Research Agreements Manager (Remote)

About The Position

The Research Agreements Manager is the corporate subject matter expert for the full life cycle of outbound agreement administration and management. The Research Agreements Manager prepares and negotiates various types of agreements including but not limited to technology transfer agreements, subcontracts, and professional services agreements. The Research Agreements Manager collaborates internally with finance and the department of programs, and externally with the program management and technical teams to provide guidance on interpretation of contractual requirements and risk analysis as well as the management of vendor, independent consultant, and subcontract agreements; and any other agreements related to the transfer of tangible materials, information, data, and knowledge products related to the execution of Geneva's research. The Research Agreements Manager will negotiate various types of agreements, ensuring that they are consistent with the requirements of Geneva policy, Geneva contractual guidelines, relevant sponsor policies, and all applicable local, state and federal laws. The Research Agreements Manager will oversee all required subrecipient monitoring associated with Geneva’s obligations as a pass-through entity under 2 CFR 200.

Salary Range

$88,000 - $110,000. Salaries are determined based on several factors including external market data, internal equity, and the candidate’s related knowledge, skills, and abilities for the position.

Management Responsibilities

• Aid People Operations with staffing, hiring, salary negotiations, mentorship, and performance review process for direct reports
• Conduct counseling, corrective action, up to and including termination, with People Operations and DoP Director
• Oversee general administrative needs such as timesheet approval and distribution of forms for assigned staff
• Manage and mentor all assigned staff to ensure optimal performance
• Ensure staff demonstrate basic understanding of their job description and work requirements
• Plan and facilitate individual and team meetings
• Ensure all staff complies with the Geneva Foundation and federal policies, procedures and SOPs
• Work with People Operations to implement hiring procedures

Responsibilities

• Manage the monitoring of all second tier subawards and modifications under federal prime grants and assistance agreement, and second tier subcontracts under federal contract awards, including collecting agreement questionnaires, conducting risk assessments, imposing additional terms and conditions based on the risk assessment, reviewing subrecipient single audit reports on an annual basis, and implementing subrecipient corrective action procedures for findings of non-compliance, as applicable.
• Develop, draft, negotiate and execute professional services agreements, including vendor agreements and independent contractor agreements
• Develop, draft, negotiate and execute technology transfer agreements, including non-disclosure agreements, data use agreements, data sharing agreements, material transfer agreements, and cooperative research and development agreements
• Negotiate agreements directly with counterparty representatives
• Identify and use strategy and creative problem solving to review, draft, negotiate, and/or amend contracts to delineate roles and responsibilities, allocate risk, ensure clarity of purpose, and to address issues related to compliance with applicable statutes, regulations, Geneva policies and procedures, and ensure alignment with Geneva’s mission.
• Maintain outbound agreement templates, ensuring timely reviews and consistent updates.
• Coordinate with various teams to communicate contractual obligations and new or changed requirements, to include interpretation and communication of applicable contract requirements and regulations
• Coordinate with other corporate teams, as appropriate, to manage, issue, review, and execute both routine and non-routine subaward/subcontract agreements and modifications, incorporating appropriate terms and conditions
• Coordinate with other corporate teams to monitor subaward/subcontract invoicing and deliverable requirements; provide support to program teams as needed, escalating delinquencies as required
• Coordinate with other corporate teams on sponsor approvals and notifications, as required
• Perform subaward/subcontractor reviews, analyze data, and work with program managers to develop improvement plans
• Maintain compliant agreement files in accordance with The Geneva Foundation policy and government approved standard requirements; provide guidance to team members on file structure set up and maintenance
• Manage, execute, and provide support for agreement closeouts, as applicable
• Ensure timely submission of Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act (FFATA) reports, as required
• Assist in the development, revision, and maintenance of department SOPs and forms
• Input on and delivery of training
• Serve as primary point of contact with counterparties for contractual and administrative matters
• Provide guidance to employees regarding agreement compliance issues
• Maintain automated agreement workflows, track agreement negotiation turnaround times from the point of intake through completion and provide status updates on each agreement in progress no less than weekly
• Follow up with counterparties on agreements in progress no less than weekly, using progressive contact attempts when negotiations stall and/or counterparties become non-responsive, including but not limited to telephone calls, teleconferences, escalation to counterparty leaders

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree and 4+ years or equivalent of directly related research administration or legal experience
• Familiarity with and direct experience using software solutions for end-to-end automated agreement workflow
• Experienced and proficient at working in a variety of business environments
• Experience participating in Defense Contract Audit Agency (DCAA) and Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA), as well as internal audits, preferred
• Demonstrated competence in oral and written communication
• Must be organized, attentive to detail, and possess a positive, friendly, and professional demeanor
• Must be flexible with changing priorities and able to communicate in a diplomatic and professional manner
• Ability to exercise independent judgement in a fast paced, high-pressured environment with strict deadlines and to manage multiple projects
• Healthcare background and knowledge of DoD system preferred
• Developed understanding of OMB Regulations, DoDGARs, FAR, DFARS, and other applicable regulations
• Knowledge and understanding of contractor purchasing system requirements and purchasing best practices, including audit processes
• Experience managing fixed price, time and materials/labor hour, and cost type contracts (and/or subcontracts) and solid understanding of Government regulations associated with the administration of each
• Ability to perform and comprehend cost and price analyses
• Project planning and management skills
• Demonstrated ability to work in a team-oriented environment, providing guidance to less experienced team members
• Excellent time management, capable of managing multiple and often conflicting priorities and short deadlines
• Experience in using Microsoft SharePoint, Cayuse and Smartsheet
• High degree of competence in Microsoft Excel with experience tracking large amounts of contract data using spreadsheet.

The Geneva Foundation is an equal opportunity employer and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any kind based on race, color, sex, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, genetic information, pregnancy, or any other protected characteristic as outlined by federal, state, or local laws.