Contracts Administration Coordinator

COG Research Foundation, LLC

6h•Remote

About The Position

The Contracts Administration Coordinator functions as an operational integrator within a high-volume, rapidly growing department and serves as a central infrastructure resource supporting negotiators and leadership through disciplined coordination of daily contracting operations and enterprise-level initiatives. The Contracts Administration Coordinator is primarily responsible for optimizing departmental operations to maximize contracting efficiency, scalability, and data integrity. This position plays a critical collaborative role in the development, implementation, configuration, adoption, and continuous improvement of business systems — including contract lifecycle management (CLM) platforms — that are designed to automate workflows, standardize intake and review processes, improve communication cadence, and ensure high-quality data output and governance across the contracting lifecycle. In addition, the Contracts Administration Coordinator supports the intake, preliminary review of corporate, foundation, and donor-related agreements. The Contracts Administration Coordinator reports to the Associate Director of Contracts Management and provides actionable operational insights to improve contract cycle times, workflow efficiency, and performance metrics. They also partner closely with other members of the team to support key performance indicator reporting and process enhancement initiatives.

Requirements

Minimum of five (5) years of progressive experience in business administration, contracts management, systems, or operations management, with a focus on contracting processes or similar functions.
Associate's degree or substitute with two (2) additional years of equivalent work experience in a combination of sponsored research and philanthropic / donor contracting.
Experience supporting contracts management activities.
Familiarity with contract lifecycle management systems.
Intermediate experience with project management platforms for process optimization and workflow management (e.g. Smartsheet, Monday.com)
Demonstrated analytical and problem-solving skills, with experience supporting operational processes, identifying opportunities for efficiency, and assisting with system improvements
Demonstrated project management skills with the ability to collaborate with multi-functional teams on process improvement initiatives and change management processes.
Experience with Microsoft 365 applications suite.
Excellent communication and relationship-building skills, with the ability to clearly convey operational information to diverse internal and external stakeholders.
Exceptional attention to detail, accuracy, time management, and ability to prioritize multiple tasks while maintaining confidentiality and working collegially in cross-functional environments.
Highly organized and detail-oriented with the ability to work under pressure, manage multiple priorities and meet tight deadlines.
Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to interact at all levels of the organization.
Ability to work independently as well as part of a team.
Ability to travel overnight to COG Group Meetings and any other business-related meetings as requested.

Nice To Haves

Master's degree in business administration or related field.
Experience with clinical trial agreements and subcontract agreements.
Familiarity with data governance and reporting.
Experience in a nonprofit or academic research organization setting, particularly related to clinical trial research.
Prior experience in a newly established contracts management function or startup type environment.
Experience in organizational transition or change management initiatives.

Responsibilities

Assist with system configuration, integration, and workflow mapping across platforms.
Support routine monitoring, maintenance, and continuous optimization of contract management systems.
Provide operational support to ensure data accuracy, system reliability, and compliance with internal controls.
Generate recurring and ad hoc reports related to contract lifecycle metrics, turnaround time analysis, workflow efficiency, data governance, and business process improvement initiatives.
Identify opportunities for automation, standardization, and performance enhancement based on system analytics and stakeholder feedback.
Own and manage CMD shared inboxes to ensure disciplined intake management.
Following outlined guidelines, triage and prioritize urgent matters based on contractual risk, timing sensitivity, and stakeholder impact.
Distinguish between fully executed and partially executed agreements and route accordingly.
Confirm completeness of finalized documentation packages.
Validate signature readiness in coordination with Manager(s) or Analyst(s).
Conduct daily structured review of ACR submissions in partnership with Manager(s), Analyst, or other team members.
Ensure submissions are complete, accurate, and compliant with internal requirements; return incomplete submissions with clear corrective guidance.
Collaborate with requestors, external vendors/partners, Manager(s), Analysts, or other team members to secure required documentation for complete processing.
Designate submissions as complete within ACR system and notify appropriate Manager.
Update Agreement/Work Order Reports accordingly.
For new vendors, coordinate with requestor, vendor contact, and accounting to ensure timely vendor onboarding within financial systems.
Identify and categorize returned agreements (partially executed vs. fully executed).
Obtain confirmation from Manager or Analyst as required prior to final routing.
Coordinate signature workflows, including purchase order capture for invoiceable agreements.
Distribute fully executed copies to all relevant stakeholders.
Ensure proper document retention and records management.
Update internal trackers and reporting systems in real time to reflect execution status.
Follow-up with research sites regarding pending responses and signatures.
Distribute agreements and related documentation to sites as directed.
Track receipt of agreements and reconcile discrepancies.
Assist with drafting agreement and work order templates following established guidelines.
Support development and refinement of contract administration workflows.
Facilitate the efficient execution of subcontracts, agreements, amendments, work orders, and related instruments.
Develop and document SOPs to support operational consistency.
Travel overnight to COG Group Meetings and any other business-related meetings as requested.
Perform other duties as assigned.