Contracts Manager

Position description

Chatham House, the Royal Institute of International Affairs, is one of the world’s leading independent policy institutes. Based in London, our mission is to help build a sustainably secure, prosperous and just world.

We have a new opportunity for a Contracts Manager who will oversee our research and supplier contracts and from time to time may be also asked to advise on procedural matters regarding compliance, and relevant legal and regulatory frameworks. The successful candidate will improve Chatham House’s institutional capacity to secure and manage high-value project grants and contracts.

We are an equal opportunity employer; we value diversity and do not discriminate on the basis of protected characteristics. We encourage applications from all backgrounds. If there is anything we can do to improve your experience or support you or if you require a reasonable adjustment to help with your application, please get in touch with us at [email protected].

Principal Responsibilities:

Reporting to the Finance Director, you will:

Delivery

• Review and provide advice on contracts and agreements relating to suppliers, research projects and partnerships, including, but not limited to, on issues related to procurement, IP, data protection, libel, insurance, warranties, payment terms, VAT and jurisdiction.
• Advise on contracting and sub-contracting aspects of funding.
• Review contracts and agreements before they are signed by the COO or Finance Director.
• Support external institute-wide auditing processes in relation to grant funding, and project-specific audit processes.
• Support the Head of Research Partnerships with advice on applicable legal frameworks and industry best practice where required.
• Where external council is needed for more complex work or disputes, manage them to ensure good outcomes and efficient use of limited budget.
• Coordinate legal and financial sign-off with COO Office for all grants and contracts requiring COO and/or CEO approval under the Scheme of Delegation.
• Maintain and develop House standards for key areas of Terms and Conditions (payment terms; IP; warranties, guarantees and undertakings) as the basis for assessing contract risk to the Legal Sign-off Meeting.
• Work with Programmes to ensure key reporting, termination or renewal deadlines are addressed in a timely manner.

People

• Work closely with the Head of Research Partnerships with the grant/contract cycle.
• Work collaboratively with teams across the institute to ensure that Chatham House has all relevant policies and procedures in place and is compliant with funder requirements.
• Advise colleagues as to when additional external legal support should be sought and maintain legal and advisory networks.
• Assist research programme leads in analysing and interpreting their budgets and income in line with funding contracts, as required.
• Maintain and develop relationships with funders, flagging new prospects to Research Partnerships to maximise fundraising opportunities.

Strategy

• Work with Finance Director to continually improve systems and processes in the areas of contract management and procurement, such as developing and rolling out template contracts.
• Continually seek to improve processes and procedures to support more effective pre- and post-award planning.
• Ensure Chatham House adheres to best practice on charging funders with regards to staff and consultant day rates, overhead recovery and how to present and report on such charges to funders.
• Actively contribute to the delivery of the Chatham House EDI strategy.

Person Specification

Skills and Experience

• Proven experience of reviewing/drafting research contracts and grant agreements.
• Experience working with templates and guidelines of different funders, including UK and overseas government departments, Research Councils, EU, and foundations.
• Legal professional with proven knowledge of UK charity law.
• Knowledge and experience of reviewing and advising on the contracting and sub-contracting aspects of funding, including VAT implications.
• Excellent organisational and time management skills with strong attention to detail.
• Outstanding written and verbal communication skills.
• Problem-solving skills, initiative and drive.
• Good IT skills including Word, Excel and Outlook.
• Experience working autonomously and within small teams to meet tight deadlines and independently manage workloads.

Benefits

Benefits include approximately 37 days annual leave pro rata (including public holidays and Chatham House closure days), pension salary exchange, employee assistance programme, parental leave, flexible working and other benefits designed to suit your lifestyle. All of this, in a professional, engaging and intellectually stimulating environment.

Salary: £50,000 – £55,000 (dependent on experience) per year, FTE (Full-time equivalent)

Contract: Part-time, 3 days per week, Permanent.

Location: Hybrid (Office/Home), minimum 2 days in the office per week.

Application instructions

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