Job Information
Colorado School Of Mines Contract Manager, Office Of Research Administration in Golden, Colorado
Engineering a world of possibilities Colorado School of Mines Office of Research Administration is seeking an experienced Contract Manager to oversee a team of Contract Administrators support complex research initiatives across all STEM disciplines at Mines.
The Contract Manager is responsible for the management of research and other sponsored agreements through the Office of Research Administration (ORA) at Colorado School of Mines (School). This position is a key member of the Contract Administration unit and serves as a resource to faculty and a liaison for Mines and sponsoring research organizations. The Contract Manager is assigned their own academic departments and works directly with those faculty to complete all sponsored research requirements.
The Contract Manager leads the team of Contract Administrators by monitoring the schedule and development of sponsored research agreements for Mines. This position is responsible for maintaining an accurate database of research agreements which will be accessed by ORA and others on campus, including individual faculty members, department heads, deans and central administration.
This position may be eligible for hybrid or remote work opportunities after a period of on campus training.
Primary Responsibilities
Contract Team Manager
The Contract Manager will have direct supervision of the Contract Administration unit, 4-8 Full Time Employees, with the authority to hire, evaluate performance, and guide team culture.
Determine work prioritization by evaluating workloads, deadlines, complexity of the workload, School policy and staff resources.
Responsible for ensuring all contract information on the ORA website is accurate and current.
Resolves complex administrative or legal questions or issues that arise.
Responsible for creating and maintaining policies and procedures for the Contracting unit.
Remains knowledgeable about current federal regulations, pending changes, OMB Circulars, Federal Acquisition Regulations, state of Colorado regulations and school policy.
Assist in the maintenance of ORA's Research Management software and the School's financial system; specifically, with regards to contractual and legal information.
Develops contractual training material for ORA staff and campus.Contract and Grant Review and Negotiation (15%)
Identify issues and present solutions and approaches for resolution; develop creative solutions to complex contract issues
Review and analyze sponsored research agreements, both initial and modifications from external organizations to ensure they meet federal and state regulations.
Contract and Grant Management
Determine if changes to a research project require prior approval from the project's sponsor.
Submit and approve requests for no-cost time extensions, budget deviations, and pre-award spending based on sponsor requirements
Perform initial reviews on deficit spending requests (currently, At-Risk Spending Requests) to determine if the financial risk to Mines is acceptable under current policy and practices.
Responsible for initiating, negotiating and managing research subcontracts.
Communications, Training, and Data
Maintain communication with faculty to ensure all information for sponsored research agreement is outlined along with the process to negotiate the agreement.
Interpret and explain federal, state, and Mines regulations and policies to faculty and other Mines personnel to help them understand the contracting process and how the regulations apply to individual agreements.
Provide formal and informal training to faculty members and departmental staff regarding school policy and procedures and sponsoring agency rules and regulations in relation to negotiating and accepting a sponsored research agreement.
Upload all fully executed agreements, modifications, and sponsor prior approvals into the system.
Work with the data repos tory team to implement and maintain the software with regards to contracts unit
Minimum Qualifications
Bachelor's degree in business, or other relevant degree program
8 years research administration experience