Senior Contract Specialist

Columbia University Irving Medical Center; New York (NY); On-site; USD 100,000 - 125,000; Full time

Job summary

Columbia University Irving Medical Center in New York seeks a Senior Contract Specialist within the Clinical Trials Office (CTO) of VP&S. You will administer agreements from inception through termination, including negotiation and providing guidance to meet the needs of the research community at VP&S.

The CTO supports investigators and staff by negotiating contracts with sponsors and ensuring compliance with applicable regulations and institutional policies.

Qualifications

• J.D. degree with at least 3 years of experience.
• Experience negotiating and administering contracts for clinical research.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to work independently and manage projects.

Responsibilities

• Negotiate and manage CTAs with sponsors, aligning with policies.
• Collaborate with the Director, CTO Executive Director, General Counsel, VP&S, and NYPH administration.
• Coordinate with IRB, Sponsored Projects Administration, Technology Ventures, Procurement, and Research Compliance.
• Draft, negotiate, and distribute subcontracts; prepare execution-ready agreements.
• Maintain and update activity databases and workflow trackers; support researchers.
• Serve as primary contact for Principal Investigators and study teams on negotiations.
• Perform related duties as assigned.

Skills

Contract negotiation

Project management

Communication skills

Interpersonal skills

Attention to detail

Education

Juris Doctor (J.D.)

Tools

Microsoft Office

SharePoint

DocuSign

Adobe Sign

Teams

Zoom

Job description

Grade 104

• Job Type: Officer of Administration
• Bargaining Unit:
• Regular/Temporary: Regular
• End Date if Temporary:
• Hours Per Week: 35
• Standard Work Schedule:
• Building:
• Salary Range: $100,000 -125,000

The salary of the finalist selected for this role will be set based on a variety of factors, including but not limited to departmental budgets, qualifications, experience, education, licenses, specialty, and training. The above hiring range represents the University's good faith and reasonable estimate of the range of possible compensation at the time of posting.

Position Summary

Reporting directly to the Associate Director of Contracts (the “Director”) of the Clinical Trials Office (the “CTO”) of Columbia University’s Vagelos College of Physicians & Surgeons (“VP&S”). The Senior Contract Specialist will administer agreements (such as clinical trials, research services, and confidentiality agreements) from inception through termination, which includes, but is not limited to, negotiation, providing consultation & advice, which will best meet the needs of the research community at VP&S. One of the main objectives of this position is to have the necessary skill set to support the contracting processes.

The CTO assists investigators and academic/research staff in developing clinical trials at VP&S and provides administrative resources and infrastructure to build and sustain clinical trials and clinical research at VP&S. The successful candidate will work with Sponsors in negotiating contracts for clinical trials in accordance with all applicable regulatory and legal requirements and institutional policies and procedures.

Responsibilities

Responsibilities include, but not limited to the following:

• Collaborate with the Director, the Executive Director of the CTO, General Counsel, VP&S faculty and administration, and New York-Presbyterian Hospital (“NYPH”) administration to meet the institutional needs regarding clinical trial negotiations and execution. The role of the Contract Specialist includes being skilled and qualified to negotiate and develop contracts using knowledge of applicable Institutional policies and procedures, as well as various laws, statutes, guidelines and requirements.
• Liaise with internal departments such as Sponsored Projects Administration, Columbia Technology Ventures, Institutional Review Boards (IRB), Procurement, and the Office of Research Compliance and Training.
• Negotiate Clinical Trial Agreements (CTAs) with sponsors, ensuring alignment with budgetary considerations and institutional policies and procedures.
• Assist the Director in the development and implementation of policies and procedures that ensure Clinical Trial Agreements comply with applicable federal and state regulations, including those promulgated from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and the Joint Commission.
• Draft, negotiate, and distribute subcontracts on behalf of the research community.
• Prepare agreements for execution in accordance with institutional policies and procedures.
• Maintain and update activity databases and workflow trackers.
• Collaborate with pre-award, post-award, and regulatory colleagues within the CTO to provide seamless support to the research community.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for Principal Investigators and study teams regarding the status of contract negotiations.
• Performs related duties & responsibilities as assigned/requested.

Minimum Qualifications

• Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree with at least 3 years of experience in a related field.

Preferred Qualifications

• 3+ years of experience in contract negotiation and administration, with a solid understanding of contracting principles, risk management, and their application to clinical research and clinical research lifecycle.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently, with prior project management experience.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Excellent interpersonal and presentation skills.
• Strong computer skills required, including Microsoft Office (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, SharePoint), DocuSign, AdobeSign, Teams, Zoom.

Equal Opportunity Employer / Disability / Veteran

Columbia University is committed to the hiring of qualified local residents.