Manager of Contracts, Technology Development

UT Southwestern Medical Center • Dallas, TX

6d

About The Position

The Manager Contracts - Technology Development provides strategic leadership for all contracts flowing through the Office of Technology Development (OTD), serving as the offices guide on best practices in contract structure & policy. This role develops and maintains contract templates, clause libraries, playbooks, and workflows, and advises commercialization and research teams by clearly articulating institutional positions, approved fallback options, and escalation thresholds. Leveraging a deep understanding of university policy, state regulations, and federal requirements, the Manager Contracts - Technology Development ensures agreements are consistent, compliant, and risk appropriate while enabling timely deal execution. The position partners closely with General Counsel, Sponsored Programs, Compliance, Business Development, and OTD leadership to triage issues, resolve ambiguities, and support effective decision making. Operating with high emotional intelligence and strong judgment, the Manager Contracts - Technology Development balances stewardship with pragmatic deal enablement, improving throughput, reducing friction, and safeguarding the institution's interests.

Requirements

• Juris Doctor (JD) degree from an accredited law school
• 8 years of experience in a legal environment or in general business with primary responsibility for reviewing, drafting, analyzing, and negotiating complex contracts.

Nice To Haves

• Life Science contracting
• Venture Capital contracting

Responsibilities

• Leads drafting and reviewing complex, high risk, and high-profile contracts with various companies, stakeholders and agencies while coordinating with staff.
• Provides guidance, assistance, and training to staff and team members within OTD as necessary for implementation and negotiation of contracts for various agreement types.
• Leads the development of processes and procedures, including process improvement, for the area of expertise related to overall contract drafting and management activities.
• Monitors status of contracts for completion; ensures contracts move through the process from negotiated intake to execution in a timely manner.
• Drafts internal and external correspondence related to contracting activities.
• Accurately spots issues, interprets complex contract terms and conditions, and engages attorneys in the Office of Legal Affairs and UT System OGC as the offices point of contact, as needed.
• Applies extensive knowledge of the entire contracting lifecycle to meet business needs.
• Creates and implements KPIs on contracts team performance.
• Drafts, negotiates and completes revenue generating contracts
• Acts as the Point of Contact for COI, Legal Affairs, and UT System OGC offices
• Partner closely with General Counsel (for legal interpretation and negotiation strategy) and Sponsored Programs (for research agreements interfacing with IP/industry).
• Model proactive ownership and high emotional intelligence; especially when mediating between faculty urgency, industry timelines, and public-institution constraints.
• Crisp, respectful communication that defuses conflict and builds trust across faculty, counsel, and industry counterparts.
• High situational awareness; knowing when to escalate, when to offer a fallback, and how to maintain momentum without negotiating.
• Performs other duties as needed.

Benefits

• PPO medical plan, available day one at no cost for full-time employee-only coverage
• 100%25 coverage for preventive healthcare-no copay
• Paid Time Off, available day one
• Retirement Programs through the Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS)
• Paid Parental Leave Benefit
• Wellness programs
• Tuition Reimbursement
• Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Qualified Employer

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree