Contracts Manager

University of Sheffield; Sheffield; On-site; GBP 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading UK university is seeking a skilled Legal Contracts Manager to join its Contracts Team. In this role, you will craft and manage contracts to safeguard intellectual property and mitigate legal risks. You will provide legal advice, manage multiple contracts, and uphold ethical standards while contributing to a dynamic team environment. This position offers competitive benefits including extensive leave options and flexible working opportunities.

Benefits

Highly competitive annual leave

Generous pensions scheme

Flexible working opportunities

Opportunities for development and wellbeing

Retail discounts

Qualifications

• Independent and self-motivated professional capable of taking initiative.
• Excellent communication skills to offer clear, concise advice.
• Commitment to ethical standards and legal regulations.

Responsibilities

• Craft and manage contracts to safeguard intellectual property.
• Identify and mitigate legal vulnerabilities.
• Provide clear, concise legal advice and foster collaboration.

Skills

Excellent communication skills

Ability to manage workload effectively

Proactive problem solver

Passion for safeguarding intellectual property

Job description

Overview

Protect Research Innovation: Become Our Legal Contracts Manager

We are seeking a highly skilled and dedicated Legal Contracts Manager to join our Contracts Team and play a pivotal role in safeguarding the University's groundbreaking research. This role provides the critical legal framework for our researchers to explore and innovate with confidence.

Reference: 1512 | Working pattern: Full-time, 35 hours per week | Department: Research, Partnerships and Innovation | Closing date: 17 October 2025

Responsibilities

• Craft and manage contracts to safeguard the University’s intellectual property and manage legal risk.
• Identify and mitigate legal vulnerabilities; anticipate potential challenges and develop proactive solutions.
• Provide clear, concise legal advice and develop strong working relationships across teams to support collaboration.
• Manage multiple contracts simultaneously; work autonomously, prioritise tasks, and drive contract management processes.
• Uphold ethical standards and ensure compliance with legal regulations in all contract activities.
• Stay updated on relevant legislation, regulations, and standard processes in contract management.
• Build and nurture university-wide relationships to create a robust legal framework for research; mentor and support a team as a line manager.
• Contribute to a dynamic, collaborative team environment within a department handling a high volume of research contracts (over 3,000 annually).

Qualifications and attributes

• Independent and self-motivated professional who can take initiative and manage workload effectively.
• Excellent communication skills; ability to offer clear, concise advice and foster collaboration.
• Passion for safeguarding intellectual property and ensuring legal compliance.
• Commitment to upholding ethical standards and legal regulations.
• A proactive problem solver with the ability to understand project context and navigate complex legal landscapes.

Team and environment

We foster continuous learning and professional development through training, networking, and development opportunities. You’ll be part of a friendly team of 16 in a busy department, collaborating to support research excellence.

Benefits

We offer a range of benefits including a highly competitive annual leave entitlement (with the option to purchase more), a generous pensions scheme, flexible working opportunities, opportunities for development and wellbeing, retail discounts, and more. We are committed to flexible working opportunities that benefit both the individual and the University.

Find out more at www.sheffield.ac.uk/benefits and join us to become part of something special.

Diversity and inclusion

We build teams of people from different heritages and lifestyles from across the world, whose talent and contributions complement each other to greatest effect. We believe diversity in all its forms delivers greater impact through research, teaching and student experience.