Contracts Executive Officer

About Trinity:

Trinity is Ireland’s leading university and is ranked 81st in the world (QS World University Rankings 2024). Founded in 1592, the University is steeped in history with a reputation for excellence in education, research, and innovation, which has been inspiring generations of thinkers for over 400 years.

Post Summary:

The Contracts Executive Officer will join the RC&C Office and will review and negotiate contractual documentation covering all funders, on behalf of college in order to minimise any potential exposure and/or liability to College and Principal Investigators and to also ensure internal College policies are adhered to and College / Schools / Principal Investigators are in a position to comply with same. The Contracts Executive Officer will also assist the I&I and SFI/CRI Project Managers in the implementation of key projects. RC&C is a unit within TI&E which oversees, manages, and negotiates legal contracts and provides associated support for academics in college. It consists of two teams – Irish & International (I&I), Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) & European Institute of Technology (Knowledge and Innovation Communities (KICs). RC&C has a total of 17 legal and administrative staff.The Contracts Executive Officer will join the RC&C Office and will work closely with PIs to include other areas in college responsible for applications and post award administration. The Contracts Executive Officer will ensure contracts are negotiated and administered in an efficient and professional manner. They will liaise together with other College service providers (e.g., FSD, Estates and Facilities, Human Resources etc.) to ensure that PIs are aware of the relevant offices to be contacted and procedures to be followed in relation to contractual terms and conditions e.g.,insurance and ethical issues. The role will report into the I&I Project Manager. 

Post status: Permanent

Hours of Post: 35 hours per week

Main Responsibilities: Service • Review and negotiate contractual terms and conditions. • Responsible for the management of their own contract portfolio ensuring that all contractual documentation is completed to meet sponsors’ deadlines. • Provide contractual and financial advice to Principal Investigators, and administrators. • Review budgets to ensure accuracy and compliance with relevant regulations (College policies, VAT regulations, etc. • Ensure account set up documentation required by FSD is procured and finalized in a timely manner to enable account set up.

Systems • Extensive I.T skills - Use and understand MS Office suite in particular MS Teams. Ability to continuously upgrade IT competence is a requisite. Display evidence of a high level of competency in Microsoft Office, in particular Word, PowerPoint, Excel, MicrosoftOutlook. • Use databases and spreadsheets in order to run automated or routine reports on active and completed contracts. • Knowledge of TI&E’s RPAMS system desirable.

Clerical • Draft and document Contracts Office Policies and Procedures(P&P). • Review and ensure all relevant documentation is in order and in line with RC&C Office P&P prior to review by Project Manager.

Organisation • Liaise with relevant College service providers, understand the College’s policies and requirements for involvement in research funding schemes and contracts, and ensure such procedures as detailed by the College are adhered to. • Prepare various reports for distribution to the College community. • Apply their problem-solving skills to deal with issues that arise which require analyses and evaluation of complex scenarios, using sound judgment to arrive at the most appropriate solution and escalate issues where appropriate to the Project Manager.

General • Manage and administer any special initiatives that the College wishes to have developed by the CO as directed by the Head of Research Contracts & CONSULT and/or the Project Manager. • Represent College at external networking events. • Any other duties which arise from time to time as directed by the Head ofResearch Contracts & CONSULT or the Project Manager.

Person Requirements The Contract Executive Officer will require the following knowledge, skills, and attributes for successful performance in the role.

Qualifications: Candidates for this post should have a university degree and/or relevant contractual / administrative experience.

Knowledge: • Working knowledge of Microsoft Office, e-mail, and the web • Knowledge of RPAMS - desirable

Experience: • Relevant experience in an administrative role, ideally in a university environment. • Ability to work as part of a team and work autonomously.

Skills: • Excellent written and verbal communication skills. • Strong proof-reading skills. • Exceptional numerical, analytical, and financialskills. • High standard of accuracy in both written and numerical work. • Excellent organisational and task management skills together with the ability to work on a number of tasks simultaneously. • Have the ability to prioritize tasks and meet deadlines; be capable of working on own initiative and work under time constraints.

Personal attributes: • Maintains high professional standards in delivery of customer & stakeholder needs. • Displays excellent organisational and task management skills and ensures prioritization of tasks to meet deadlines. • Displays the ability to work effectively as part of a team. • Displays the ability to continuously upgrade IT competence. • Adopts a can-do attitude, anticipating and solving problems quickly and efficiently. • Demonstrates a positive and constructive approach when faced with challenging situations. Salary:

This appointment will be made on the Executive Officer Merged Salary Scale (€31,377 - €49,207 per annum) at a point in line with current Government pay policy