Director of Grants and Contracts

Colorado State University•Fort Collins, CO

2d•$130,000 - $140,000•Remote

About The Position

Position Summary: The Director of Grants and Contracts Office at Colorado State University oversees the full lifecycle of research-related agreements, from negotiation and execution to compliance management. Reporting to the Assistant Vice President for Research Administration, the Director leads a specialized team and collaborates across the university to resolve complex legal issues while streamlining internal processes. This is a fully remote position. Essential Job Duties: Contract Negotiation and Execution: Negotiate and draft highly complex research agreements and master agreements, issuing final decisions on contractual language and binding university resources in accordance with policies. Issue Resolution and Escalation: Serve as the primary point of contact for resolving challenges related to grant terms and negotiations, including acting as the lead liaison for intellectual property issues. Policy Expertise and Compliance: Interpret and apply university, sponsor, federal, and state regulations while conducting ongoing analysis to update and implement necessary policy changes. Strategic Planning: Partner with leadership to develop long-term strategic plans for the Office of Sponsored Programs and create strategies for the broader research enterprise. Process Evaluation: Conduct ongoing assessments of the entire research lifecycle—from proposal to technology transfer—to synthesize stakeholder feedback and improve office activities. Campus Outreach and Training: Cultivate relationships with key researchers and design training programs for faculty and administrators regarding industry contracting and research administration. Internal Collaboration: Liaise with the Office of General Counsel, Export Control, Data Security, and other divisions to manage policies related to research collaborations. Personnel Management: Direct staffing requirements, including the hiring, mentoring, and performance evaluation of team members while monitoring workflow across the portfolio. Professional Development: Maintain expert-level knowledge of higher education best practices, commercial contractual law, and data privacy regulations through participation in national professional organizations. Stakeholder Coordination: Coordinate with external entities such as STRATA, CSURF, and the CSU Foundation to ensure contractual elements enable university research goals. Supervision: Grants Manager Contracts Manager Subcontracts Manager Conditions of Employment: Applicants must be authorized to work in the United States for any employer at the time of application. We are unable to sponsor employment visas for this position.

Requirements

Applicants must be authorized to work in the United States for any employer at the time of application. We are unable to sponsor employment visas for this position.
J.D or a BS and minimum of 7 years experience negotiating contracts, including intellectual property rights and/or data ownership, warranties, and liability.
Three (3) years of experience in a leadership role with or without direct reports.

Nice To Haves

10 years’ experience negotiating Research Agreements
Exposure to research administration in a higher education setting
An understanding of federal and state laws and regulations in areas relevant to academic research including but not limited to animal and human subject research, indirect cost recovery, export controls, and data management.
Experience working with or within industries or sectors related to agricultural science, engineering, veterinary medicine, biomedical sciences, or the natural sciences.
Experience conducting business with public entities.
Experience with agreements with Indigenous tribes and issues of research and data sovereignty
Supervisory experience in a professional environment.

Responsibilities

Contract Negotiation and Execution: Negotiate and draft highly complex research agreements and master agreements, issuing final decisions on contractual language and binding university resources in accordance with policies.
Issue Resolution and Escalation: Serve as the primary point of contact for resolving challenges related to grant terms and negotiations, including acting as the lead liaison for intellectual property issues.
Policy Expertise and Compliance: Interpret and apply university, sponsor, federal, and state regulations while conducting ongoing analysis to update and implement necessary policy changes.
Strategic Planning: Partner with leadership to develop long-term strategic plans for the Office of Sponsored Programs and create strategies for the broader research enterprise.
Process Evaluation: Conduct ongoing assessments of the entire research lifecycle—from proposal to technology transfer—to synthesize stakeholder feedback and improve office activities.
Campus Outreach and Training: Cultivate relationships with key researchers and design training programs for faculty and administrators regarding industry contracting and research administration.
Internal Collaboration: Liaise with the Office of General Counsel, Export Control, Data Security, and other divisions to manage policies related to research collaborations.
Personnel Management: Direct staffing requirements, including the hiring, mentoring, and performance evaluation of team members while monitoring workflow across the portfolio.
Professional Development: Maintain expert-level knowledge of higher education best practices, commercial contractual law, and data privacy regulations through participation in national professional organizations.
Stakeholder Coordination: Coordinate with external entities such as STRATA, CSURF, and the CSU Foundation to ensure contractual elements enable university research goals.