Director, Research Contracts and Agreements

University of Ottawa•Ottawa, ON

11d•CA$132,504 - CA$165,630•Onsite

About The Position

The Office of the Vice-President, Research and Innovation sets the strategic direction and oversees the administration of the University of Ottawa’s research enterprise, including funding, equipment and facilities, international collaborations, partnerships and business development. This is a full-time, onsite position at the University of Ottawa. Reporting to the Associate Vice-President, Research Services, the Director, Research Contracts and Agreements holds both strategic and operational responsibilities for the University’s contractual research portfolio. The Director ensures excellence and accountability in research management and provides strong leadership in the planning, development, implementation, and delivery of efficient and effective administrative processes for research contracts. In this role, the Director offers expert strategic, administrative, and problem-solving guidance to researchers, faculties, administrators, and sponsors. This leadership supports the University of Ottawa in achieving its strategic priorities of research excellence through the activities of the Office of the Vice-President, Research and Innovation (OVPRI).

Requirements

Graduate degree in a relevant field or a combination of equivalent education and experience.
A minimum of 10 years of progressively senior positions within a research-intensive university or similar complex research environment, including significant experience in leading teams and staff supervision
Extensive knowledge of university pre- and post- award administration processes in complex de-centralized environments, the life-cycle of research grants and awards, compliance requirements, and financial management practices.
Extensive knowledge of research contracts and agreements principles including experience with complex negotiations, ability to interpret complex terms and conditions and evaluate institutional risk.
Expert knowledge on Canada’s research funding landscape, federal funding agencies (NSERC, CIHR, Genome Canada, SSHRC) and Tri-Agency policies, frameworks and guides.
Substantial knowledge and experience in the development of business plans, planning documents and advising senior leadership.
Substantial experience in liaising and maintaining relationships with external funding sponsors.
Ability to take a broad, long-range approach to problem-solving and decision-making that involves objective analysis, thinking ahead, and planning.
Outstanding interpersonal skills, with the ability to work with researchers, administrators, faculties, staff, students, administrators from other institutions and sponsors.
Excellent communication skills including writing, reviewing and editing in both official languages.
Demonstrated leadership skills, tact, diplomacy and judgment.
Strong project and time management, attention to details, problem-solving, risk assessing, and conflict resolution skills.
Demonstrated experience in using computer systems and software such as, Windows, PowerPoint, word processing, spreadsheets, databases, financial systems, e-mail and internet.

Nice To Haves

An MBA or a PhD would be a strong asset.

Responsibilities

Directs and oversees university-wide operations related to negotiation and management of research contracts and collaborative research agreements.
Ensures high-quality client service and effective relationships with external funders and internal stakeholders, safeguarding the University’s responsible management of research contract funding.
Provides strategic leadership for the formulation, negotiation, governance, legal review, and approval of external research contracts and agreements, including complex, high-risk, multi-million-dollar, multi-party agreements and sub-contracts.
Ensures institutionally optimal, risk-balanced terms for the research team and protection of university interests in alignment with institutional policies.
Sets negotiation strategy across financial, intellectual property, confidentiality, publication, liability, and indemnification provisions.
Oversees agreement lifecycle management to ensure compliance with award terms and conditions.
Exercises delegated signing authority on behalf of the Vice-President, Research and Innovation in accordance with Bylaw 3.
Provides senior oversight and interpretation of major research agreements, analyzing terms and conditions of complex, multi-party, or high-value awards and resolving administrative issues in a timely manner.
Ensures compliance with federal and provincial regulations, Tri-Agency policies, and ethics and privacy legislation, and assesses risks related to indemnity, insurance, data security, and reputational impact.
Engages legal counsel for complex agreements or specialized review, and liaises with the tech transfer office on complex IP matters, including verification of background IP.
Supports indirect cost/overhead application and justification and ensures alignment of budgets, payment schedules, and invoicing terms with university policies.
Authorizes exceptions to policies or procedures where warranted to meet regulatory or sponsor requirements.
Supports major multi-party institutional agreements and large-scale initiatives.
Advances uOttawa’s research profile through the development and stewardship of strategic research partnerships with faculties, OVPRI units, and external sponsors across government, private, and not-for-profit sectors.
Represents institutional and researcher interests in high-level negotiations and problem-solving to advance the University’s research strategy.
Plans, organizes, directs and controls the Service’s contract operations.
Directs a team in a fast-paced environment, overseeing hiring, performance, succession, and staff development.
Fosters collaboration, cross-training, and continuous learning to ensure flexibility and empowerment.
Establishes and maintains standardized operational procedures, ensuring staff have the resources, training, and guidance to perform effectively.
Provides strategic and operational leadership in the planning, development, implementation and continuous improvement of university-wide approval, governance, administrative, and accountability frameworks for contract-funded research to ensure that the University anticipates and meets evolving sponsor, partner and regulatory accountability requirements.
Develops internal policies and procedures and directs the review and development of contractual opportunities, providing strategic advice to the AVP and VP, Research and Innovation on the contracting portfolio.
Sets service standards and key performance indicators to monitor efficiency and evaluate client satisfaction.
Oversees the development, analysis, and maintenance of institutional metrics on collaborative research and agreements for OVPRI.
Leads the development and implementation of an enterprise Contracts Management System to support the intake, tracking, execution, and oversight of all research contracts, streamlining processes and strengthening institutional control.
Ensures integration with the University’s research awards management and information systems to support accurate, timely, and reliable data for externally funded contract research.
Develops training strategies and oversees educational programs in research contract management for OVPRI staff, researchers, and faculty administrators, strengthening institutional efficiency, accountability, and compliance with external requirements.
Works with other offices to enable pathways from research to application while protecting researchers and the institution — for example, with the tech transfer office on ownership, licensing, revenue sharing, and background vs. foreground IP.
Collaborates with research finance and post-award teams on agreement setup, financial monitoring, indirect costs, and reporting to ensure compliance and sound stewardship of funds.
Works across units to promote efficiency and ensure data quality through streamlining and standardization of business processes.