Industry Sponsored Contract Specialist

Job Posting Title:
Industry Sponsored Contract Specialist
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Hiring Department:
Discovery to Impact
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Position Open To:
All Applicants
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Weekly Scheduled Hours:
40
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FLSA Status:
To Be Determined at Offer
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Earliest Start Date:
Ongoing
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Position Duration:
Expected to Continue
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Location:
AUSTIN, TX
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Job Details:
General Notes
Mission of Discovery to Impact:
Discovery to Impact stands at the heart of transforming academic research into real-world solutions, serving as the pivotal bridge between campus innovators and the industry. Our mission is to harness the power of over 130 campus programs dedicated to entrepreneurship and intellectual property, guiding groundbreaking research from concept to commercial success. Through fostering strategic partnerships with corporations, investors, and entrepreneurs, we ensure that the University's innovations transition from labs and studios into services, solutions, and products that profoundly benefit society. Join us in our quest to change the world, one innovation at a time.
What benefits do I receive with UT? The university offers an impressive benefits package including, but not limited to:
Competitive health benefits (employee premiums covered at 100%, family premiums at 50%)
Voluntary Vision, Dental, Life, and Disability insurance options
Generous paid vacation (8 hours/month), paid holidays (10+/year), sick time (8 hours/month), and longevity pay
Teachers Retirement System of Texas, a defined benefit retirement plan, with 8.25% employer matching funds
Additional Voluntary Retirement Programs: Tax Sheltered Annuity 403(b) and a Deferred Compensation program 457(b)
Flexible spending account options for medical and childcare expenses
Robust free training access through LinkedIn Learning plus professional conference opportunities
Tuition assistance
Expansive employee discount program including athletic tickets
Free access to UT Austin's libraries and museums with staff ID card
Free rides on all UT Shuttle and Austin CapMetro buses with staff ID card
For more details on benefits, please see: https://hr.utexas.edu/prospective/benefits and https://hr.utexas.edu/current/services/my-total-rewards.
Purpose
The purpose of this role is to provide service and support to faculty, staff, and external partners in the development, drafting, review and negotiation of proposals, contracts and subcontracts, including related daily administrative tasks. This position is responsible for overseeing the negotiation and management of a high volume of funded and non-funded agreements, including: Sponsored Research Agreements, Non-Disclosure Agreements, Material Transfer Agreements, Data Use Licenses, and Subcontracts.
Responsibilities
Agreement Negotiation and Compliance
Independently and skillfully draft, review and negotiate sponsored research agreements, outgoing sub-award agreements, non-financial agreements, and other research related agreements to ensure compliance with University policies, federal and state law and regulations, including terms regarding intellectual property, publication, insurance/ indemnification, export control, governing law, disputes, invoicing and payment, etc. Prepare and submit in a timely manner detailed written exceptions and recommendations on contractual language to the other party; hold negotiation meetings, as required, and keep stakeholders informed of the contract negotiation status until all contractual issues are resolved. The types of agreements include but are not limited to sponsored project agreements, research contracts, sub-award agreements and subcontracts, non-disclosure agreements, consortium agreements, material transfer agreements, data use agreements, and teaming agreements.
Evaluate, mitigate, and outline financial and compliance risks in research contracts to Collaborative Research and Discovery to Impact management, including outlining all risks associated with clauses not conforming to University of Texas System Board of Regents Rules and/or University policy. Review documentation upon receipt of agreement for compliance and coordinate with appropriate University offices (e.g. Office of Sponsored Projects, Risk Management Office, Research Security Office, or Office of Legal Affairs) to address compliance issues, including environmental health and safety, human subjects (IRB), animal subjects (IACUC), and budgetary compliance for cost sharing, time and effort, and facilities and administrative costs.
Contractual Advice and Communication
Provide expert written and verbal advice regarding the interpretation of federal, state, contractual requirements, grant and funding regulations, University and UT System policies and procedures, and Collaborative Research's policies. Contribute to the development and implementation of procedures and/or policies to improve contract workflow and ensure compliance. Acknowledge and respond to communications in a timely manner, this includes taking action or forwarding correspondence as appropriate, following up on the status of outstanding actions, and communicating results to stakeholders. Demonstrate excellent ability to communicate effectively both orally and in written form.
Contract Management
Daily oversight and management of assigned agreement portfolio to ensure timely actions and workload efficiency. Responsible for prioritizing agreement assignments with appropriate consultation with Collaborative Research management. Enter and maintain thorough and accurate documentation, data and negotiation notes related to agreements and related actions into UT Research Management Suite (UTRMS) and other electronic file systems.
Other
Special projects as assigned by Associate Director and/or Director of Collaborative Research .
Required Qualifications
Bachelor's degree.
Six years of experience drafting and negotiating sponsored research agreements and research-related contracts.
Demonstrated experience in contract preparation, including drafting, review, and revision of key terms (e.g. intellectual property, publication, confidentiality).
Experience negotiating with federal, state, academic, industry, and other partners.
Thorough knowledge of federal, state, local and University guidelines and regulations.
Highly skilled in complex contract negotiations and management of contract portfolios, with strong analytic and critical thinking skills, accustomed to a fast-paced environment with competing deadlines.
Exceptional customer service and excellent verbal and written communication skills.
Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Word and Microsoft Excel.
Must work well with others and contribute positively to the organization, team and University.
Must be authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis for any employer.
Relevant education and experience may be substituted as appropriate.
Preferred Qualifications (candidates need not have all of these qualifications to apply)
Bachelor's degree in law, business administration, public administration, or related field.
Graduate or professional degree in law, business administration, public administration, related field.
More than six years of experience in management, preparation, processing, and negotiation of resear

Skills
Excel, Negotiation, Risk Management, Intellectual Property, Documentation