Research Contracts Manager (Business Contracting) (110302-0225)

For informal enquiries, please contact Dan Blakey, Associate Director (Head of Research Strategy, Funding & Contracts), at dan.blakey@warwick.ac.uk

This is an exciting opportunity to join and manage a new team in Research and Impact Services (R&IS). R&IS is a collegiate, vibrant and dynamic department that provides a vital contribution in supporting the University of Warwick’s internationally leading research endeavours. Currently research contracts are managed within R&IS’s Faculty facing teams and following investment from the University we are establishing a specialised contracting team to complement that work. We are seeking a Research Contracts Manager to deliver and lead specialised contracting support to researchers across the University to facilitate Warwick’s ambitions to continue to grow its research partnerships, income and impact.

The Contracts Team will be a key enabler of research contracts actively finding solutions to challenges which arise while complying with Warwick’s, clients’, and any external funder’s requirements and protecting the University’s interests in terms of finance, intellectual property, and other risks. The Team will provide support to researchers through the putting in place of research and research related contracts with a focus on business, other non-academic partners and for strategically significant projects.

In addition, the role holder will manage and deploy a team of four Research Support Coordinators who provide underpinning support across the Research Strategy, Funding and Contracts Team.

The role holder will work closely with other members of the Research Strategy, Funding and Contracts Team within R&IS to ensure a seamless service.  

You are an experienced research support professional with expertise in research contract management processes and negotiations. You will have a comprehensive knowledge of the law and practice of intellectual property management and contracting with the ability to interpret and advise on complex legal requirements, terms and conditions.

You will have experience of running a team and the ability to work well to tight deadlines while meeting the needs of a diverse internal and external client base.  The highly collaborative approach taken across Warwick requires excellent all-round communication, influence and presentation skills.

For further information regarding the skills required for this role please see the personal specification section of the attached job description.

The department of Research & Impact Services supports the delivery of internationally leading research & impact at the University of Warwick. This encompasses support for research strategy; research development; research grants & contracts; research ethics & governance; research culture, research impact; trusted research, the Research Excellence Framework (REF); research systems & data; statutory returns; programme management of institutional funds to support research & impact; research income planning,; and responsibility for the co-ordination of institutional programmes & partnerships such as the Interdisciplinary Research Spotlights, The Alan Turing Institute (ATI), City of Culture (CoC), and Eutopia. R&IS also delivers the secretariat function for nine formal University committees.

Candidates are asked to note that, Research & Impact Services has adopted hybrid working and candidates should therefore expect to be located on campus a minimum of three set days a week.

For further information about Research & Impact Services, please visit our website.

Born in the 60s with a mindset of boldness, imagination and collaboration, the University of Warwick is a world-leading research-intensive university with the highest academic and research standards. We’re one of the world’s top universities, ranked 67th in the world and 10th in the UK*, with 92% of our research assessed to be ‘world leading or internationally excellent’**. 

You'll be joining a diverse, innovative and globally connected community committed to igniting real world progress. Here at Warwick, we offer you opportunities to follow your ambitions as long as you bring the energy and determination to succeed.

*QS World University Rankings 2024

** Research Excellence Framework 2021

To find out more about us visit our website.

CLOSING DATE:  Wednesday 4th June 2025 at 11.55pm (BST)

To apply, please click ‘Apply’ below and submit an application form by the closing date. Please plan for any potential delays as you will not be able to submit an application past this deadline (even if you opened the form at, say, 11.30pm).

Please attach a CV and cover letter.

Your CV should include your career history, with key responsibilities and achievements. Please ensure your CV includes name(s), job title, organisation and email contact detail(s) of employee referees to cover the past 3 years, one of your referees should be your current or most recent manager. Your referees will not be contacted without your permission. The appointment of the successful candidate will be subject to references. 

Your cover letter must detail how you meet each of the essential criteria found in the Job Description document below (desirable criteria too, where possible).

Please see here for guidance on writing a cover letter. We highly recommend using individual criteria as headers and giving examples below, though you are free to format the letter as you wish.

To streamline our hiring processes, we can only accept applications via our official website, warwick-careers.tal.net.

Interview Date: To be confirmed

Start Date: To be confirmed

We will provide you with a great range of benefits, which include an attractive pension scheme, 30 days holiday plus Christmas closure, excellent learning and development opportunities, and savings on a wide range of products and services. We offer a generous maternity/paternity/adoption/parental leave policy, and onsite childcare facilities. 

We recognise the importance of a healthy work/life balance and offer you access to flexible working, for more information click here. 

We are proud to say that we are a Living Wage employer.

If you are considering relocating to the UK, read our Relocation Guide to find out more about what Warwick has to offer and what might be involved in the process.

Warwick is committed to building an organisation of mutual respect and dignity, promoting a welcoming, diverse, and inclusive working and learning environment.  We recognise that everyone is different in a variety of visible and non-visible ways, and that those differences are to be recognised, respected, and valued.  Where possible, we go beyond legislation to provide a place where everyone can thrive, supporting all staff to achieve their full potential. We aspire to remove economic, social, and cultural barriers that may otherwise prevent people from succeeding. 

We therefore welcome and encourage applications from all communities regardless of culture, background, age, disability, sex/gender, gender identity or expression, ethnicity, religion/belief, or sexual or romantic orientation. To find out more about our social inclusion work at Warwick visit our webpages here. 

The University currently holds a Race Equality Charter Bronze Award, Athena Swan Sliver Award and a Disability Smart Bronze Award. The University of Warwick is also one of the six founder institutions of the EUTOPIA European University Alliance. 

Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS)

The University of Warwick is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of all those we work with. 

In line with the DBS Code of Practice, the successful candidates for any roles involving regulated activity, will be subject to a DBS check at the appropriate level. The University will take all necessary measures to ensure that any individual subject to a barring order does not undertake any work with the barred group specified (i.e. children and/or adults).

We expect all employees, volunteers, and partners to share our commitment to safeguarding.

Rehabilitation of Ex-Offenders

The University undertakes not to discriminate against anyone who makes a disclosure relating to a conviction. The information disclosed at application stage is only visible to the central DBS team (i.e. not recruiting managers) to ensure there is no bias during the shortlisting process.