Project Manager, Contracts & Operations

Lupus Research Alliance Inc.•New York, NY

3d•$75,000 - $85,000•Hybrid

About The Position

The Lupus Research Alliance (LRA) is the world’s leading non-governmental, non-profit funder of lupus research. Over the past 20 years, the LRA has invested over $220 million in lupus research in more than 525 research and clinical studies. In 2018, the LRA established a clinical affiliate organization, Lupus Therapeutics (LT), which is responsible for the coordination, conduct and management of a North American-based clinical trial network, the Lupus Clinical Investigators Network (LuCIN), as well as Patient Engagement and Equity efforts to foster clinical research for the development of new therapies and clinical care approaches for the diverse lupus community. The Project Manager, Contracts & Operations will support the entire LT team by managing cross-functional projects and administering LT’s contracting process. This position blends project management — planning, tracking, and driving initiatives to completion — with contract administration, including preparing agreements and invoices; tracking and monitoring agreements with biopharmaceutical and biotech partners, vendors, individuals living with lupus, study sites, and member organizations. The incumbent will also guide colleagues on their responsibilities related to project and contract deliverables, compliance, and reporting across functional areas throughout Lupus Therapeutics. The position co-reports to the Director of Clinical Operations and the Senior Director of Patient Engagement and Education and can be hybrid in the NYC area or remote. Please note for candidates not based in NYC, the starting salary may be adjusted based on location.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in a related field required.
At least 2 years of contract administration experience is required.
At least 2 years of project management experience is required, including planning, tracking timelines and budgets, and coordinating the work of cross-functional teams.
Possess excellent verbal and written communication skills.
Good team player with excellent negotiation and conflict resolution skills.
Critical thinker, self-motivated, and quick learner.
Organizational skills to work efficiently and manage multiple ongoing projects.
Ability to thrive in a fast-pased, deadline driven environment.
Proficiency with MS Office suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook); experience with project management tools (e.g., Asana).

Nice To Haves

Experience in academic research, pharmaceutical, biotechnology, or health nonprofit sector is a plus.
Experience working with those living with chronic disease is a plus.
Exposure to the clinical trial environment is a plus.
Comfort working with outside counsel and non-legal staff to move contracts through review and execution is important.
Basic experience using generative and/or agentic AI is a plus.

Responsibilities

Lead and coordinate cross-functional projects within Lupus Therapeutics, including developing proposals, project plans, SOW execution, timelines, and tracking deliverables and revenue/invoicing.
Support a variety of project activities related to Clinical Operations, Patient Engagement and Education, our LuCIN sites, the annual LuCIN Community meeting, and other initiatives as needed to instill coordinated project management and cross-team collaboration in all LT activities.
Track project budgets, milestones, and risks; provide regular status updates to the Director of Clinical Operations and the Senior Director of Patient Engagement and Education.
Use software tools (Asana, Claude AI, O365, and more), to drive greater team integration, collaboration, and efficiency through technology.
Prepare, track and route contracts and agreements (e.g., partner/vendor agreements, study site agreements, grant agreements, Confidential Disclosure Agreements, budget proposals/agreements) on behalf of LT in accordance with organizational policies.
Create and maintain templates to standardize and streamline the contracting and project management process, including reporting and budget templates.
Schedule, create agendas for, and lead various contract-related meetings with vendors, partners, and site staff, to keep projects on track and monitor contract compliance/reporting.
Provide guidance to colleagues responsible for managing contract deliverables and adherence.
Liaise with outside counsel on contracts requiring legal review or negotiation, coordinating turnaround times, tracking redlines, and keeping internal stakeholders informed of status.
Support LT and LRA colleagues with generation, tracking and reconciliation of invoices and accruals according to contract milestones and project budgets.
Serve as the primary point of contact for contract representatives from partners, sites, and vendors, and establish and maintain excellent working relationships to ensure the contracting process is smooth, efficient, and timely.
Ensure all contract documentation is complete, accurate, and up to date, and inform internal and external stakeholders of the status of contracts.
Flag and escalate any contract issues or disputes to outside counsel and internal leadership, and coordinate the internal response to any resulting legal input.
Work closely with internal stakeholders, including colleagues in LT, as well as the Finance and Development teams, to support business development, partnership/revenue growth, financial management, and reporting.
Build relationships with other internal project managers to collectively drive project management best practices across the organization.