Research Contract Associate

When you join the growing BILH team, you're not just taking a job, you’re making a difference in people’s lives.

Reporting to the Associate Director, Sponsored Programs Contracting Office (SPC), the Research Contract Associate provides support to the central office research administration activities. Reviews and negotiates contract terms and conditions, and accepts awards on behalf of BIDMC. Creates and executes outgoing subcontracts and other agreements with collaborating institutions. Develops and maintains standard agreement templates and updates standard operating procedures as needed. Provides additional support to Research Team Directors and Research Administrators as needed.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Reviews and negotiates all incoming foundation awards, subcontracts, and other contractual agreements terms and conditions, deliverables, and reporting requirements for adherence to BIDMC, Federal and Sponsor policies and regulations. (essential)
• Prepares, negotiates, executes and distributes outgoing contracts, subcontracts and other agreements. Enters agreement status data into tracking system. (essential)
• Identifies and mitigates regulatory compliance, legal, intellectual property, and other risks. (essential)
• Works with other Research & Academic Affairs divisions as a resource for input and information as needed. (essential)
• May enter required research and financial information on a monthly basis into the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act (FFATA) system for subcontract activity on awarded federal grants. (essential)
• Works with Associate Director of SPC, SPC staff and periodically with the Office of General Counsel attorneys to ensure contract language and other documents are current and conform to all applicable requirements (BIDMC policies, Sponsor Agency guidelines, international law and collaborating institutions). (essential)
• Liaises with principal investigators, the Clinical Trials Office, Technology Ventures Office, and other central research administration offices in the resolution of issues related to contract execution.
• Participates proactively in ad-hoc working groups to optimize agreement workflows, accountability, and transparency.
• May provide backup to monitoring electronic mailbox and assist the Associate Director of SPC with other assignments as needed. (essential)

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree required.
• 1-3 years related work experience required; Experience could include 1 to 2 years of direct research administration duties, which include pre-award and post-award management of grants and contracts.
• Ability to work with a varied caseload with minimal supervision, exercising strong judgment and applying the appropriate legal principles and Medical Center policies and practices to specific legal issues. Must also possess the ability to work as a member of an interdisciplinary team.
• Strong organization and time management skills with ability to multi-task while remaining detail-oriented in a highly time sensitive environment.
• Outstanding verbal and written skills proven in either a legal, University or academic medical center setting are required.
• Advanced skills with Microsoft applications which may include Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint or Access and other web-based applications. May produce complex documents, perform analysis and maintain databases.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Knowledge of contract law, legal terms and conditions, and FAR and OMB Circulars related to sponsored research is preferred.
• Experience drafting, reviewing and negotiating research related terms and conditions with universities, academic medical centers, for-profit, non-profits, and foreign entities is preferred.

Competencies:

• Decision Making: Ability to make decisions that are guided by precedents, policies and objectives. Regularly makes decisions and recommendations on issues affecting a department or functional area.
• Problem Solving: Ability to address problems that are varied, requiring analysis or interpretation of the situation using direct observation, knowledge and skills based on general precedents.
• Independence of Action: Ability to set goals and determines how to accomplish defined results with some guidelines. Manager/Director provides broad guidance and overall direction.
• Written Communications: Ability to summarize and communicate in English moderately complex information in varied written formats to internal and external customers.
• Oral Communications: Ability to comprehend and communicate complex verbal information in English to medical center staff, patients, families and external customers.
• Knowledge: Ability to demonstrate full working knowledge of standard concepts, practices, procedures and policies with the ability to use them in varied situations.
• Team Work: Ability to work collaboratively in small teams to improve the operations of immediate work group by offering ideas, identifying issues, and respecting team members.
• Customer Service: Ability to provide a high level of customer service to patients, visitors, staff and external customers in a professional, service-oriented, respectful manner using skills in active listening and problem solving.

Social/Environmental Requirements:

• Work requires close attention to task for work to be accurately completed. Intermittent breaks during the work day do not compromise the work. Work routine is fairly consistent, but employee needs to be able to use judgment to respond to events several times a week. No substantial exposure to adverse environmental conditions.

Health Care Status:

• NHCW: No patient contact. Health Care Worker Status may vary by department.

Sensory Requirements:

• Close work (paperwork, visual examination), Monitor Use, Visual monotony, Visual clarity <3 feet, Conversation, Telephone, Background Noise.

Physical Requirements:

• Sedentary work: Exerting up to 10 pounds of force occasionally in carrying, lifting, pushing, pulling objects. Sitting most of the time, with walking and standing required only occasionally.

Organizational Commitment:

• As a health care organization, we have a responsibility to do everything in our power to care for and protect our patients, our colleagues and our communities. Beth Israel Lahey Health requires that all staff be vaccinated against influenza (flu) and COVID-19 as a condition of employment.

Equal Opportunity Employer/Veterans/Disabled