Purpose/Summary
The Senior Contracts Specialist will be responsible for reviewing, drafting, negotiating, and approving complex budgets and financial terms for a high volume of industry sponsored clinical research agreements and will provide specialized financial review for other complex research funding agreements. This individual will work both independently and collaboratively with a variety of internal and external stakeholders including industry partners, clinical research teams, and various internal departments as required. The individual will support in the development and implementation of projects, plans, and procedures to further develop industry sponsored research and collaboration at SickKids and will provide specialized support in the review of agreements to mitigate financial and institutional risk for SickKids and its researchers.
Moreover, the individual will apply judgement and make decisions that ensure SickKids as an institution and its Researchers are compliant with funder guidelines and internal SickKids funding policies. This individual will serve as a SickKids subject-matter expert in institutional policies and procedures and will promote best practices for funded research collaborations. Working with prominent Researchers and their teams; hospital administrators, managers, and accountants; and collaborating scientists, industry partners, universities, and hospitals within Canada and internationally, the Senior Contracts Specialist will make a real impact on the continued growth and success of SickKids’ strategic research initiatives.
Here’s What You’ll Get to Do
– Lead the review, development, and negotiation of complex study budgets for a high volume of clinical research studies sponsored by various pharmaceutical, medical device, and bio-tech companies, collaborating institutions, research consortia, and Contracts Research Organizations (CROs).
– Provide feedback and strategic advice to SickKids study teams on complex budgets ensuring compliance with funder guidelines, and internal research and funding policies at SickKids.
– Identify areas of potential institutional and financial risk and ensure study budgets reflect adequate cost recovery for all direct and indirect costs of research.
– Support in the review of complex budgets for agreements funded through a variety of granting agencies, academic/healthcare institutions, research consortia and industry partners.
– Participate and contribute to the formulation, development, implementation, and revision of research agreement policies, procedures, and strategies for the department, as appropriate.
– Negotiate exceptions and requests for waivers and escalate to senior management ensuring escalations are made within parameters and thresholds acceptable to the institution following completed risk assessment.
– Establish strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders including industry partners and collaborating research institutes, as well as Researchers and Research Institute managers.
– Support in the development of initiatives and projects related to process improvement and the development of standard operating procedures and training resources.
– Develop and streamline institutional processes and create master institutional documentations to support SickKids scientists and internal departments to recover or minimize lost revenue.
– Improve upon existing processes or recommend new processes or procedures that can help SickKids maximize growth in research revenue, create efficiencies in the execution of clinical research agreements, and promote attraction of research opportunities from external parties to SickKids.
– Provide excellent customer service to all internal and external stakeholders by promoting collaboration and providing internal education within the Research Institute.
– Track, enter, and administer data on research agreements to support metric and KPI reporting and to ensure internal records for all assigned matters reflect most recent status updates. Support in routine data clean up as required. Conduct data analysis and provide reports to management as needed
– Support in the training and onboarding of new staff and provide ongoing mentorship and support.
– Serve as backup to manager as required, advising on matters related to SickKids policies and procedures and funded research agreements.
Here’s What You’ll Need
– An Undergraduate Degree in Business Administration, Legal Studies, Health Sciences or a related field. Completion of a formal post-secondary education program is required.
– Over 3 plus years of experience in leading budget review, and in drafting and negotiating complex budgets for agreements in an academic, research, or healthcare environment.
– Experience in the financial review of complex clinical trial and clinical study agreements sponsored primarily by pharmaceutical companies, or CRO’s.
– Exemplary written and oral communications skills with the ability to effectively communicate and interact with various internal and external stakeholders who may have conflicting interests and priorities.
– Ability to consistently apply principles and policies to novel situations. This includes enforcing institutional policies and processes and identifying areas of potential risk.
– Demonstrated ability to effectively build, maintain and foster strong working relationships with a wide variety of internal and external stakeholders through effective leadership, problem solving, initiative, and negotiation.
– Strong financial literacy and business acumen.
– Strong skill sets in negotiation, problem solving, decision making, and conflict management with the ability to quickly find, learn, and assimilate new information.
– Learn, invent, and implement new processes, tools, and procedures to help us gain efficiencies within the department.
– Ability to independently prioritize and manage a high volume of matters with competing deadlines and urgencies.
– Ability to think strategically and review matters analytically.
– Excellent interpersonal skills, tact, judgment, and discretion.
– Knowledge of procurement regulations, contract documents, and legal specification as they pertain to the budget and financial review and approval of research agreements.
– Advanced user knowledge of Microsoft suite of office applications and experience working with accounting or financial software, specifically PeopleSoft, is an asset.
– Demonstrate commitment and actions in advancing equity, diversity and inclusion objectives
Employment Type: 1.00 FTE 18 month contract with health and dental benefits
Job ID: 21115
Deadline to Apply2024-10-08