Senior Research Contract Specialist - Per Diem

About the role

Our team members are the heart of what makes us better. At Hackensack Meridian Health we help our patients live better, healthier lives — and we help one another to succeed. With a culture rooted in connection and collaboration, our employees are team members. The Senior Research Contract Specialist will provide dedicated professional-level contractual management to facilitate and promote the research endeavors of investigators at Hackensack Meridian Health while maintaining the quality assurance standards of the contractual operation. This role conducts work within the Contract team's overall scope and may support other teams during high-volume periods.

Responsibilities

• Provides services to investigators conducting clinical trials at Hackensack Meridian Health.
• Edits, negotiates, and executes industry-sponsored clinical trial contracts.
• Provides professional consultation, advice, and direction to all levels of HMH staff and corporate sponsors regarding contracting issues to ensure HMH clinical trial contracts meet legal sufficiency, risk management, and financial requirements.
• Seeks opportunities to improve contracting processes and customer service.
• Provides administrative oversight to the team negotiating subawards, data use agreements, and other sponsored program-related agreements.
• Generates dashboard reporting for stakeholders on monthly, quarterly, and annual tracking of all clinical trial contractual metrics.
• Handles material transfer agreements, confidentiality agreements, licensing agreements, and conflict of interest compliance related to research efforts for HMH investigators.
• Conducts initial intellectual property (IP) analysis and notifies the Office of Commercialization and Technology Ventures of any potential IP for further analysis.
• Serves as a liaison to other departments to align programmatic goals for research.
• Reviews and coordinates approvals for press release forms, IP release forms, and other miscellaneous and legal documents required by outside research collaborators.
• Ensures contracts are executed in accordance with corporate guidelines.
• Performs quality control, arranges execution of CTAs, and archives documents into repositories.
• Maintains and actively supports the review and development of contract templates and site-specific files and databases.
• Trains and mentors less experienced staff members on departmental Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and ensures the quality of teamwork products.
• Maintains and updates training material for the site contract team.
• Reviews and analyzes outside agreements for multiparty/multi-funded research projects.
• Communicates contract implementations to HMH Contract Specialists.
• Provides specialist advice and case handling, making decisions in complex contractual situations.
• Clearly communicates status and timescales, setting expectations for the role holder and the team.
• Provides feedback regarding team performance, personnel needs, policy and procedural changes, and other contractual issues.
• Maintains a strong lead role in the direction of Research contractual operating procedures by recommending process improvements.
• Contributes to the development and implementation of internal processes and protocols governing contract negotiation and compliance on behalf of HMH.
• Performs other duties and/or projects as assigned.
• Adheres to HMH Organizational competencies and standards of behavior.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s Degree in science or business or a paralegal certificate.
• 5 years of relevant experience.
• Knowledge of academic and government research administration policies and guidelines.
• Advanced computer skills in platforms such as Microsoft Office Suite, Google Suite, etc.
• Good leadership, diplomacy, judgment, and decision-making skills.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Ability to analyze complex situations and identify solutions.
• Ability to work effectively as a member of a team.
• Ability to communicate both written and orally to all levels of staff, including Senior Leadership.
• Excellent interpersonal skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree.
• SOCRA Clinical Research Professionals (CCRP) certification or equivalent certification.

Pay

The posted rate of pay in this job posting is a reasonable good-faith estimate of the minimum base pay for this role at the time of posting in accordance with the New Jersey Pay Transparency Act. The starting rate of pay is $46.64 per hour and may vary based on factors including but not limited to labor market data, experience, education, certifications, skills, geographic location, internal equity, budget, and grant funding.