University Overview

The University of Pennsylvania, the largest private employer in Philadelphia, is a world-renowned leader in education, research, and innovation. This historic, Ivy League school consistently ranks among the top 10 universities in the annual U.S. News & World Report survey. Penn has 12 highly-regarded schools that provide opportunities for undergraduate, graduate and continuing education, all influenced by Penn's distinctive interdisciplinary approach to scholarship and learning.

Job Description Summary

The Associate Director is a non-attorney (BA required, JD or MA preferred) contracting professional who independently negotiates and executes a portfolio of moderately complex clinical research agreements and serves as the complexity bridge between Senior Contract Administrators and attorney-level contracting staff. This role will also have direct reports and serve as the manager of the OCR Legal Senior Contract Administrators. This role requires prior clinical research contracting experience and is not intended for entry-level contracting professionals.

Job Responsibilities

• Independently negotiate, draft, and execute CDAs/NDAs, DUAs, amendments, and work orders/task orders under established policies and standard positions.
• Serve as manager of Senior Contract administrators, serving as guide, mentor, and first level of review and escalation.
• Complete first-pass CTA redlines and issue-spotting; escalate non-standard and high-risk terms to attorneys; revise drafts based on direction.
• Manage assigned workflow, timelines, and documentation; ensure correct routing/approvals and accurate status tracking in applicable systems.
• Apply and support standardization through templates, clause library, job aids, and playbook resources; flag recurring sponsor issues and propose improvements.
• Serve as an internal point of contact for study teams and partners; drive matters toward execution-ready status and timely study activation.
• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Bachelor of Science and 5 to 7 years of clinical research contracting experience or equivalent combination of education and experience is required. Master's degree or JD preferred, not required.
• Demonstrated ability to apply standard positions, identify risk issues, and escalate appropriately in a deadline-driven, high-volume environment.
• Strong written communication, organization, and stakeholder-management skills.
• Demonstrated ability to thrive in a busy, ever-evolving environment and collaborate with multiple stakeholders.
• Demonstrated ability to manage high volume workload.
• Some management/leadership experience preferred.
• Experience in an academic medical center, CRO, sponsor, or comparable research environment supporting clinical research agreements preferred.
• Familiarity with research administration/contracting systems (e.g., SOMERA, PennERA, RIS or similar) preferred.