Head of Research Contracts

Heriot-Watt University; Easter Howgate; Hybrid; GBP 59,000 - 71,000; Full time

Job summary

Heriot-Watt University seeks a strategic Head of Research Contracts to lead the global contracts function within the Research Engagement Directorate. You will negotiate high‑value collaborations, implement robust due diligence, and shape policy across Horizon Europe, UKRI and international partnerships.

This senior role offers hybrid working, a Grade 9 salary (£59,390 - £70,878), and the opportunity to drive Strategy 2035 while developing a high-performing team of contracts professionals.

Qualifications

• Qualified solicitor or equivalent with extensive commercial/research contracts experience.
• Proven ability to negotiate complex contracts with academic and industry partners.
• Strong understanding of research contracts, IP and regulatory compliance.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic and operational leadership to the Research Contracts team.
• Design and evolve a global service model aligned with Strategy 2035.
• Lead negotiation and execution of highly complex collaborations and grant agreements.
• Ensure due diligence, export controls, and national security considerations across collaborations.
• Represent the university in international research partnerships and sector networks.
• Develop policies, standards and playbooks for research contracting across the university.

Skills

Strategic leadership

Contract negotiation

Stakeholder engagement

Team development

Compliance awareness

Education

Qualified solicitor or equivalent

Job description

Job Posting Title: Head of Research Contracts

Grade and Salary: Grade 9, £59,390 - £70,878

FTE and working pattern: Full-time, Open-ended (permanent) contract. Hybrid working is possible, in line with Globally Connected Hybrid working guidance.

Organisation Name: Research Engagement Directorate

Purpose of Role

To direct and deliver the University's research contracting function globally, providing strategic and operational leadership to the Research Contracts team within Research Engagement. The postholder will negotiate and conclude the University's most complex and high-value commercial and collaborative agreements, including Collaborative Partnerships, EU and internationally funded consortium agreements (e.g. Horizon Europe, UKRI, Innovate UK), and other complex research collaboration agreements, and will act as the University's senior authority on Trusted Research.

This senior role carries responsibility for articulating and delivering a clear vision of how the team advances the research contracts function across all campuses envisioned in the University's Strategy 2035, and for leading the team with confidence through the organisational and strategic change this entails. Strategy 2035 sees an increasingly global focus on research and innovation, and the role-holder will need to evolve a high-quality service model that meets the demand. There is a high degree of autonomy and responsibility, requiring the ability to work without supervision on technical legal matters.

The University, our Directorate and Team

The University is looking to appoint a dynamic and innovative Head of Research Contracts to provide expert legal and compliance advice and assistance with a particular focus on research and commercialisation matters. This is an exciting in-house position with a varied and challenging workload where no two days are the same. Our Strategy 2035 has ambitious plans to grow our reputation and impact, forge new collaborative relationships and partnerships, and engage across sectors on a global scale.

The Research Engagement Directorate brings together three linked divisions — Research and Researcher Development, Research Contracts, and Policy Strategy & Impact. Working alongside the Business and Enterprise Directorate, the service spans the full breadth of research engagement - from supporting researchers in developing proposals and bids, to collaborating with industry on research and development, to knowledge exchange and public engagement.

The Research Contracts division protects the interests of the University across its research and knowledge exchange activities and underpins delivery of the University's Strategy 2035. The team provides contractual advice across a growing and increasingly complex international research portfolio, including collaborative research, industry sponsorship, contract research, studentships, licensing, spinouts, and international partnerships. The team works collaboratively with the General Counsel and legal teams across all Heriot-Watt campuses to provide holistic legal and contract support to the University.

