Research Contract & Purchasing Agent

University of Kansas; Lawrence (KS); On-site; USD 50,000 - 55,000; Full time

Job summary

The University of Kansas Center for Research is seeking a Research Contracts & Purchasing Specialist to manage contract drafting, intake, and compliance across the sponsored programs lifecycle. You will support purchasing, subcontract invoice coordination, and ensure alignment with Uniform Guidance and KUCR policies.

This role requires meticulous attention to detail, strong communication, and the ability to work independently while collaborating within the Fiscal Affairs team.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration or related field with 1 year procurement, purchasing, contract administration, or research administration experience or equivalent.
• Experience with Oracle or other enterprise financial systems.
• Proficient in Microsoft Excel and Word; strong written communication.”
• Demonstrated history of delivering high-quality work products in a high-volume environment.
• Ability to work independently while collaborating with team members.
• Demonstrated customer service skills.

Responsibilities

• Provide contract support through processing lifecycle of research-related agreements using templates.
• Perform preliminary compliance checks and flag missing information for resolution.
• Ensure submissions align with KU/KUCR contracting and procurement requirements.
• Draft accurate, complete, correctly formatted agreements using standardized templates.
• Manage and track agreements through internal workflows; monitor status and improve turnaround times.
• Maintain organized contract records and provide guidance on processes and timelines.
• Provide routine reports on subcontract purchasing activity and coordinate with internal partners.

Skills

MS Office

Communication

Independent with teamwork

Customer service

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business Administration or related field

Associate's degree (3+ years experience)

HS diploma / GED with 5+ years experience

Tools

Oracle

Microsoft Office

Job description

Position Overview

The Research Contracts & Purchasing Specialist provides critical contract drafting, processing, and compliance support within the Fiscal Affairs team at the University of Kansas Center for Research. The primary function of this role is to review incoming contract requests and use established templates to draft accurate, complete, and correctly formatted agreements - requiring exceptional attention to detail and a commitment to accuracy in every transaction. This position also performs contract intake, tracking, and compliance review, and supports purchasing and subcontract invoice coordination, ensuring all activities are completed in compliance with Uniform Guidance, KUCR policies, and university requirements.

The University of Kansas Office of Research advances the university's research mission by supporting faculty and staff across the full sponsored project lifecycle - from funding opportunity identification and proposal development through award management and closeout. Fiscal Affairs is a unit within the Office of Research responsible for the financial and administrative infrastructure that enables compliant, efficient execution of research-related activities. This includes contract and agreement administration, research purchasing, accounts payable, and financial oversight functions that collectively ensure KUCR meets its obligations to sponsors, vendors, and university policy. The Research Contracts & Purchasing Specialist is a key operational role on the Fiscal Affairs team, working across the contracting, purchasing, and accounts payable functions to support a cohesive and well-coordinated research administration environment.

Due to complex state employment laws, the University of Kansas may be unable to hire fully remote workers for this position outside of Kansas. Specifically, we cannot currently offer employment to candidates residing in the following states: California, Delaware, Idaho & Minnesota. We appreciate your understanding and invite interested individuals from eligible states to apply.

Job Description

55% - Contract Support:

• Provide comprehensive support throughout the processing lifecycle of research-related agreements, including business service agreements, fee-for-service agreements, event/hotel agreements, statements of work, contract amendments, and other contract documents.
• Perform preliminary compliance checks to verify required elements are included and flag missing or inconsistent information for resolution.
• Ensure submissions received are aligned with established KU/KUCR contracting and competitive procurement requirements prior to routing for review.
• Utilize standardized templates and information from contract requests to draft agreements that are accurate, complete, and correctly formatted; this is a primary function of the role and requires meticulous attention to detail to ensure all terms, parties, dates, and required provisions are correctly captured before routing for review.
• Manage and track agreements through internal workflows. Monitor agreement status and follow up proactively to reduce processing delays and improve turnaround times.
• Maintain organized, accurate, and searchable records of contracts, amendments, and related communications. This will be achieved through successful use of a contracts management or workflow system, tracking worksheets, and maintenance of shared inboxes.
• Provide guidance to staff on agreement processes, required documentation, timelines, and system usage, while escalating complex or non-standard issues as appropriate.

20% - Purchasing Support:

• Provide support for the procurement of goods and services in support of sponsored research, ensuring transactions are accurate, compliant, and timely.
• Review and process purchase requisitions within the P2P system, verifying availability of funding and appropriate budget allocation, accuracy of account coding, and completeness of supporting documentation (quotes, justifications, etc.).
• Conduct compliance-focused reviews of procurement requests to ensure adherence to KUCR, university, and Uniform Guidance requirements. Evaluate submitted quotes and documentation to confirm alignment with procurement standards, and flag discrepancies or missing elements for correction.
• Coordinate and communicate with various parties including KU Purchasing, Shared Service Centers, Award Management Services, and suppliers to facilitate workflows, resolve issues, and ensure applicable compliance requirements are met.
• Troubleshoot procurement-related issues, including vendor discrepancies, delayed approvals, or system processing problems.

15% - Subcontract Purchase Order & Invoice Coordination:

• Administer and coordinate subcontract purchase orders and related invoicing workflows.
• Ensure all invoices are processed accurately and paid timely. Specifically, subcontract invoices must be paid according to sponsor payment timelines under Uniform Guidance.
• Troubleshoot errors or exceptions related to subcontract purchase orders and payments.
• Coordinate with internal partners to resolve budget, compliance, or system issues.
• Provide routine reports and data related to subcontract purchasing activity.

10% - Other Duties as Assigned:

• Special projects.
• Providing assistance to other groups within the Fiscal Affairs team.

Required Qualifications

1. Bachelor's degree in Business Administration or a related field and 1 year of experience in procurement, purchasing, contract administration, or research administration OR Associate's degree and 3 years of related experience OR high school diploma/GED equivalency and 5 or more years of related experience.
2. Experience working with enterprise financial systems, such as Oracle.
3. Minimum of three years' experience working with Microsoft Office (Excel, Word).
4. Demonstrated history of delivering high-quality work products, as measured by consistently meeting or exceeding established accuracy, quality, or compliance standards in a high-volume environment.
5. Excellent written communication skills as evidenced by application materials.
6. Previous experience working independently while collaborating effectively with team members.
7. Demonstrated customer service skills as evidenced by application materials.

Preferred Qualifications

1. Experience in a university research administration environment, including Uniform Guidance and sponsored project processes.
2. Experience supporting subcontract or subaward administration, including purchase order coordination, invoice processing, and compliance review.
3. Experience providing support for research contracts or agreements, including intake, tracking, documentation review, and workflow coordination.
4. Strong organizational and project coordination skills, with the ability to manage multiple transactions and deadlines simultaneously as evidenced by application materials.

Additional Candidate Instructions

In addition to the online application, the following documents are required to be considered for this position:

1. A cover letter addressing how required and preferred qualifications are met.
2. Resume.
3. Contact information for three (3) professional references.

Incomplete applications will not be considered.

For consideration, please apply no later than Monday, August 24.

Contact Information to Applicants

LaShana Calloway, [e-mail]

Advertised Salary Range

$50,000 - $55,000

Application Review Begins

Wednesday August 26, 2026

Anticipated Start Date

Monday September 21, 2026