Contract Administrator V, Sponsored Research Contract Negotiation

Kaiser Foundation Research Institute-s (KFRI-s) Sponsored Research Administration is comprised of three centralized teams that support grants administration, contract negotiation, and financial management activities across the research enterprise.

This position is part of the Sponsored Research Contracts Team, which is responsible for reviewing, drafting, negotiating and ensuring the timely execution of research and clinical trial agreements with federal agencies, commercial sponsors, nonprofit organizations, state and local government entities, and institutions of higher education.

The Contract Administrator V partners with research administrators, research staff, investigators, sponsors, collaborating institutions, and regulatory stakeholders to negotiate and facilitate the execution of complex research agreements.

As a senior member of the Contracts Team, this position serves as a subject matter expert, advising stakeholders on complicated contractual issues, mentoring team members, and contributing to the development and implementation of contracting processes, tools, and resources that support efficient and compliant research operations.

In addition to the responsibilities listed below, this position is also responsible for mentoring and independently reviewing, drafting, and negotiating basic, standard, and complex health research contracts and related agreements with federal agencies, commercial companies, nonprofit healthcare organizations, and academic institutions that sponsor KP in conducting health research and clinical trial studies; utilizing advanced knowledge to analyze study protocols for appropriate areas to address in contract negotiations; conducting and completing timely negotiations; maintaining and submitting accurate contract negotiation reports; partnering with KP research stakeholders and customers in all KP regions, mentoring and advising on standard and complex contractual issues, as requested; coaching others and providing expert consultation to investigators, Institutional Review Board (IRB) administrators, and research staff on standard and complex contract terms and conditions; and serving as a primary point of contact for KP legal counsel on issues, as required.

• Promotes learning in others by communicating information and providing advice to drive projects forward; builds relationships with cross-functional stakeholders. Listens, responds to, seeks, and addresses performance feedback; provides actionable feedback to others, including upward feedback to leadership and mentors junior team members. Practices self-leadership; creates and executes plans to capitalize on strengths and improve opportunity areas; influences team members within assigned team or unit. Adapts to competing demands and new responsibilities; adapts to and learns from change, challenges, and feedback. Models team collaboration within and across teams.
• Conducts or oversees business-specific projects by applying deep expertise in subject area; promotes adherence to all procedures and policies. Partners internally and externally to make effective business decisions; determines and carries out processes and methodologies; solves complex problems; escalates high-priority issues or risks, as appropriate; monitors progress and results. Develops work plans to meet business priorities and deadlines; coordinates and delegates resources to accomplish organizational goals. Recognizes and capitalizes on improvement opportunities; evaluates recommendations made; influences the completion of project tasks by others.
• Leads post-award administration by: providing consultation to team members on revision of the budget to correspond with pending award documents in collaboration with project team; driving the coordination of progress reports and prior approval request due dates, and providing guidance on the completion of administrative requirements from funders; planning for the effective completion of day-to-day post-award activities(e.g., purchasing items; reviewing expenses, effort, and projections; performing reconciliations; invoicing)to support projects in collaboration with the project team; proactively monitoring and notifying project team of upcoming deadlines, and coordinating and guiding completion of post-award requirements (e.g., annual reports, final reports); planning for the long-term implementation and maintenance of award systems, files, and accounts; providing guidance and planning for the review and routing of incoming and outgoing agreements for negotiation and execution; and proactively monitoring and conducting award closeout and collaborating with and providing guidance to team members to finalize closeout reports for submission to sponsor.
• Leads pre-award administration by: leveraging expert knowledge of complex proposals to provide consultation on and independently review and draft research proposal application elements, in collaboration with the project team; providing consultation on the application of and independently applying research methodologies, processes, and/or protocols, and the utilization of grant management software and other related systems; leveraging advanced knowledge to advise and answer questions from stakeholders related to pre-award administration and proposal development, including the interpretation and application of granting agency policies, procedures, and regulations; serving as an expert resource and independently developing and justifying project budgets in collaboration with the project team; and providing guidance to and partnering with project team and Investigator to drive the preparation of submissions (e.g., just-in-time) and the award acceptance process.
• Contributes to research accounting by: coaching team members to prepare and independently preparing and providing accounting documentation (e.g., invoice, financial reports) of contracts and grants; providing consultation to project team on making allowability, allocability, and reasonableness determinations; and providing expert guidance to team members and preparing, submitting, reviewing, and approving accounting entries (e.g., cost transfers, accruals), journal adjustments, and interregional invoicing documentation, contributing to month-end, year-end, and/or audit-related close, and completing related analysis, as needed.
• Serves as a research administration compliance expert by: leading review board or committee for proposals to ensure compliance with all applicable federal, state, and local regulations and KP policies and procedures; and providing subject-matter expertise in the development and implementation of various research processes, procedures, and guidance for compliance with federal and KP regulations.
• Contributes to research contracting by: mentoring team members and independently negotiating basic contracts or agreements (e.g., amendments/modifications, confidentiality), standard contracts or agreements (e.g., subawards, subcontracts, data use agreements, clinical trial agreements), and complex contract and agreements (e.g., data sharing and management plans, intellectual property licensing agreements); and mentoring team members and independently reviewing, editing, and providing consultation to research administrators and Investigators on basic contract and legal terms (e.g., contract law, statements of work), standard contract and legal terms (e.g., publication, confidentiality, intellectual property, data use, privacy and/or human subject regulations) and complex contract and legal terms (e.g., large multi-site collaborations/consortia, multi-lateral data use and transfers).
• Builds and maintains internal and external stakeholder relationships by: providing advanced subject-matter expertise when communicating with internal (e.g., legal, purchasing) and external stakeholders (e.g., funders, contractors), as appropriate.