Research Contracts Officer

We are currently seeking a Research Contracts Officer to join our Research, Innovation and Enterprise (RIE) team to contribute to the delivery of the University's Research and Innovation Strategy.

Our Research, Innovation and Enterprise (RIE) team at Edinburgh Napier supports the full research journey and research planning process - from helping academics with finding funding and writing proposals, through to help our researchers manage their projects and communicate their research results and impact. Contract support is a vital part of the team's activities, and is essential to protecting the university's position, facilitating research activities, and maximising the opportunities arising from them.

Our Benefits

We are committed to providing a wide range of benefits including:

• Minimum of 41 days annual leave (including 10 fixed holidays at Easter and Christmas) and the option to purchase additional annual leave


• Generous employer pension contributions


• A wide range of learning and development opportunities


• Opportunity to join our staff inclusion and support networks


• Access to our benefits platform Vivup which includes huge range of discounts across the UK's major retailers, health care discounts and Cycle to Work


• Access to our Employee Assistance Programme


The Role

Joining our RIE department now presents an excellent opportunity to be part of an expansion phase, as we strengthen our research support across the university helping us to realise our research ambitions.

As the Research Contracts Officer, you will play an essential role in providing a comprehensive research contract review and approval support service for research and knowledge exchange projects. Working closely with the Research Contracts Manager, the role holder will provide support for research and knowledge exchange contracts across the University and will work closely with Research Funding teams to review the IP arrangements within contracts.

Responsibilities will include:


• Provide contract review services for external activities in liaison with colleagues across Research, Innovation and Enterprise and the wider University.


• Assess projects for contractual, financial and reputational risk and deal with any high-risk elements.


• Take responsibility for contracts where the level of risk to the University is considered to be high. Assist with risk assessment and analysis of any projects with external partners, funders, clients and sub-contractors. Arrange commercialisation status and financial evaluations of proposed counterparties where required.


• Liaise with Research Funding Managers and Business Development Relationship managers to review the IP arrangements within contracts to identify those likely to require protection and/or which may have commercial potential. Review and modify any resulting contract terms and conditions.


• Provide contracts support to Built Environment - Smarter Transformation (BE-ST), an Innovation Centre hosted by the University.


• Assist the Research Contracts Manager with review and development of the contract procedures, documentation, templates and controls.


• Assist with reviews of University policies and procedures which affect the evaluation, approval and conduct of external projects. Suggest and propose any amendments which are required to the Research Contracts Manager and assist the Research Contracts Manager in seeking approval for them through the appropriate internal processes.


• Review contracts and provide feedback to colleagues in the Research, Innovation and Enterprise office among others, for research, commercial and non-commercial proposals, contracts, sub-contracts and awards. Handle standard contract matters at all stages from initial drafting and negotiation through to dealing with completion. Assist the Research Contracts Manager with drafting, negotiation and completion of more complex contracts and projects.


• Liaise with post-award staff to ensure full compliance with relevant financial regulations.


• Ensure the delivery of a consistent and professional customer led service to staff, support departments and clients involved in external income activities. Problem solving on specific issues arising during the course of activities with both internal and external customers.


• Work with other member of RIE to actively raise the awareness of the services throughout the University and assist the Research Contracts Manager in the provision of training to team members.


• To identify matters for which it is necessary or beneficial to obtain legal advice from the University's solicitors in support of the activities supported by the role, in accordance with the protocols put in place by Governance Services, and to liaise with authorised instructors in respect of the formal instruction of such legal advice.


• To liaise with Governance Services regarding the use of external legal advice and the monitoring and review of the legal service provider's performance under their contract.
  
  Degree in Business Administration, Law or equivalent relevant work experience with contracts


• Minimum of 3 years experience of contract management


• Experience of working in Higher Education or public sector


• Recent relevant experience of large-scale (>£500K) contract management


• Sound knowledge of contract law


• Good working knowledge of intellectual property management


• Experience of monitoring and reporting contracts to satisfy audit requirements


• Strong negotiating skills, Disability Confident

About Disability Confident
A Disability Confident employer will generally offer an interview to any applicant that declares they have a disability and meets the minimum criteria for the job as defined by the employer. It is important to note that in certain recruitment situations such as high-volume, seasonal and high-peak times, the employer may wish to limit the overall numbers of interviews offered to both disabled people and non-disabled people. For more details please go to Disability Confident.