Associate Director, Research Fiscal Contracting

University of Kansas•Lawrence, KS

About The Position

The Associate Director is part of the Research Fiscal Affairs team in the University of Kansas Office of Research and represents the KU Center for Research, Inc. (KUCR), a separate legal entity affiliated with KU. KUCR is a nonprofit research foundation that submits proposals for external support of research, instructional, and service projects. The Office of Research also supports investigators through contract negotiation, proposal and post-award services, compliance oversight, research facilities, and research financial services. The position leads review, drafting, negotiation, execution, and administration of complex KUCR agreements; oversees procurement support and subcontract purchase-order and invoice workflows; develops procurement policies, procedures, controls, training, and process improvements; and coordinates contractual and financial risk-management matters, including insurance. It also manages contract records and workflows, develops operational reports and performance measures, and serves as a resource to the research community on contracting and procurement. The Associate Director supervises, coaches, and develops staff in contracting and purchasing functions. The position is scheduled Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The University may be unable to hire fully remote candidates residing outside Kansas and cannot currently employ candidates residing in California, Delaware, Idaho, or Minnesota.

Requirements

Master’s degree or Juris Doctor and three years of related experience, or bachelor’s degree and five years of related experience.
Two years of experience supervising, leading, or formally directing the work of staff.
Experience reviewing, negotiating, or administering contracts, procurement transactions, or related business agreements.
Experience applying policies, regulations, or internal controls to business or financial processes.
Experience using Microsoft Excel and Word, as demonstrated in application materials.
Demonstrated attention to detail and accuracy, as evidenced in application materials.
Demonstrated written communication skills, as evidenced in application materials.
Experience working independently and collaboratively with customers and cross-functional partners.
A formal degree in a cited discipline area is required to provide advanced knowledge, analytical skills, and professional competencies for the position.

Nice To Haves

Experience applying 2 CFR Part 200 (Uniform Guidance) to procurement, subaward or subcontract payment, or other research-administration activities.
Experience drafting or negotiating complex commercial, service, fee-for-service, equipment-use, confidentiality, consortium, license, lease, or event agreements.
Experience in a university, nonprofit research foundation, sponsored-research, or research-administration environment.
Experience with Oracle Financials or another enterprise financial or procure-to-pay system.
Experience with contract-lifecycle, workflow, ticketing, or document-management systems.
Experience developing policies, procedures, training, metrics, dashboards, or process improvements.
Experience with grant accounting or sponsored-project administration.

Responsibilities

Lead the review, drafting, negotiation, execution, and administration of complex KUCR agreements, including service, consulting, event, research consortium, and confidentiality agreements.
Assess contractual terms and legal, financial, operational, compliance, and reputational risks; negotiate terms consistent with KUCR and University requirements.
Identify potential sponsored activity and refer it to the appropriate office; coordinate due diligence and compliance review where applicable.
Select appropriate escalation and review pathways and coordinate with the University of Kansas Office of General Counsel and subject-matter experts on nonstandard, high-risk, or specialized terms.
Document negotiations, approvals, revisions, and final agreements and maintain searchable contract records and workflow systems.
Oversee contract intake, assignment, status tracking, quality control, and workload management.
Maintain and improve contract templates, guidance, negotiation resources, systems, controls, and procedures.
Advise faculty, staff, administrators, and external organizations on contract requirements, processes, and terms and conditions.
Supervise, coach, and develop contracting staff; set expectations and review work for accuracy, consistency, sound judgment, and responsive service.
Lead staff responsible for procurement support and subcontract purchase-order and invoice workflows, including issuance, coordination, issue resolution, and closeout.
Ensure procurement and payment documentation meets federal requirements, University policies, and KUCR procedures, including required competition, quotation, bid, and sole-source documentation.
Advise researchers and research administrators on acquiring equipment, supplies, and services through University procure-to-pay systems.
Resolve complex procurement and payment issues with Post Award, principal investigators, vendors, and other University offices.
Establish cross-training and business-continuity practices that support timely processing and appropriate segregation of duties.
Monitor developments in research procurement, contracting, and federal compliance and recommend policy and procedural updates to the Director of Budgets and Financial Services.
Develop, implement, document, and periodically assess procurement policies, procedures, internal controls, and desk guides.
Serve as a subject-matter expert in research procurement and business contracting; develop and deliver training, tools, and outreach on KUCR processes.
Use operational data, stakeholder feedback, and risk assessments to identify and implement process improvements.
Coordinate contractual and financial risk management with the Office of Risk Management and other stakeholders, including insurance requirements, coverage limits, certificates, claims, applications, audits, and reporting.
Negotiate or support negotiation of insurance provisions and recommend practical risk-mitigation strategies.
Develop performance measures, reports, and dashboards for workload, timeliness, service quality, compliance, and operational efficiency.
Provide functional ownership and ongoing administration for assigned contract-management and workflow systems.
Lead or participate in special projects and perform other related duties as assigned.