Head of Contracting & Intellectual Property

The Methodist Church in Britain; Packmoor; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 95,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Career progression

Learning and development

Generous annual leave

Pension benefits

Wellbeing initiatives

Staff networks

Job summary

Oxford Health NHS Trust's Corporate Affairs team seeks a head to lead research contracts, IP and innovation governance as the Trust's principal adviser. You will negotiate research agreements, manage the IP register and assess commercialisation opportunities, protecting Trust interests while supporting NIHR and partnership research.

The role sits alongside universities, sponsors and funders, and requires a DBS check at onboarding.

Qualifications

• Master's degree or equivalent level experience in law, business, research management, commercial management, intellectual property, innovation, governance or a related field.
• Senior experience in research contracting or IP governance or a closely related field.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Trust's research contracting function and its research contracts and IP service.
• Negotiate, review and execute research agreements including clinical trial, collaboration, data sharing, confidentiality, material transfer and partnership agreements.
• Provide expert contractual, legal and commercial advice to researchers and senior leaders.
• Lead implementation of the Trust's IP policy and manage IP arising from research.

Skills

Research contracting

Intellectual property governance

Innovation governance

Contract negotiation

Legal advisory experience

Education

Master's degree or equivalent

Job description

Oxford Health NHS Trust's Corporate Affairs team seeks a head to lead research contracts, intellectual property and innovation governance as the Trust's principal adviser. The work covers negotiating research agreements, managing the IP register and assessing commercialisation opportunities, protecting Trust interests while supporting NIHR and partnership research. The post sits alongside universities, commercial sponsors and funders, and requires a DBS check at onboarding. Essential criteria centre on a Master's or equivalent qualification and senior experience in research contracting or IP.

What the job involves

• Lead the Trust's research contracting function and its research contracts and IP service
• Negotiate, review and execute research agreements, including clinical trial, collaboration, data sharing, confidentiality, material transfer and partnership agreements
• Give expert contractual, legal and commercial advice to researchers and senior leaders
• Lead implementation of the Trust's IP policy, identifying, assessing, recording and managing IP arising from research
• Maintain the IP register and advise on ownership, licensing, benefit-sharing and protection of IP assets
• Assess and govern innovation and commercialisation opportunities, including business cases and commercial partnerships
• Identify and manage contractual, IP and commercial risks
• Develop research governance policies, procedures and assurance systems, ensuring legal, regulatory and national compliance
• Provide assurance and performance reporting to Trust committees and senior leadership
• Build and maintain relationships with partners including Oxford University Innovation, the University of Oxford, Oxford University Hospitals, NIHR and commercial sponsors
• Represent the Trust in external meetings and partnership discussions, and support collaborative research and innovation programmes
• Train and guide researchers, managers and stakeholders, and monitor changes in research regulation, IP and innovation policy

What’s required

Qualifications

• Master's degree or equivalent level experience in law, business, research management, commercial management, intellectual property, innovation, governance or a related field

Experience

• Experience in a research, innovation, technology transfer, commercialisation or knowledge exchange environment
• Significant experience negotiating and managing complex research, commercial or partnership agreements in the NHS, higher education, research, public or commercial sectors
• Demonstrable expertise from postgraduate study and/or substantial senior-level experience in research contracting, IP governance or a closely related field

Checks & eligibility

• DBS check

Nice to have

• Relevant legal qualification or chartered or accredited membership of a relevant professional body, such as CGI, CIPS, ARMA, LES or CMI
• Experience of IP management, commercialisation, technology transfer or innovation governance
• Experience supporting or leading research contracting in an NHS organisation, university, research institute or NIHR-funded infrastructure

What’s offered

• Opportunities for career progression
• Learning and development
• Generous annual leave
• Pension benefits
• Wellbeing initiatives
• Staff networks