Research Agreements Associate, Senior

Duke University • Durham, NC

51d • Remote

About The Position

Established in 1930, Duke University School of Medicine is the youngest of the nation's top medical schools. Ranked sixth among medical schools in the nation, the School takes pride in being an inclusive community of outstanding learners, investigators, clinicians, and staff where interdisciplinary collaboration is embraced and great ideas accelerate translation of fundamental scientific discoveries to improve human health locally and around the globe. Composed of more than 2,600 faculty physicians and researchers, nearly 2,000 students, and more than 6,200 staff, the Duke University School of Medicine along with the Duke University School of Nursing, and Duke University Health System comprise Duke Health, a world-class academic medical center. The Health System encompasses Duke University Hospital, Duke Regional Hospital, Duke Raleigh Hospital, Duke Health Integrated Practice, Duke Primary Care, Duke Home Care and Hospice, Duke Health and Wellness, and multiple affiliations. Are you ready to play a pivotal role in supporting research at Duke University's School of Medicine/Nursing? Be You. As a Research Agreements Associate, Senior in the Office of Research Contracts (ORC), you'll be at the heart of negotiating and managing critical agreements with sponsors, subcontractors, and research sites. This position combines strategic thinking, legal and business acumen, and collaboration to ensure research partnerships thrive-all while upholding Duke's mission and standards. Drafts, negotiates, and processes agreements relating to the conduct of School of Medicine/Nursing research with sponsors, subcontractors, sites and others in a manner consistent with Duke University's mission and policies/procedures, and approved standards including those underlying its non-profit tax status. Relies on good legal/business judgment, contracting and academic principles, and the experience of others within ORC. Uses systems and procedures that support the efficient development, negotiation, processing and tracking of these agreements. Represents ORC in strategic internal or external relationships. Acts as resource for junior Agreement Managers and seeks opportunities to present ORC educational material to Duke depts. and offices. Work Arrangement - Remote

Requirements

• Bachelor degree required.
• Minimum of five (5) years of relevant experience related to legal and contracting or research in an academic, pharmaceutical, or contract research setting.
• An advanced degree (J.D., M.S., Ph.D.) may substitute for two (2) years of experience at the Offices discretion.
• Familiarity with legal documents and/or issues relating to academic/scientific research is required.
• Significant administrative and negotiation experience is required.
• Must be highly computer literate and competent in the use of database, word processing and spreadsheet programs.
• Must demonstrate ability to establish and maintain professional interpersonal relationships and to effectively execute both written and verbal communications.
• Requires solid working knowledge of MS Office Suite (Word, Access, Excel, Power Point).
• In the event this position operates within the ORC Government and Foundation Collaboration Unit, substantial federal grants and contracts training will be required on an ongoing basis as determined by ORC.

Nice To Haves

• A J.D., or M.S., or Ph.D. in a scientific field is strongly preferred.
• Experience in university/industry interactions relating to conduct of research is preferred.
• Firm understanding of intellectual property rights as gained through implementation of research-related agreements, technology transfer-related agreements and/or patent analysis/protection activities; or Direct scientific involvement in laboratory research.

Responsibilities

• Drafts, negotiates, and processes research agreements and other related agreements with industry, foundation, non-profit and government sponsors, subcontractors, and others to be consistent with Duke policies and procedures, the specifics of each research project, and the interests of Duke faculty and Duke University, which such activities may include analyses and interpretation of federal regulations and foundation terms and conditions, complex intellectual property issues, and other general terms and conditions all to be completed within targeted timeframes. Where applicable, works with the sponsoring agency prior to award to ensure that terms and conditions are acceptable to Duke.
• Proactively and largely independently recommends alternative solutions to contractual issues that arise in the context of negotiations and attempts to reconcile the often-conflicting perspectives of academia and industry within established guidelines and in a manner that complements and supports Duke's overall academic mission.
• Consults with ORC Directors regarding contract issues and alerts such Director when a resolution is not able to be reached in a timely manner, or when the sponsor will not accept terms requested and a solution cannot be agreed upon. Recommends approval, or disapproval, of negotiated agreements to OCR Directors.
• Represents ORC in strategic internal or external relationships.
• Coordinates the processing of agreements with faculty, School of Medicine departments, Site-based Research Units, other Duke central offices as needed, including Office of Research Administration, Duke Office of Clinical Research, Institutional Review Board, Office of Procurement Services, and Export Control.
• Maintains up-to-date records of all agreement negotiations through timely and accurate entries in the ORC IT system and reports regularly on status of assigned work to ORC Directors.
• Provides advice to applicable Dept. staff, trial teams, and Principal Investigators regarding contractual requirements, liabilities, and risks.
• Acts as a resource for other members of ORC with regard to agreements and related processes particularly with respect to IRB, human subjects' protection matters, federal and foundation compliance requirements, and intellectual property matters.
• Participates in contract management meetings contributing to the continuous improvement of ORC, its policies, processes and operations.
• Provides input to ORC quality control procedures to affect the timely execution of all assigned agreements in accordance with organizational and departmental policies.
• Provides training and educational outreach on ORC contract process/procedures and related SOM policies internally and as requested to other Duke depts./offices.
• Informs Duke faculty and research personnel of contractual requirements, including confidentiality restrictions, material use restrictions, liability issues and intellectual property rights.
• Ensure that the project has all relevant approvals and compliance requirements in place prior to contract execution.
• Performs other related duties incidental to the work described herein.

Benefits

• Duke provides comprehensive and competitive medical and dental care programs, generous retirement benefits, and a wide array of family- friendly and cultural programs to eligible team members.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Industry: Educational Services
• Number of Employees: 5,001-10,000 employees