Contracts Manager

Company Description

The National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) is seeking a skilled and motivated Contracts Manager to join our Innovations and Intellectual Property (IP) team. This is a unique opportunity to contribute to the advancement of healthcare and medical research in the UK by facilitating the translation of research findings into tangible products and interventions.

About us
The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) is funded by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC). We work in partnership with the NHS, universities, local government, other research funders, patients, and the public. The NIHR funds, enables, and delivers world-leading health and social care research that improves people's health and wellbeing and promotes economic growth. 

Job Description

The IP Unit is responsible for drafting and maintaining the contracts through which the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) funds NIHR research. Reporting to the Senior Contracts Manager, the Contracts Manager will support the drafting of new NIHR Infrastructure and Programme contracts, ensuring that NIHR has appropriate rights when providing funding and that the risks to DHSC are suitably managed.

You will be part of a team advising NIHR internal stakeholders on a wide range of contract related matters, most notably intellectual property and commercialisation, and ensuring that NIHR contractual provisions are flowed down appropriately in contractor collaboration agreements. Additionally, you will take the lead on keeping the IP Unit up to date on changes in legislation and policy initiatives as they affect the NIHR.

Key responsibilities:

• Provide specialist contractual advice to NIHR colleagues across the three coordinating centres in respect of NIHR template agreements, charity co-funding agreements, and the review of contractor collaboration agreements.
• Support the cross-centre rollout of new contractual terms.
• Provide advice, support, and analysis to DHSC on the development of NIHR templates, Variations to Contracts, and template co-funding agreements.
• Provide guidance to DHSC on the risks and implications of contractual terms within the context of a proposed funding call, using a sound working knowledge of research contracts and contract law.
• Keep abreast of policy issues relating to the research funding environment in the UK, with a view to understanding the impact on NIHR contracts.
• Maintain a good and up to date working knowledge of legislation, regulations, and policy affecting research and to provide briefings and presentations to the IP Unit to disseminate this knowledge.
• Support the Senior Contracts Manager by carrying out triage of new contract requests.
• Liaise with NIHR programme teams on contractual issues and to ensure that all contracts dealt with by the IP Unit follow correct procedures for sign off.
• Work with the Senior Contracts Manager on the development and implementation of best practice and smooth processes and to develop guidance to the IP Unit and to NIHR programme teams.
• Advise members of the IP Unit and wider programme teams on issues relating to IP ownership and management in contractor agreements with NIHR and in contractor collaboration agreements.

Qualifications

Person specification:
Knowledge and experience:

• Experience of drafting and negotiating research contracts, including research funding and collaboration agreements
• Familiarity with the research funding landscape in the UK, whether gained in an HEI, NHS, charity, or an industry R&D environment, in particular government policies relating to research
• Awareness of government policy relating to research and innovation in the UK and overseas
• Familiarity with legislation affecting research contracts, including subsidy control, UK GDPR, with the ability and desire to learn about new areas of law
• Familiarity with NIHR funding agreements (desirable)
• Experience of IP management and commercialisation (desirable)
• Experience of training colleagues on contractual and IP related matters (desirable)

Skills and behaviours:

• Excellent workload and time management skills with an ability to handle competing demands both proactively and reactively 
• Strong negotiation skills, with the ability to influence colleagues and external stakeholders both in writing and verbally
• Excellent interpersonal skills, able to develop relationships at all levels of the organisation and externally
• Ability to prioritise and work independently, while also contributing to the team workload
• Ability to explain complex contractual terms to a lay audience
• Strong understanding of risk management.

Additional information

Salary & Benefits

• £45,700 - £48,300 per annum
• Bonus - subject to company performance
• 25 days annual leave, plus public holidays (UK)
• Enhanced contributory pension scheme
• Life Insurance
• Benenden Healthcare
• Season Ticket Loan
• Laptop, IT equipment and remote IT support

Location: Church St, Twickenham TW1, UK

We offer a range of work life balance and family friendly, flexible working arrangements.
This is an office based, home working (hybrid) role with an expectation for all employees to attend our offices one day a week, four days a month, which might increase, subject to team requirements.

Application Process 
If you are interested in working with us and feel you have the appropriate background and skills, please apply with your CV, (with the cover letter attached in the same document), outlining your suitability for the role and highlighting your experience against the required criteria.

NB: Closing date for applications is the 21st April 2024. 

EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES 
LGC strongly believes that every job applicant and employee should be valued for their individual talents regardless of age, disability, race, color, ethnic or national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, marital or civil partnership, pregnancy or maternity, religion, or belief. Short listing, interviewing and selection will always be carried out without regard to gender, sexual orientation, marital status, color, race, nationality, ethnic or national origins, religion or belief, age, or trade union membership.

For more information about LGC, please visit our website www.lgcgroup.com