Research Contracts Officer - Queens University

As a member of the Grants and Contracts team in Research Services, Vice Principal Research portfolio (the Portfolio), the Research Contracts Officer plays a critical role in supporting the research mission at Queen's University by reviewing, drafting, and executing research contracts between Queen's University and external partners/collaborators. With direction from and reporting to senior management in Research Services, the incumbent will also hold responsibility for supporting and collaborating with in-house Legal Counsel.

View full job description on our Careers webpage.

What you will do

• Drafts and reviews research agreements for the university, escalating contractual clauses of concern, complex or high risk files to Legal Counsel or senior leadership.
• Liaises with affiliated hospital partners, research centers, institutes and groups to ensure all contracts and processes are aligned with expectations, compliance, legal and funding term requirements.
• In collaboration with Legal Counsel, advise principal investigators and staff on contractual terms, university policies, and risks while ensuring appropriate protections for intellectual property, publication rights, liability, and confidentiality.
• Maintains accurate use of contract management systems while ensuring review turnaround, signature deadlines and service delivery expectations are met.
• Reports on progress and proactively identifies potential risks to reporting timelines and deliverables.
• Ensures contracts align with university’s policies, ethical standards and applicable laws and regulations, formatting agreements for consistency, clarity and accuracy.
• Identifies and contributes to internal processes regarding the development, revision, and implementation of standard operating procedures, workflows, and checklists to promote compliance and improve process quality.
• Provides strategic operational guidance and project management to ensure efficient contract execution, including delegation of tasks as needed.
• Contributes to national working group initiatives promoting best practices in research contract review and administration.
• Other duties as required in support of the department and/or unit.

Required Education

• Four-Year Bachelor Degree or equivalent. In addition, requires trade certification, qualification, or on-going learning to remain ahead of changes in technology or emerging fields.

Required Experience

• More than 5 years of experience.
• Experience working in a general legal environment considered an asset
• Experience in contract management including one or a combination of drafting, negotiating, executing, and/or amending contracts is considered an asset.
• Knowledge of relevant laws, regulations, policies, standards and/or guidelines considered an asset.
• Experience in writing, interviewing, reviewing, editing and/or proofreading internal and/or external communications and documents considered an asset (e.g., social media, policy manuals, newsletters, handbooks, legal documents, forms/templates, blogs, training/reference materials, technical documents, webinars, etc.).
• Consideration may be given to an equivalent combination of education and experience.

Job Knowledge and Requirements

• Knowledge of concepts and principles in a specialist field that is typically acquired through a combination of advanced professional or academic qualifications and/or significant work experience.
• Provide expert advice, guidance and consultation on highly complex issues and/or where the outcome may be contentious.
• Interaction with others requires highly developed interpersonal skills to effectively persuade, negotiate, counsel, and/or consult.
• Adapt messages to meet the different needs of different audiences.
• Prioritize and distribute work to deliver objectives on time and to the highest standard.
• Identify in advance when the intended results may not be achieved and develops a plan to address the gaps.
• Lead team and project meetings and develop team/unit and departmental project plans.
• Lead procedural or technological change within a unit or across broader university functions.
• Identify opportunities to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of work processes.
• Anticipate complex challenges to ensure activities are completed on time.
• Effectively leverage relevant data as input to making decisions.
• Appropriately assess risks before making a decision.
• Comprehensive understanding of what sexual violence, harassment and discrimination are, and their varying effects on diverse members of the community.
• Question and take appropriate steps to address attitudes, macroaggressions and other behaviours which are discriminatory. Acknowledges and respects diverse cultural traditions, abilities and beliefs.

Please apply online at:
https://clients.njoyn.com/CL4/xweb/xweb.asp?clid=74827&page=jobdetails&jobid=J0326-0232&BRID=EX443074&SBDID=21474&LANG=1.