Research Agreements Associate, Senior

Are you ready to collaborate across the research enterprise to manage federal agreements end-to-end while ensuring regulatory compliance at Duke?

Be You.

The Research Agreements Associate, Senior, provides cradle-to-grave management of federal contracts and OTAs on behalf of the Office of Research Administration. The Research Agreements Associate, Senior, also provides the Associate Director, and Senior Leadership with expertise in federal contracting processes, assists in the development of SOP's and technical tools for the management of federal contracts, and provides educational sessions for Duke's research-oriented community.

Work Arrangement - This position will have an opportunity to work remotely.

All Duke University remote workers must reside in one of the following states or districts: Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington (State), Washington, DC.

DEPARTMENTAL PREFERRED SKILLS

• Demonstrate skills in data analysis and formulating conclusions.
• Adapt to changing grants and contracts management technologies.
• Full command of grants and contracts systems; requires solid working knowledge of MS Office Suite (Word, Access, Excel, Power Point).
• Clearly and effectively communicate both verbally and in writing within all levels of the organization.
• Manage and prioritize multiple projects/tasks simultaneously.
• Able Create and present verbal and written reports.
• Understand national compliance issues and apply this knowledge to circumstances at Duke University.
• Understand and apply basic concepts of export controls as these relate 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 be able to help others understand the basic Federal rules, regulations, and requirements of IRB, IACUC, COI, IBC and Misconduct in Science.
• Clearly communicate with faculty to inform them of obligations in meeting federal requirements when there are compliance concerns.
• Escalate issues to higher levels at the appropriate time 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 in whole or in part from federal contracts. - Understand and manage complex effort scenarios resulting from multiple appointment types (Private Diagnostic Clinic, Veterans Affairs, University).
• Understand the management requirements of broadly represented aspects of Federal financial research compliance and develop strategies for meeting compliance expectations within a dedicated unit and/or assigned portfolio.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Education/Training - Work requires a Bachelor's degree.

Experience - Work requires a minimum of five (5) years of experience working with federal contracts.

OR AN EQUIVALENT COMBINATION OF RELEVANT EDUCATION AND/OR EXPERIENCE.

Be Bold.

Duties and Responsibilities

Proposal Review and Submission (30%):

a. Support School of Medicine (SOM) departments in the review and submission of federal contract proposals.

b. Ensure that proposals adhere to University, agency, and federally mandated requirements, including compliance with federal and international laws and guidelines governing clinical research, effort reporting, costing principles, cost sharing commitments, Institutional Review Board (IRB) and Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) approvals, and conflicts of interest.

c. Coordinate with departments and Procurement Office in the preparation of small business subcontracting plans when required.

d. Facilitate contact between departments and Information Security Office (ISO) when solicitations include information security terms requiring Duke Health Technology Services (DHTS) review and approval.

Contract Negotiation and Execution (30%):

a. Analyze and interpret federal regulations, including FAR, DFAR, CFR and other government contracting terms and conditions.

b. Apply firm understanding of academic principles including Duke University policies, procedures, and guidelines in negotiating contract terms.

c. Maintain a positive working relationship with the Sponsoring Agencies while ensuring that, prior to award, all contract terms and conditions are acceptable to Duke University and PIs.

d. Work with departments to ensure that their PIs' needs are compatible with Sponsor requirements and that Duke SOM guidelines are met.

e. Advise PIs and departments of any problematic terms prior to contract execution.

f. Work with other Central Offices to review and negotiate terms and conditions that require specialized input.

g. Alert supervisor/Senior Leadership when a resolution cannot be reached in a timely manner, or when the sponsor will not accept requested terms and a solution cannot be agreed upon.

h. Ensure that the project has all required approvals and compliance requirements in place prior to execution.

Award Management (30%):

a. Assist departments, PIs and other Central Offices in project administration during the life of contracts.

b. Serve as the administrative point of contact for Sponsors, and review/submit all official administrative correspondence.

c. Coordinate with departments, PIs, and other Central Offices to respond to Sponsor and subcontractor requests.

d. Aid departments in obtaining Sponsor prior approvals.

e. In association with other Central Offices, represent Duke SOM in audits, administrative site visits, and other contract-related meetings as they arise.

f. Have a working understanding of each projects' finances as they relate to sponsor regulations, rebudgets, effort management, and CAS (Cost Accounting Standards) requirements.

g. Review and negotiate all contract modifications, working with PIs, departments, and other Central Offices if necessary.

h. Support departments, PIs, and other Central Offices in the completion of Sponsor-required closeout documents at the end of each contract.

Subcontracting (6%):

a. Independently draft, negotiate, and execute complex federal subcontracts (incoming and outgoing), including those containing federal contract funding flowing through other universities, foundations and corporate entities.

b. Determine appropriate flow-downs for outgoing federal subcontracts.

c. Work with departments to issue and negotiate subsequent subcontract modifications.

Training and Procedure Development (2%):

a. Work with the Associate Director, Senior Leadership, and other SOM offices to develop and maintain federal contracting standard operating Procedures (SOPs) for Duke SOM.

b. In association with Research Costing Compliance (RCC) develop, schedule, and provide training to ORA and other Duke constituents on the federal contracting process and newly-developed SOM SOPs.

c. Assist in the creation of tools and technologies to aid in the submission, tracking, award and management of federal contracts.

d. Ensure relevant federal contracting information and materials are available on the ORA webpage.

Miscellaneous Duties as Assigned (2%):

This position will perform other duties as assigned, including subawards on federal grants, foundation agreements, CRADAs, and industry-funded agreements, as needed.

Choose Duke.

Bring your expertise to a collaborative environment managing federal agreements and ensuring compliance for Duke's research community.

Apply today!


Job Level: 71

Anticipated Pay Range: Duke University provides an annual base salary range for this position as USD $79,456.00 to USD $127,090.00. Duke University considers factors such as (but not limited to) scope and responsibilities of the position; candidate's work experience, education/training, and key skills; internal peer equity; as well as market and organizational considerations when extending an offer.

Your total compensation goes beyond the dollars on your paycheck. 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. Learn more at: https://hr.duke.edu/benefits/