Research Contracts Co-ordinator

The Methodist Church in Britain; Manchester; Hybrid; GBP 42,000 - 54,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Clear pathways for development

Support for wellbeing

Job summary

Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust is seeking an experienced contract professional to support the preparation, negotiation and signing of research contracts across sponsored and hosted studies. The role involves managing clinical trial, collaboration and material transfer agreements while liaising with internal teams and external partners.

The post is hybrid, requiring on-site attendance two of three days with work across hospital sites.

Qualifications

• Honours degree or equivalent relevant experience or qualification.
• Experience negotiating and executing research contracts.

Responsibilities

• Prepare, negotiate and execute research contracts, including clinical trial agreements, collaboration agreements, funding awards and material transfer agreements.
• Liaise with MFT colleagues and external parties on contractual obligations.
• Set up collaboration agreements efficiently and meet funder deadlines.
• Ensure the correct contract documents are used, agreed and executed in a timely way to meet project performance targets.
• Keep research teams informed of contract progress.
• Ensure research contracts comply with research governance guidelines and regulations.
• Maintain a portfolio of contract templates and advise MFT colleagues on their appropriate use.
• Advise staff conducting data-driven innovations on compliance with the Data Protection Act, UK GDPR and Caldicott principles.

Skills

NHS contracts knowledge

Contract negotiation

Communication skills

Organisational skills

Data protection compliance

MS Office proficiency

Relationship building

Regulatory awareness

Education

Honours degree

Tools

Adobe Sign

DocuSign

Adobe Acrobat

Job description

This Research Contracts Team role at Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust supports the preparation, negotiation and signing of contracts for the Trust's sponsored and hosted research studies. The post holder handles clinical trial agreements, collaboration agreements, funding awards and material transfer agreements, liaising with internal colleagues and external parties, and maintains the contract template portfolio. It is a hybrid post, with on-site attendance on two of three contracted days and work across all hospital sites. Fit depends on prior contract negotiation experience and knowledge of NHS research regulation.

What the job involves

• Prepare, negotiate and execute research contracts, including clinical trial agreements, collaboration agreements, funding awards and material transfer agreements
• Liaise with MFT colleagues and external parties on contractual obligations, particularly collaboration agreements involving several parties
• Set up collaboration agreements efficiently and meet funder deadlines
• Ensure the correct contract documents are used, agreed and executed in a timely way to meet project performance targets
• Keep research teams informed of contract progress
• Ensure research contracts comply with research governance guidelines and regulations
• Maintain a portfolio of contract templates and advise MFT colleagues on their appropriate use
• Advise staff conducting data-driven innovations on compliance with the Data Protection Act, UK GDPR and Caldicott principles

Qualifications

• Honours degree, or equivalent relevant experience or qualification

Experience

• Contract negotiation and execution, which may come from clinical research coordinator experience
• Developing and maintaining systems for collecting and processing information
• Developing relationships across organisations

Skills & knowledge

• Knowledge of the national process for research contracts in the NHS or clinical trials in general
• Knowledge of the regulatory framework and research processes in the NHS
• Excellent organisational skills, a systematic approach and attention to detail
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Proficiency in MS Office, Adobe Acrobat, Adobe Sign and DocuSign
• Prioritising own workload and managing time under pressure and to tight, unexpected deadlines

Other

• Working independently with minimal day-to-day supervision
• Working as part of a productive and efficient team, and being approachable
• Demonstrating initiative and judgement, particularly in identifying key issues
• Analytical, time-managed approach to tasks and objectives
• Flexibility to work across all hospital sites, in person and remotely
• Enthusiastic, innovative and positive approach

Nice to have

• Postgraduate qualification, such as a degree in science or a healthcare-related discipline, or in law
• Understanding of financial management procedures
• Knowledge of information governance in relation to research
• Previous NHS or research environment experience
• Client-oriented approach to tasks and objectivesContract performance monitoring
• Knowledge and experience of research LPMS (e.g. R-Peak, EDGE) and Florence eBinders
• Project management skills and research study coordination or administration

What’s offered

• Clear pathways for development
• Support for wellbeing