The Opportunity
The Contract Administrator works within the Office of Research Administration (ORA). ORA assists School faculty and staff with the preparation, submission, and administration of research and other sponsored project agreements.

The Contract Administrator is a non-technical, non-financial position. The Contract Administrator reviews, analyzes, and negotiates agreements for compliance with Federal regulations such as 2 CFR 200 and Federal Acquisition Regulations; Colorado State laws; and School policies. The position drafts legal and business language and documents. The agreements are based on research and sponsored projects but are not procurement contracts. Agreements include, but are not limited to, funded agreements such as grants and contracts and non-funded agreements including non-disclosure agreements and memorandums of understanding. Work is performed independently without the oversight or assistance of Mines legal counsel. The Contract Administrator will recommend finalized agreements for signature by ORA’s Director.

The position serves as the primary administrative contact and liaison for the School and external organizations. The position communicates with multiple internal business and academic departments and School stakeholders, including Vice Presidents, Deans, Department Heads, faculty, and Administrators. The position communicates externally with a variety of sponsors, including State and Federal agencies, large and small businesses, and other universities and non-profits. The position also provides training for faculty and staff in all research award processes and procedures.

This opportunity is eligible for on-campus, hybrid, or remote work location anywhere in the state of Colorado.

Responsibilities
Contract Review and Negotiation

Responsible for review research grants, contracts, and other non-funded agreements, both initial and modifications thereto, received from external organizations to Mines. During the review, the position will analyze the agreement to determine if the terms and conditions meet Federal and State regulations, Mines policies, and project requirements.
Negotiate unacceptable terms and conditions with the research sponsor. This involves providing alternative language or deletion of certain terms and conditions.
Determine if additional Mines personnel need to be advised of terms and conditions and if their approval is required in order to accept the agreement. If necessary, this position will consult with other departments, such as the Office of Technology Transfer or the Office of General Counsel, but is solely responsible for identifying any terms or conditions that need to be modified in order to be accepted by Mines.
Contract Administration

Determine if changes to a research project require prior approval from the sponsor. If prior approval is required, this position will coordinate with the faculty member to create and submit the change request.
When allowed under the terms and conditions of the agreement, approve faculty requests for no-cost time extensions, budget deviations, and pre-award spending.
Perform initial reviews on deficit spending requests (At-Risk Spending Requests) to determine if the financial risk to Mines is acceptable under current policy and practices.
If issues arise during the performance of a research project, work with the applicable faculty, ORA staff, other departments and/or sponsor, as applicable, to address such concerns.
Subawards/Subcontracts

Initiate, negotiate, and manage research subawards or subcontracts. This includes a review of the subrecipient’s/subcontractor’s proposal; determining which sub template is applicable, determining the applicable prime contract flow-down terms and conditions; negotiating, if necessary, the drafted subaward/subcontract; maintaining subaward/subcontract documentation to meet Federal and State audit requirements; and modifying subawards when required
Communication

Maintain communication with faculty to ensure they are knowledgeable of the specific terms and conditions of their research agreements and the process to negotiate the agreement.
Interpret and explain Federal, Mines, or State regulations and policies to faculty and other Mines personnel or sponsor contact in order to help them understand the contracting process and how the regulations apply to individual agreements.
This position has direct, on-going contact with sponsors, and other external personnel for the purpose of agreement negotiation and management. Often this requires an explanation of Mines policies, business practices, and other applicable regulations.
Effective communication is critical to success of this position in facilitating research for Mines.
Agreement and Data Management

Accurately enter agreement and project information and notes into the ORA research system. This position is responsible for uploading all fully executed agreements, modifications, and sponsor prior approvals and/or communications into the system.