Job Description
Stanford is one of Silicon Valley’s largest employers and one of its most distinctive. We educate future leaders and advance world-class research, from MRI technology and DNA cloning to the Pill, heart transplantation, and digital music. In return, we offer a collaborative culture, career development, competitive pay, and benefits that support healthy, fulfilling lives.
That impact is growing fast. Our research enterprise is expanding more than 12% a year, and Stanford is investing unprecedented resources in the Office of Research Administration (ORA) to keep pace. Each year, ORA negotiates more than 7,000 agreements and manages over 7,500 active sponsored projects, supporting a research budget approaching $2.2 billion.
Help make Stanford’s boldest research possible.
Our team is growing, and this is one of many new positions created to give our faculty personalized, high-quality support. As a Contract Officer, you’ll work at the center of Stanford’s research mission, handling the agreements that don’t fit a standard template, such as data use agreements and other one-of-a-kind partnerships that power education and discovery.
You’ll hold delegated signing authority on behalf of Stanford, which means you’ll make real decisions as you negotiate mutually beneficial terms with external collaborators while protecting academic freedom and scientific integrity. No two agreements are alike, so you’ll keep learning and solving new problems.
You might be a great fit if you love learning and see a tricky problem as a puzzle worth solving, stay organized and focused through a busy workload, adapt easily when priorities shift, and view new opportunities as creative challenges.
This position may be considered for domestic (U.S.) remote work based on the candidate’s qualifications, experience, and the business needs of the hiring unit. Remote workers’ schedules are based in the Pacific Time zone.
This role is open to candidates anywhere in the United States. The compensation for this position will be based on the location of the successful candidate. The expected pay range for this position is $101,509 to $120,000 per annum.
Stanford University provides pay ranges representing its good faith estimate of the salary or hourly wage the university reasonably expects to pay for a position upon hire. The pay offered to a selected candidate will be determined based on factors such as (but not limited to) the scope and responsibilities of the position, the qualifications of the selected candidate, departmental budget availability, internal equity, geographic location, and external market pay for comparable jobs.
At Stanford University, base pay represents only one aspect of the comprehensive rewards package. The Cardinal at Work website (https://cardinalatwork.stanford.edu/benefits-rewards) provides detailed information on Stanford’s extensive range of benefits and rewards offered to employees. Specifics about the rewards package for this position may be discussed during the hiring process.
Core Duties:
Conduct formal solicitation, negotiation, and administration of routine and non-routine grants contracts and subcontracts, by government, non-government and industry sponsors with federal direct costs up to $5 million and other total direct costs up to $10 million.
Identify and negotiate special conditions such as publication and data rights, intellectual property, confidentiality, indemnification, use of Stanford’s name, export control and citizenship restrictions.
Negotiate non-sponsored research-related agreements that involve special conditions.
Draft, negotiate and execute sub-awards issued under sponsored projects.
Identify and resolve contractual and policy issues that arise during the course of review and negotiation activities.
Resolve problems arising in the course of the project; advise department administrators, principal investigators, and staff; interpret and explain agreement provisions and terms.
Partner with others to serve as a resource to educate units regarding institutional processes.
Minimum Education and Experience
Bachelor's degree and five years of relevant experience, or combination of education and relevant experience.
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:
Demonstrated ability to draft, negotiate and finalize sponsored projects agreements.
Advanced knowledge of grant and contract programs and processes and demonstrated experience negotiating effectively with all sponsor types including industry, non-profit, government and higher education.
Demonstrated understanding of contractual terms and conditions such as publication and data rights, intellectual property issues, and confidentiality
Demonstrated understanding of the university research environment and policies
Excellent communication and interpersonal skills to clearly and effectively communicate information to internal and external audiences, client groups and all levels of management.
Strong analytical and problem solving skills to review and analyze complex information.
Extremely detail oriented, able to work well independently and knows when to escalate or seek assistance
Strong organizational skills and the ability to prioritize a variety of tasks and demands
Strong computer skills, including the ability to learn applicable university systems.
Ability to perform with a high degree of accuracy under tight deadlines while managing multiple tasks