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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. As an employer Penn has been ranked nationally on many occasions with the most recent award from Forbes who named Penn one of America's Best Large Employers in 2023.
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The University offers a competitive benefits package that includes excellent healthcare and tuition benefits for employees and their families, generous retirement benefits, a wide variety of professional development opportunities, supportive work and family benefits, a wealth of health and wellness programs and resources, and much more.
Posted Job Title
Associate Director D
Job Profile Title
Associate Director D, Business and Finance
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. The Associate Director independently manages work/task orders under master agreements, CDAs/NDAs, DUAs, amendments, and completes first-pass drafting and issue-spotting for CTAs with oversight. As skill increases this role can independently handle CTAs, especially less complex CTAs or CTAs with sponsors that we have established precedent.
Job Description
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. The Associate Director independently manages work/task orders under master agreements, CDAs/NDAs, DUAs, amendments, and completes first-pass drafting and issue-spotting for CTAs with oversight. As skill increases this role can independently handle CTAs, especially less complex CTAs or CTAs with sponsors that we have established precedent
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.
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