Contracts Manager (50073614)

We are seeking an experienced Contracts Manager in a specialist role, to deliver a high quality, competent contract support service covering the full breadth of the University’s Research and Knowledge Exchange portfolio.

The role will be required to review, draft, and negotiate a broad range of Research & Knowledge Exchange contracts (and associated documents and proposals) ensuring that they are put in place in a timely and effective manner, reflecting the needs of the University and other parties, carefully considering and highlighting risk, ensuring compliance across all University policies and regulations including IP, Consultancy, Ethics, Trusted Research and Data Protection, and ensuring full compliance with statutory and legal requirements.

This role represents an exciting opportunity to assist in the development and implementation of new processes, procedures, practices and standards for the delivery of a competent contracts service, ensuring uniformity in the overall administration and negotiation of Research and Knowledge Exchange contracts handled by the University. It will also support the Senior Contracts Manager and the Head of Research and Knowledge Exchange Office to grow institutional knowledge and the University’s profile as a Research and Knowledge Exchange partner of choice by supporting and delivering a fit for purpose contractual service that is both fully compliant and able to adapt and react to changing priorities. Under the direction of senior colleagues, the postholder will build on connections and networks to help build the University’s reputation at the forefront of Research and Knowledge Exchange activities, understanding changing business needs and building trust with external partners.

The postholder will work with academic colleagues, external collaborators (including higher education establishments), industry partners, government organisations, student employers and charities in the UK, Europe and internationally, managing the end-to-end contractual process for their assigned portfolio in a time-effective manner and to a consistently high standard, mitigating risk and ensuring benefit for the University and external funders and collaborators.

QUALIFICATIONS
Essential • Undergraduate degree in relevant subject or significant equivalent level of experience.

Desirable • A qualified Solicitor with post-qualification experience. • A relevant professional qualification and membership of relevant professional body e.g., Chartered Institute of Legal Executives or International Association for Contract and Commercial Management or working towards professional qualification completion e.g., LPC.

TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE
Essential • Significant successful experience of working in- house in a contracts role and proven knowledge of the end-to-end contractual process with a record of success in delivering a high-quality service.
• Experience of working in an HEI, with good working knowledge of research grant and knowledge exchange funding, including post-award processes and research grant contracts, templates and sectoral standards.
• Experience supporting IP and VAT within a research and knowledge exchange and research context and academic publishing principles and how these relate to contract negotiation and development.
• Experience advising on and having responsibility for regulatory compliance and contractual services in a large organisation. • Successful experience advising on and mitigating areas of risk.
• Experience of providing support, advice and services to a wide range of customers, achieving buy-in to a recommended course of action.
• Broad and in-depth experience and understanding of issues in drafting and negotiating research and knowledge exchange contracts.
• Successful experience of advising colleagues and external partners within the field of expertise, with the ability to persuade others to take a different course of action where necessary.
• Strong awareness and understanding of commercial value when agreeing contracts.
• Proven working knowledge of relevant financial regulations and sector governance.
• Proven ability to balance the needs of individuals against the needs of the organisation.

Desirable
• Experience of other information management databases.
• Experience advising senior roles regarding appropriate contracts to use, including highlighting any areas of potential risk.

Research and knowledge exchange are fundamental to Westminster’s commitment to making a positive difference to the world and transforming lives. We are committed to research in four priority areas: Diversity and Inclusion; Health Innovation and Wellbeing; Sustainable Cities and the Urban Environment; Arts, Communication and Culture. Our excellence in research and knowledge exchange will infuse our education endeavour, inspiring and equipping our students as agents of change locally as well as globally. We will continue to grow our community of PhD researchers, ensuring that the Westminster postgraduate research experience remains sector leading and the foundation for great careers. In knowledge exchange we will focus on engagement with government, business and with the public and local community. We will achieve more when we identify shared interests and build partnerships with our communities and collaborate for the public good with a clear civic purpose.

Our structure is built to deliver an enhanced learning environment, stronger and broader industrial, international and professional connections and pioneering and impactful research.

The University comprises three Colleges:

Westminster Business School
• School of Organisations, Economy and Society
• School of Finance and Accounting
• School of Applied Management
• School of Management and Marketing

College of Creative Arts and Technologies
• School of Architecture and Cities
• Westminster School of Arts
• School of Computer Science and Engineering
• Westminster School of Media and Communications

Liberal Arts and Sciences
• School of Social Sciences
• Westminster Law School
• School of Humanities
• School of Life Sciences

At the University of Westminster, diversity, inclusion and equality of opportunity are at the core of how we engage with students, colleagues, applicants, visitors and all our stakeholders.

We are fully committed to enabling a supportive and safe learning and working environment which is equitable, diverse and inclusive, is based on mutual respect and trust, and in which harassment and discrimination are neither tolerated nor acceptable.