Research Contracts Coordinator

Northumbria University; Newcastle upon Tyne; On-site; GBP 32,000 - 46,000; Full time

Job summary

Northumbria University is seeking a Research Contracts Coordinator within Research & Innovation Services (RIS) to support the contract lifecycle for externally funded research. You will review, coordinate and execute templated agreements, advising researchers and liaising with Legal Services to ensure timely funder-compliant contracts.

Based in Newcastle upon Tyne, the role requires experience with contracts, a solid grasp of contract law, and the ability to operate in a fast-paced university

Qualifications

• Experience of working with contracts and/or in a legal administration environment.
• Good working knowledge of contract law and best-practice approaches to coordinating contract workflows.
• Knowledge and understanding of research support in a Higher Education environment.
• Ability to prioritise workload, work to tight deadlines and use initiative where appropriate.
• Excellent attention to detail, along with strong written and verbal communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Review, coordinate and execute templated research agreements.
• Provide advice and guidance on contract management issues to researchers.
• Serve as a professional interface between faculties, professional support services and external funders.

Skills

Contracts management

Legal administration

Contract law

HE research environment

Prioritisation & deadlines

Communication (written & verbal)

Job description

Research & Innovation Services (RIS) is seeking a Research Contracts Coordinator to provide support to the research contract process operated by RIS, working closely with Legal Services. The successful candidate will help expedite contractual processes underpinning our research grants and ensure agreements are put in place in a timely manner, in line with funders' requirements. The post holder will provide dedicated support to our researchers by offering advice and guidance on contract management issues related to externally funded research. They will review, coordinate and execute templated research agreements, providing a professional interface between faculties, professional support services and external funders. Further information is available in the .

ABOUT THE TEAM Research and Innovation Services (RIS) provides dedicated, specialist support to Northumbria's research community throughout the research grant lifecycle to help sustain Northumbria's position as a research-intensive modern university. Support includes sourcing potential funding; aiding proposal development; providing guidance through the authorisation process; monitoring project spend; and assisting in the production of final reports. RIS designs and administers research-related training programmes for staff, offers support for the commercialisation of research, co-ordinates the University's ethical procedures and works with senior colleagues to ensure the delivery of coherent research-based policy and strategy. The Service also supports the University's Research Excellence Framework (REF) submission and co-ordinates ways in which the benefits and impact of Northumbria's research are shared with the wider public. RIS provides professional support for strategy, policy and academic delivery of research and innovation. Through a combination of central and Faculty-aligned provision, it supports senior management, academic colleagues and postgraduate research students. Further details on RIS can be found .

We're looking for an individual with a proven ability to work in a fast-paced professional environment and a genuine interest in supporting our researchers to achieve their research goals. The successful candidate will have:

• Experience of working with contracts and/or in a legal administration environment.
• A good working knowledge of contract law and best-practice approaches to coordinating contract workflows.
• Knowledge and understanding of research support in a Higher Education environment.
• The ability to prioritise workload, work to tight deadlines and use initiative where appropriate.
• Excellent attention to detail, along with strong written and verbal communication skills. Join Northumbria University, a research-intensive institution unlocking potential and changing lives locally and globally. Named Times Higher Education's in 2022 and in 2025, we rank top 25 in the UK for research power. Discover more .

With over 37,000 students from 140+ countries, we offer world-leading research, award-winning partnerships, and an outstanding student experience. We empower our exceptional staff, promoting a positive work-life balance and offering great benefits, including excellent pension schemes, flexible working, generous holiday entitlement and .

Our Northumbria Values, co-created by our team, define who we are: Academic Excellence, Innovation, Inclusivity, Collaboration, and Ambition. Our Behaviours shape our work culture: We listen and learn, support one another, respect everyone, trust each other, and are bold. Based in Newcastle upon Tyne and London, we are an on-campus organisation and offer flexible hours and location where the role allows. We pride ourselves on diversity and inclusivity, holding a Silver Athena Swan in recognition of our commitment to advancing gender equality, a bronze Race Equality Charter Award and we are a Disability Confident Leader.

We also hold the HR Excellence in Research award for implementing the concordat supporting the career Development of Researchers and are members of the initiative to deliver information and support to professional researchers. The University has implemented a range of flexible working arrangements, and we are happy to explore candidate requirements as part of the recruitment process.