Research Contract and Operations Associate

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

Reporting to the Associate Director, Sponsored Programs Contracting Office (SPC), the Research Contract and Operations Associate supports routine research contracting and coordinates activities that improve the organization, efficiency, and responsiveness of the office. Generates, reviews and negotiates amendments and other standard agreements using established templates and institutional guidance, escalating complex issues as appropriate. Collaborates with investigators, research administrators, institutional offices, and external partners to support timely review and execution of agreements.

Works closely with the Associate Director to organize contracting workflows, generate/revise/maintain standard operating procedures and agreement templates, collect and analyze operational data, and identify opportunities to streamline processes. Tracks agreement progress, identifies bottlenecks, and coordinates follow up to move pending contracts toward completion.

Job Description:

Essential (Primary) Responsibilities 

• Reviews, prepares, and negotiates routine amendments and other standard research agreements within assigned authority and established institutional guidance. Refers complex terms and exceptions to the Associate Director, associated SPC team member or appropriate institutional office. 

• Coordinates agreement processing from intake through execution, ensuring required information, acceptable terms, supporting documents, approvals, and signatures are obtained and accurately recorded. 

• Supports the Associate Director in organizing daily office workflows, tracking priorities, and identifying requests requiring additional attention or escalation.   

• Monitors pending agreements, identifies causes of delay, and reports outcomes to Assistant Director to follow up with SPC.   Supports SPC team by working with counterparties to resolve outstanding items and advance contracts toward completion. 

• Collects and maintains operational data on contract volume, status, turnaround times, and reasons for delays. Prepares reports that help the Associate Director assess workload, identify bottlenecks, and prioritize improvements. 

• Documents, develops, and updates standard operating procedures, workflow guides, and related resources to promote consistent and efficient contracting practices. 

• Maintains agreement templates and standard language in coordination with the Associate Director and appropriate institutional reviewers, ensuring approved versions are current and accessible. 

• Evaluates contracting processes and recommends practical improvements to reduce unnecessary steps, improve handoffs, and strengthen communication. Supports implementation and tracks results. 

• Maintains accurate contracting records and tracking systems, supporting reliable reporting and visibility into agreement status. 

• Serves as a resource for investigators, research administrators, and institutional partners regarding contracting procedures, documentation requirements, and agreement status. 

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree required.

• 1-3 years related work experience required; Experience could include 1 to 2 years of direct research administration duties, which include pre-award and post-award management of grants and contracts.

• Ability to work with a varied caseload with minimal supervision, exercising strong judgment and applying the appropriate legal principles and Medical Center policies and practices to specific legal issues. Must also possess the ability to work as a member of an interdisciplinary team.

• Strong organization and time management skills with ability to multi-task while remaining detail-oriented in a highly time sensitive environment.

• Outstanding verbal and written skills proven in either a legal, University or academic medical center setting are required.

• 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.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Knowledge of contract law, legal terms and conditions, and FAR and OMB Circulars related to sponsored research is preferred.

• Experience drafting, reviewing and negotiating research related terms and conditions with universities, academic medical centers, for-profit, non-profits, and foreign entities is preferred.

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 varied, requiring analysis or interpretation of the situation using direct observation, knowledge and skills based on general precedents. Independence of Action: Ability to set goals and determines how to accomplish defined results with some guidelines. Manager/Director provides broad guidance and overall direction.

Written Communications: Ability to summarize and communicate in English moderately complex information in varied written formats to internal and external customers.

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 full working knowledge of standard concepts, practices, procedures and policies with the ability to use them in varied situations.

Team Work: Ability to work collaboratively in small teams to improve the operations of immediate work group by offering ideas, identifying issues, and respecting team members.

Customer Service: Ability to provide a high level of customer service to patients, visitors, staff and external customers in a professional, service-oriented, respectful manner using skills in active listening and problem solving. Ability to remain calm in stressful situations.

Social/Environmental Requirements:

Work requires close attention to task for work to be accurately completed. Intermittent breaks during the work day do not compromise the work. Work routine is fairly consistent, but employee needs to be able to use judgment to respond to events several times a week. 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, Telephone, Background Noise.

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

This job requires constant sitting, Fine Manipulation using both hands, Keyboard use.  Rarely there may be Power Grasping using both hands.

Pay Range:

$60,000.00 USD - $99,000.00 USD

The pay range listed for this position is the annual base salary range the organization reasonably and in good faith expects to pay for this position at this time. Actual compensation is determined based on several factors, that may include seniority, education, training, relevant experience, relevant certifications, geography of work location, job responsibilities, or other applicable factors permissible by law. 

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.

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