[Hiring] Senior Research Agreements Associate @Duke University

Role Description

The Research Agreements Associate, Senior, provides cradle-to-grave management of federal contracts and OTAs on behalf of the Office of Research Administration. The role includes:

• Providing expertise in federal contracting processes.
• Assisting in the development of SOPs and technical tools for federal contract management.
• Conducting educational sessions for Duke’s research-oriented community.

Qualifications

• Demonstrate skills in data analysis and formulating conclusions.
• Adapt to changing grants and contracts management technologies.
• Full command of grants and contracts systems; solid working knowledge of MS Office Suite (Word, Access, Excel, Power Point).
• Clearly and effectively communicate both verbally and in writing at all organizational levels.
• Manage and prioritize multiple projects/tasks simultaneously.
• Able to create and present verbal and written reports.
• Understand national compliance issues and apply this knowledge at Duke University.
• Understand and apply basic concepts of export controls related to proposal submission and award management.
• Understand and apply federal rules to contract negotiations and management.
• Understand and apply financial management requirements to proposals and contracts.
• Understand and help others understand common contract terminology.
• Understand and comply with requirements for managing Federal contracts.
• Understand and help others understand the basic Federal rules, regulations, and requirements of IRB, IACUC, COI, IBC, and Misconduct in Science.
• Clearly communicate with faculty regarding obligations in meeting federal requirements when compliance concerns arise.
• Escalate issues to higher levels when unable to obtain a resolution.
• Understand and apply basic internal control concepts to daily federal contract management.
• Understand and translate concepts to actual practice.
• Understand and apply federal and University rules to management of effort allocation for individuals compensated from federal contracts.
• Understand and manage complex effort scenarios resulting from multiple appointment types.
• Understand the management requirements of broadly represented aspects of Federal financial research compliance.

Requirements

• Education/Training: Work requires a Bachelor's degree.
• Experience: Minimum of five (5) years of experience working with federal contracts or an equivalent combination of relevant education and/or experience.

Benefits

• Annual base salary range: USD $79,456.00 to USD $127,090.00.
• Comprehensive and competitive medical and dental care programs.
• Generous retirement benefits.
• A wide array of family-friendly and cultural programs.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Proposal Review and Submission (30%):
  • Support School of Medicine (SOM) departments in the review and submission of federal contract proposals.
  • Ensure proposals adhere to University, agency, and federally mandated requirements.
  • Coordinate with departments and Procurement Office for small business subcontracting plans.
  • Facilitate contact between departments and Information Security Office for solicitations requiring review.
• Contract Negotiation and Execution (30%):
  • Analyze and interpret federal regulations, including FAR, DFAR, CFR.
  • Apply understanding of academic principles in negotiating contract terms.
  • Maintain positive relationships with Sponsoring Agencies.
  • Work with departments to ensure compatibility of PIs’ needs with Sponsor requirements.
  • Advise PIs and departments of problematic terms prior to contract execution.
  • Collaborate with other Central Offices for specialized input on terms and conditions.
  • Alert supervisor/Senior Leadership when resolutions cannot be reached.
  • Ensure all required approvals and compliance are in place prior to execution.
• Award Management (30%):
  • Assist departments, PIs, and other Central Offices in project administration.
  • Serve as the administrative point of contact for Sponsors.
  • Coordinate responses to Sponsor and subcontractor requests.
  • Aid departments in obtaining Sponsor prior approvals.
  • Represent Duke SOM in audits and contract-related meetings.
  • Review and negotiate all contract modifications.
  • Support completion of Sponsor-required closeout documents.
• Subcontracting (6%):
  • Independently draft, negotiate, and execute complex federal subcontracts.
  • Determine appropriate flow-downs for outgoing federal subcontracts.
  • Work with departments to issue and negotiate subcontract modifications.
• Training and Procedure Development (2%):
  • Develop and maintain federal contracting standard operating Procedures (SOPs).
  • Provide training on the federal contracting process and newly-developed SOPs.
  • Create tools and technologies for submission, tracking, and management of federal contracts.
  • Ensure relevant federal contracting information is available on the ORA webpage.
• Miscellaneous Duties as Assigned (2%):
  • Perform other duties as assigned, including subawards on federal grants and foundation agreements.