Contracting Officer

UNC-Chapel Hill•Chapel Hill, NC

About The Position

The Contracting Officer supports Principal Investigators and sponsors with the administrative, financial, and compliance aspects of sponsored-program award negotiations and setups at UNC-Chapel Hill. The role negotiates and drafts funded contracts, agreements, subcontracts, amendments, and other sponsored-project agreements with industry and non-industry partners. It also participates in complex negotiations with institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations, federal sponsors, foreign entities, industry partners, and other organizations. The Contracting Officer drafts and negotiates terms addressing intellectual property, cost sharing, fiscal and procedural constraints, data use, material transfers, budgets, payment schedules, financial resources in the event of breach, and financial or compliance audits. The role reviews financial allowability and compliance with applicable state, federal, and sponsor requirements, and responds to customer inquiries. It serves as the central point of contact for assigned agreements and coordinates with departmental administrators, external sponsor personnel, research administration staff, legal teams, and PIs to support timely, compliant processing. Working independently, the Contracting Officer conducts risk assessments for assigned contracts and subcontracts, consults with PIs and department staff about project-specific considerations, and represents the best interests of the University and PI. For incoming funded agreements, the role reviews scopes of work or protocols and compliance considerations to draft or review the funding mechanism accurately. It maintains knowledge of award management, sponsor requirements, templates, contract formats, and appropriate flow-down of award terms. The role keeps current on research administration policies and requirements and provides guidance and training to the campus and research community. The Contracting Officer documents negotiation status in tracking systems throughout drafting, negotiation, execution, and setup in the financial system; monitors amendments for accuracy and continued programmatic and regulatory compliance; and supports OSP customer-service standards and task turnaround targets.

Requirements

Ability to use critical thinking, assess risk, make independent decisions based on risk assessment, and collaborate to solve problems and facilitate timely agreement execution.
Ability to work effectively as part of a team.
Ability to interpret, explain, and apply complicated rules, regulations, and policies.
Ability to prioritize and balance a shifting workload in a deadline-driven environment.
Strong communication, interpersonal, and customer-service skills.
Strong analytical skills and ability to work with a consistent degree of accuracy.

Nice To Haves

JD, MBA, or experience negotiating contracts in a university setting.
Understanding of non-fiscal compliance areas such as conflict-of-interest regulations, human subjects, and animal care policies.
Understanding of copyright law, publication policy, intellectual property rights, data ownership, material transfer, and other legal terms and conditions.

Responsibilities

Negotiate and draft funded contracts, agreements, subcontracts, amendments, and unfunded sponsored-project agreements.
Participate in negotiations of complex agreements with institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations, federal sponsors, foreign entities, industry partners, and other organizations.
Draft and negotiate technical contract terms addressing intellectual property, cost sharing, fiscal and procedural constraints, data use, material transfers, budgets, payment schedules, breach-related financial resources, and audits.
Review financial allowability and compliance with state, federal, and sponsor-specific requirements.
Serve as the central point of contact for assigned agreements and coordinate with PIs, departmental administrators, sponsor personnel, research administration staff, and legal teams.
Conduct independent risk assessments for assigned contracts and subcontracts, consulting with PIs and department staff about project-specific considerations.
Review scopes of work or protocols and compliance considerations for incoming funded agreements, and draft or review funding mechanisms accurately.
Provide guidance and training to the campus and research community on current research administration policies, sponsor requirements, award management, templates, and contract formats.
Maintain accurate and timely negotiation-status documentation in tracking systems through drafting, negotiation, execution, and financial-system setup.
Monitor amendments for accuracy and continued programmatic and regulatory compliance.
Respond to customer inquiries and support OSP customer-service standards and target task turnaround times.