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Senior Contracts Manager

The University of Cambridge is looking for enthusiastic and motivated self-starters for the post of Senior Contracts Manager within the Research Operations Office.

The post holders will lead the contracts function within one of our School-facing teams within the Research Operations Office, managing a team of contracts managers as well as administrative staff. As the senior manager of the team, the post-holder will take the lead on complex contract negotiations – providing support to a range of departments within the school, and will oversee and support the contracts managers with their portfolio of matters. As a member of the Senior Contracts Managers team the post-holder will work with colleagues to ensure an effective and coherent contracting function across the office. This will include matters such as providing contracts training, ensuring effective probation and appraisal processes are undertaken, and that administration of contracts is consistent and efficient.

The Research Office works in partnership with the University’s academic community to support its excellent research. The post holder will act on behalf of the researchers and the University to negotiate agreements ranging from material transfers to multi-party research collaborations, funded by a range of sponsors including Research Councils, charities, the European Commission and a wide range of industrial sponsors.

As a Senior Contracts Manager, you will ensure both the researchers’ and the University’s interests are protected by agreeing terms that safeguard both the researchers’ need to publish results and pursue further research and the University’s charitable and academic position. You will also consider protection of results for potential commercialisation, and appropriate access to intellectual property rights for sponsor and collaborators.

You will have a pragmatic approach to drafting terms that facilitates the partnership between the University and research collaborators, whilst assessing and managing inherent risks. You will need to liaise and interact with researchers to ensure agreements are appropriate to the research context.

You will ideally have gained extensive experience of drafting and negotiating agreements through working in either a university or a research-intensive organisation, including industry. Project management experience and a legal and/or scientific background would be an advantage. An understanding of the scientific research environment would also be desirable.

You will be educated to a degree level or equivalent. Having excellent leadership and team management skills is a must. You will be well organised and able both to prioritise and work to deadlines. Able to work well independently and have a positive, can-do approach, you will have excellent verbal and written communication skills with an aptitude for developing positive working relationships. In particular you will have the ability to communicate complex issues clearly and concisely to a wide range of people, including the highest levels of academic, corporate and government representatives. Diplomacy, tact, attention to detail and a calm approach are essential. You will be proficient in using Microsoft IT packages.