Research Contract and Operations Associate

Beth Israel Lahey Health•Boston, MA

6d•$60,000 - $99,000

About The Position

The Research Contract and Operations Associate supports routine research contracting and coordinates activities that improve the organization, efficiency, and responsiveness of the Sponsored Programs Contracting Office. Reporting to the Associate Director, Sponsored Programs Contracting Office, the Associate generates, reviews, and negotiates amendments and other standard agreements using established templates and institutional guidance, escalating complex issues as appropriate. The role collaborates with investigators, research administrators, institutional offices, and external partners to support timely review and execution of agreements. The Associate works closely with the Associate Director to organize contracting workflows; develop, revise, and maintain standard operating procedures and agreement templates; collect and analyze operational data; and identify opportunities to streamline processes. The position tracks agreement progress, identifies bottlenecks, and coordinates follow-up to move pending contracts toward completion.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree.
1–3 years of related work experience; experience may include 1–2 years of direct research administration duties, including pre-award and post-award management of grants and contracts.
Ability to work with a varied caseload with minimal supervision, exercise strong judgment, and apply appropriate legal principles and Medical Center policies and practices to specific legal issues.
Ability to work as a member of an interdisciplinary team.
Strong organization and time-management skills, with the ability to multitask while remaining detail-oriented in a highly time-sensitive environment.
Outstanding verbal and written communication skills demonstrated in a legal, university, or academic medical center setting.
Advanced skills with Microsoft applications such as Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, or Access, and other web-based applications; ability to produce complex documents, perform analysis, and maintain databases.
Ability to make decisions guided by precedents, policies, and objectives, and to make recommendations on issues affecting a department or functional area.
Ability to analyze or interpret varied problems using direct observation, knowledge, skills, and general precedents.
Ability to set goals and determine how to accomplish defined results within guidelines and broad managerial or director-level direction.
Ability to summarize and communicate moderately complex information in English in varied written formats to internal and external customers.
Ability to comprehend and communicate complex verbal information in English to medical center staff, patients, families, and external customers.
Full working knowledge of standard concepts, practices, procedures, and policies, with the ability to apply them in varied situations.
Ability to collaborate in small teams, offer ideas, identify issues, and respect team members.
Ability to provide professional, respectful, service-oriented customer service using active listening and problem-solving skills, and remain calm in stressful situations.
Ability to meet the organization's influenza vaccination requirement as a condition of employment.

Nice To Haves

Knowledge of contract law, legal terms and conditions, and FAR and OMB Circulars related to sponsored research.
Experience drafting, reviewing, and negotiating research-related terms and conditions with universities, academic medical centers, for-profit and nonprofit organizations, and foreign entities.

Responsibilities

Review, prepare, and negotiate routine amendments and standard research agreements within assigned authority and established institutional guidance; refer complex terms and exceptions to the Associate Director, an associated SPC team member, or the appropriate institutional office.
Coordinate agreement processing from intake through execution, ensuring required information, acceptable terms, supporting documents, approvals, and signatures are obtained and accurately recorded.
Support the Associate Director in organizing daily office workflows, tracking priorities, and identifying requests requiring additional attention or escalation.
Monitor pending agreements, identify causes of delay, report outcomes to the Assistant Director for follow-up with SPC, and work with counterparties to resolve outstanding items and advance contracts.
Collect and maintain operational data on contract volume, status, turnaround times, and reasons for delays; prepare reports to help assess workload, bottlenecks, and improvement priorities.
Document, develop, and update standard operating procedures, workflow guides, and related resources to promote consistent and efficient contracting practices.
Maintain agreement templates and standard language with the Associate Director and appropriate institutional reviewers, ensuring approved versions are current and accessible.
Evaluate contracting processes, recommend practical improvements, support their implementation, and track results.
Maintain accurate contracting records and tracking systems to support reliable reporting and visibility into agreement status.
Serve as a resource for investigators, research administrators, and institutional partners regarding contracting procedures, documentation requirements, and agreement status.