Research & Innovation Professional Services Unit

Research Contracts Manager
£33,309 to £37,127 per annum with additional performance related pay up to £46,409 per annum
Location: Cranfield, Bedfordshire

Cranfield University is one of Britain’s largest centres for postgraduate teaching and applied research, and is the leading British university in terms of its income from industrially and commercially funded research.  Our academic and research staff work both nationally and internationally on research and development for the benefit of some 1,500 organisations each year, seeking to enhance economic development and to achieve a better global environment.

The Research and Innovation Office (RIO) supports researchers in working together to achieve excellence and impact in delivering the University’s vision for research and innovation.  The Research Commercial function within RIO is focused on enabling the research activities of the University whilst mitigating and protecting against contractual risk.

The post will report to the Senior Research Contracts Manager and whose primary responsibilities will be to:

• Review, draft and negotiate a range of research and commercial contracts covering the full spectrum of research related activities including agreements relating to industry sponsored research collaborations, EU contracts, charitable funding and research consortium agreements, along with NDAs, service and consultancy agreements.
• Provide clear, pragmatic advice on the implications of contractual terms within the context of the research, using a working knowledge of research contract issues, such as confidentiality, publication requirements, intellectual property, VAT and other related issues.
• Ensure that contractual terms are clear and appropriate, and that institutional risk is identified and appropriately assessed within each contract, whilst meeting the University’s approved contractual position.
• Interact with external clients, as appropriate, to communicate clearly and concisely the points of negotiation, and work internally with the appropriate researcher.
• Build, develop and maintain effective working relationships with all internal and external stakeholders.

The post holder will be expected to:

• Have demonstrable experience of contract negotiation, drafting and broad intellectual property issues, ideally as they apply in the context of a higher education institution and against the backdrop of funded research;
• Have a Law Degree or equivalent significant legal experience working in a comparable role;
• Communicate effectively and to establish rapport and credibility with internal and external stakeholders;
• Provide commercial input into negotiations, to be motivated and pro-active, and work successfully both as part of a team and independently is absolutely critical to this role.
• Have problem-solving and deal-making skills together with the ability to manage and prioritise a varied work-load from multiple clients to achieve required commercial deadlines and deliver in a time pressured environment

For an informal discussion, please contact Christopher Buckland, Head of Research Commercial, on +44 (0)1234 758160 or +44 (0)1793 785762 or (E); c.buckland@cranfield.ac.uk

At Cranfield, we value Diversity and Inclusion, and aim to create and maintain a culture in which everyone can work and study together harmoniously with dignity and respect and realise their full potential. We actively consider flexible working options such as part-time, compressed or flexible hours and/or an element of homeworking, and commit to exploring the possibilities for each role.  

Apply online now at https://jobs.cranfield.ac.uk or contact us for further details on (E); hr@cranfield.ac.uk or (T); +44 (0)1234 750111 Ext. 8093. Please quote reference number 3261.

Closing date for receipt of applications: 10 February 2020

www.cranfield.ac.uk