Summary of Key Duties and Responsibilities

• To provide strategic and operational leadership to the Research Contracts team, including line management, supervision, induction, mentoring, and professional development.
• To design and evolve the Research Contracts global service model to accommodate the ambitions of Strategy 2035.
• To lead the negotiation and conclusion of highly complex commercial and research contracts, including Collaboration Agreements, Joint Collaborative Partnership agreements, EU and internationally funded consortium and grant agreements (e.g. Horizon Europe, UKRI, Innovate UK), confidentiality agreements, studentship and consultancy agreements, contract research, and industry sponsorship deals.
• To act as the University's principal point of expertise on Trusted Research and Secure Innovation, ensuring robust due diligence, export control compliance and national security considerations are embedded across international research collaborations, and deliver training where required.
• To act as the University's Legal Entity Authorised Representative (LEAR) and Project Legal Signatory (PLS) in all EC funded projects.
• To develop and articulate a clear vision for how the Research Contracts team embeds within, and actively supports delivery of, the University's Strategy 2035, embedding a culture of continuous improvement in service standards, processes and team capability, and providing the leadership required to guide the team through associated change.
• To draft, review and advise on software licences, patents, know-how licences and associated intellectual property documentation in conjunction with the Business & Enterprise IP Manager.
• To support the University's consultancy process through negotiation and execution of academic consultancy contracts.
• To provide authoritative advice to senior University leadership on contractual, financial and reputational risk, intellectual property, and legal matters affecting research and knowledge exchange.
• To develop and maintain policies, standards, precedents and playbooks for research contracting across the University.
• To provide general contractual advice and support to other directorates across the University, including Business & Enterprise, Finance, and Governance & Legal Services.
• To liaise regularly with the General Counsel team and central Legal Services to contribute to the development of the professional legal family.
• To represent the University in relevant sector and professional networks, benchmarking best practice and horizon-scanning on emerging legal and regulatory issues affecting research & enterprise.
• To undertake any other duties as required from time to time by the Director of Research Engagement Directorate, and any other duties appropriate to the grade and seniority of the role

Education, Qualifications & Experience

These are the criteria on which the short-listing and recruitment selection will be made:

Essential

1. Qualified solicitor or equivalent legal professional (LLB or equivalent), with extensive equivalent experience in commercial/research contracts law.
2. Extensive, senior-level experience negotiating complex commercial and research contracts, demonstrating knowledge of commercial norms and practice within Higher Education or a comparable research-intensive environment.
3. Demonstrable knowledge and practical experience of Trusted Research and Secure Innovation principles, export control regulation, and national security due diligence in international research collaborations.
4. Proven track record of successfully negotiating and establishing research partnership agreements with international institutions, including jointly supervised and awarded PhD programmes.
5. Strong knowledge and understanding of intellectual property rights and their application to research commercialisation.
6. A clear strategic vision for embedding a legal/contracts function within institutional strategy, a demonstrable commitment to continuous service improvement, and the leadership skills to guide a team through organisational and strategic change
7. Proven experience managing, developing and motivating a team of legal or contracts professionals.
8. Excellent interpersonal, influencing and presentation skills, with the ability to communicate complex legal issues clearly to academic, professional services and senior stakeholders.
9. Demonstrable ability to work quickly, flexibly and accurately in a dynamic, changing and pressured environment; and ability to manage own work without supervision and manage priorities.

Desirable

• Experience working within a Scottish or wider UK research-intensive university.
• Membership of a relevant professional body (e.g. Law Society of Scotland, Association of University Legal Practitioners, ARMA).
• Experience of international research funding frameworks (e.g. Horizon Europe, UKRI, Innovate UK).
• Experience advising on GDPR issues, MTAs, and clinical or health-related research agreements.
• Proficiency in undertaking further development and training in unfamiliar areas of legal work as necessary.

We welcome and will consider flexible working patternse.g.,part-time working and job share options.

Heriot-Watt University is committed to securing equality of opportunity in employment and to the creation of an environment in which individuals are selected, trained, promoted, appraised, and otherwise treated on the sole basis of their relevant merits and abilities. Equality and diversity are all about maximising potential and creating a culture of inclusion for all.

Heriot-Watt University values diversity across our university community and welcomes applications from all sectors of society, particularly from underrepresented groups. For more information, please see our website https://www.hw.ac.uk/uk/services/equality-diversity.htm and alsoour award-winning work in Disability Inclusive Science Careers https://disc.hw.ac.uk/.

Use our total rewards calculator: https://www.hw.ac.uk/about/work/total-rewards-calculator.htm to see the value of benefits provided by Heriot-Watt University