizations (MAGI, FDP, NCURA, UIDP, SRA, etc).

Minimum Competencies: (Skills, knowledge, and abilities.)

• Advanced knowledge and application of relevant codes, regulations necessary to administer and manage externally funded sponsored research.
• Ability to supervise and motivate professional and administrative support staff in a team environment. Working knowledge of current management principles and practices, skill in dealing with others in work relationships involving mentoring, conflict resolutions, the ability to resourcefully solve problems, and the ability to make difficult decisions.
• Demonstrated interpersonal skills and ability to work collaboratively in a team-oriented environment across organizational units and at all levels, including faculty, deans, central administration, and senior institutional officials.
• Excellent written and verbal communications skills.
• Customer-focused; dedicated to providing optimum service to internal and external customers.
• Highest level of professional and personal integrity.
• Thrives in a high-volume, fast-paced environment. Is able to handle significant stress and a large workload.
• Computer proficiency - software use may include Microsoft Office suite, PowerPoint, Word, Excel, and PowerBI, web browsers, email and systems including CERES, FASIS, PeopleSoft, eRA Commons, and various sponsor systems.
• Compliance - honor Northwestern University policy and external regulatory requirements.
• Communication - oral and written: communicates effectively, professionally, and concisely one-to-one, in small groups and in public speaking contexts; concise and professional emails, letters and proposals.
• Decision Making - exercises exemplary professional judgment in all matters; follows and teaches others to follow a process method for problem solving.
• Dependability - professionally performs duties and responsibilities; displays strong attention to detail; actively supports organizational policies; anticipates demands and pressures of assignments and adjusts accordingly.
• Diversity - creates an environment of inclusion and openness; solicits input from a wide variety of people and functions; models and enacts inclusionary practices
• Ethics and Integrity - consistently follows through on commitments; incorporates honesty, mutual respect, civility and fairness in all daily actions; demands trustworthiness from others; demonstrates courage and objectivity
• Initiative - exhibits dynamic energy and strong desire to achieve; sets ambitious goals and acts decisively and thoughtfully to achieve them; takes action without being requested to improve or enhance job results and avoid problems.
• Judgment - demonstrates professional level of logic, rationality and objectivity; shows common sense; uses all available information to make practical decisions in line with unit and University goals and needs
• Listening - actively listens to and solicits others' opinions and ideas; respects and seeks to understand differences in opinions
• Negotiations - expertly seeks common ground to accommodate the conflicting needs and wants of different stakeholders
• Organization - plans, organizes and schedules in an efficient, productive manner; anticipates contingencies and pays attention to detail; targets projects or initiatives that require special attention and focuses on key tasks when faced with limited time and or resources.
• Problem Solving - formulates ambitious, but plausible, plans and contingencies and establishes appropriate measurements of anticipated results
• Research Regulations - demonstrates knowledge of federal, state and local regulations governing the participation of human and animal research subjects.
• Substantial, demonstrated knowledge of federal and international regulatory requirements and guidelines involving clinical trials and research
• Demonstrated expert-level knowledge of sound contracting and subcontracting practices.
• Demonstrated knowledge of grant and contract administration for sponsored projects and an understanding of FDA regulations governing clinical trials along with GCP Guidelines, IRB regulations and requirements.
• Demonstrated knowledge of copyright and patent law.
• Demonstrated knowledge of Government grant and contract administration and a demonstrated understanding of core contracting principles for educational institutions.
• Ability to read statements of work, and other sponsor or investigator-provided study documentation and sufficiently understand the research in order to elucidate potential contractual or regulatory issues.
• Ability to read clinical protocols and consent forms and sufficiently understand the research in order to elucidate potential contractual or regulatory issues and assure research is consistent with contractual obligations.
• Demonstrated understanding of the technical issues affecting protection, use, and exploitation of intellectual property.
• Demonstrated knowledge of indemnification and liability issues.
• Demonstrated knowledge on data protection and privacy.
• Demonstrated understanding of issues affecting publication.
• Experience negotiating government and non-profit agreements, and negotiating industry contracts. Experience working with pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
• Working knowledge of FAR clauses applicable to agreements with educational institutions.
• Demonstrated knowledge of the distinctions between gifts, grants, and contracts and the ability to articulate these distinctions to faculty, staff, and industry sponsors.
• Knowledge of general management principles and practices, skill in dealing with others in work relationships involving mentoring, teamwork, conflict resolutions, and the ability to make difficult decisions.
• Management and professional experience, business acumen, judgment and integrity to effectively serve investigators and sponsors, while continuously advancing the best interests of the University.
• Ability to effectively work with and deal with difficult people.
• Ability to efficiently and effectively manage multiple projects simultaneously.
• Strong service orientation.

Preferred Qualifications: (Education and experience)

• Juris Doctorate
• 5+ years previous work experience in the administration of sponsored research at an educational institution, in the federal government, or other entity engaged in sponsored research.
• Demonstrated ability to conduct training sessions.
• Demonstrated ability to effectively manage staff.

Preferred Competencies: (Skills, knowledge, and abilities)

• Managing staff - empowers others through delegating key tasks functions; establishes clear understanding of roles and accountabilities, setting clear expectations, providing feedback and guidance, holding people accountable and ensuring that direct reports take ownership of work.
• Performance management - establish clear expectations, reviewing progress, providing feedback and guidance, holding people accountable, and accepting accountability for leadership responsibilities.
• Organization - plans, organizes and schedules in an efficient, productive manner; anticipates contingencies and pays attention to detail; targets projects or initiatives that require special attention and focuses on key tasks when faced with limited time and or resources.
• Leadership - involves team members in solving problems and making decisions, inspires people to become leaders, obtains input from others, facilitates change, inspires confidence and optimism through a clear vision and by personal example.
• Service Focus - regularly monitors key service metrics as established by the Director, and engages with team members as needed to ensure the highest level of service; provides thoughtful and actionable suggestions to improve quality and value to researchers, other staff, and external partners.

Target hiring range for this position will be between $115,000-$130,000 per year. Offered salary will be determined by the applicant's education, experience, knowledge, skills and abilities, as well as internal equity and alignment with market data

Benefits:
At Northwestern, we are proud to provide meaningful, competitive, high-quality health care plans, retirement benefits, tuition discounts and more! Visit us at https://www.northwestern.edu/hr/benefits/index.html to learn more.

Work-Life and Wellness:
Northwestern offers comprehensive programs and services to help you and your family navigate life's challenges and opportunities and adopt and maintain healthy lifestyles.
We support flexible work arrangements where possible and programs to help you locate and pay for quality, affordable childcare and senior/adult care. Visit us at https://www.northwestern.edu/hr/benefits/work-life/index.html to learn more.

Professional Growth & Development:
Northwestern supports employee career development in all circumstances whether your workspace is on campus or at home. If you're interested in developing your professional potential or continuing your formal education, we offer a variety of tools and resources. Visit us at https://www.northwestern.edu/hr/learning/index.html to learn more.

Northwestern strongly recommends COVID-19 vaccinations and boosters for people who can obtain them as a critical tool for minimizing severe illness. More information can be found on the COVID-19 and Campus Updates webpage.

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