Director, Sponsored Programs Contracting

When you join the growing BILH team, you're not just taking a job, you’re making a difference in people’s lives.

Under the direction of the Executive Director of Sponsored Programs Administration (SPA), the Director of Sponsored Programs Contracting (SPC) is responsible for the planning, development, implementation and measurement of sponsored programs contracting activities including fiscal management, human resources, resource allocation and compliance. The Director represents the institution as a signing official for Research Administration business. The position will work with investigators, the General Counsel’s Office, the Clinical Trials Office, the Technology Ventures Office, Institutional Review Board, and other institutional offices to oversee the negotiation of Subcontracts, Clinical Trial Agreements, Data Use Agreements, Billing Agreements, and other atypical agreements.

The Director's primary focus will be on developing strategy, enhancing process improvement, improving internal customer satisfaction, and overseeing the department. This role involves a thorough review of systems and processes to ensure efficiency and value across all contracting functions. Additionally, the Director is responsible for setting milestones and implementing evaluation mechanisms to consistently oversee contract performance and compliance.
The Director will work closely with the Executive Director and the SPA senior management team to lead high quality research administration. The Director will have a continuous improvement mindset for SPC, focusing on quality improvements while maintaining the integrity of contracting management objectives.
Remote with monthly on-site meetings in Boston; must reside in New England.

Job Description:

Essential Responsibilities:

• Leads the development and implementation of the contracting management strategy and annual work plan.

• Directs the process of identifying, formulating, revising, and implementing policies and procedures for sponsored programs contracting management at BIDMC.

• Guides the SPC team in managing both incoming and outgoing non-industry subcontract agreements, with a strong focus on adhering to federal and non-profit sponsor regulations.

• Identifies methods for tracking and evaluating departmental progress towards goals, actively reports on this progress, and revises strategies and processes when necessary.

• Directs daily activities of a highly effective team of 6 to 8 full-time staff members to ensure the successful administration of the contracting management process for approximately 1300 actions each year, comprised of both incoming and outgoing agreements and amendments.

• Ensures SPC’s participation in effective design, implementation, and use of BIDMC’s contracts database (Huron Research Suite Agreements Module).

• Regularly monitors workload trends and conducts monthly reviews of the contract backlog report with the SPC team, while also generating action plans to streamline processes, identify and address inefficiencies, and enhance overall productivity and internal customer experience.

• Ensures appropriate SPC organizational structure as well as performance management and professional development of staff; undertakes employment actions such as hiring, termination, corrective action, and performance reviews.

• Collaborates with Research Administration teams and other R&AA divisions in support of broader organizational issues.

• May administer a small contracts portfolio including coverage for other SPC staff.

• Maintains positive relationships with Principal Investigators and study teams through transparent, efficient process management and workflows between departments.

• Emphasizes collaborative problem-solving and effective conflict resolution to ensure smooth team dynamics and efficient contract execution.

• Develops robust relationships with external collaborators, adeptly navigating through contractual roadblocks.

• Employs a mix of strategic relationship management and skilled negotiation to smooth out and expedite the contract process, ensuring successful and efficient partnerships.

• Has full responsibility for planning, monitoring and managing department budget as well as maintaining data in the Medical Center's SPC database.

Required Qualifications:

- Bachelor's degree required.

- 8-10 years related work experience in grants/contract review and management, with a strong understanding of the contractual mechanisms available; 3-5 years supervisory/management experience.

- 10 years of related experience with supervisory role may substitute for degree.

- Requires strong knowledge of grants management, budget preparation and financial management principles usually acquired with 7-9 years of progressive work experience, preferably within an academic medical center.

- Requires a detailed knowledge of laws and regulations governing the conduct of research.

- Advanced skills with Microsoft applications which may include Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint or Access and other web-based applications.; may produce complex documents, perform analysis and maintain databases.

Competencies:

Decision Making: Ability to make decisions that are guided by precedents, policies and objectives. Regularly makes decisions and recommendations on issues affecting a department or functional area.

Problem Solving: Ability to address problems that are highly varied, complex and often non-recurring, requiring staff input, innovative, creative, and Lean diagnostic techniques to resolve issues.

Independence of Action: Ability to set goals and priorities for functional area. May make recommendations for department policies, practices and programs. Manager or Director provides broad guidance and overall direction.

Written Communications: Ability to communicate complex information in English effectively in writing to all levels of staff, management and external customers across functional areas.

Oral Communications: Ability to comprehend and communicate complex verbal information in English to medical center staff, patients, families and external customers.

Knowledge: Ability to demonstrate in-depth knowledge of concepts, practices and policies with the ability to use them in complex varied situations.

Teamwork: Ability to lead collaborative teams for larger projects or groups both internal and external to the Medical Center and across functional areas. Results have implications for the management and operations of multiple areas of the organization.

Customer Service: Ability to provide a high level of customer service and staff training to meet customer service standards and expectations for the assigned unit(s). Resolves service issues in the assigned unit(s) in a timely and respectful manner.

Social/Environmental Requirements:

Work requires periods of close attention to work with out interruption. Concentrated effort of up to 4 hours without break may be required.

Work is varied every day and the employee needs to be adaptable to respond to these changes and use independent judgment and manage priorities.

No substantial exposure to adverse environmental conditions

Health Care Status:  NHCW: No patient contact.

Health Care Worker Status may vary by department.

Sensory Requirements:

Close work (paperwork, visual examination), Monitor Use, Visual monotony, Visual clarity <3 feet, Conversation, Monitoring Equipment, Telephone.

Physical Requirements:

Sedentary work: Exerting up to 10 pounds of force occasionally in carrying, lifting, pushing, pulling objects. Sitting most of the time, with walking and standing required only occasionally.

As a health care organization, we have a responsibility to do everything in our power to care for and protect our patients, our colleagues and our communities. Beth Israel Lahey Health requires that all staff be vaccinated against influenza (flu) as a condition of employment. Learn more about this requirement.

More than 35,000 people working together. Nurses, doctors, technicians, therapists, researchers, teachers and more, making a difference in patients' lives. Your skill and compassion can make us even stronger.

Equal Opportunity Employer/Veterans/Disabled