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

The Contract Administrator role is a non-technical, non-financial position focusing on reviewing, analyzing, and negotiating agreements for compliance with Federal regulations such as 2 CFR 200 and Federal Acquisition Regulations; Colorado State laws; and Mines policies. The person in this position drafts legal and business language and documents. 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; they are not procurement or purchasing contracts. 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 ideal candidate is an excellent communicator, able to explain complicated contract issues to a diverse array of constituents. They are driven to become experts in their field, excited by R1 level research, and able to prioritize time sensitive and mission-critical work in a proactive and professional manner. They enjoy working to resolve complex challenges, present solutions, and meet Mines and sponsor requirements as defined in contracts, policy, and best practice. This position provides the opportunity for on-campus, hybrid, or potentially remote work location.

The Department ORA partners with Mines' campus in all business and administrative needs of sponsored research. The Contracts team in ORA are experts in contract negotiations, revisions, and policy interpretation. They are critical thinkers and problem solvers who know when to raise a question and where to find answers. To learn more about the ORA department, please visit: https://ora.mines.edu/.

Responsibilities Include: Contract Review, Negotiation and Administration Review research grants, contracts, and other non-funded agreements, both initial and modifications thereto, received from external organizations. During the review, the person in this role analyzes 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, including 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. 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 s 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.

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.

Minimum Qualifications Bachelor's Degree 3 + years' research administration experience in a setting such has higher education, medicine, scientific research, or closely related field. This professional experience must include reviewing and negotiating complex contracts, preferably at a university. This experience should include educating and guiding stakeholders in the development of competitive proposals and award administration of projects as well as funding policies, rules, and re