Contracts Specialist - Office of Research

About Us Are you ready to transform lives through academic excellence, innovative research, strong community partnerships and economic opportunity? Do you want to cultivate an inclusive environment that encourages free expression and civil discourse? Kennesaw State University is one of the 50 largest public institutions in the country. With growing enrollment and global reach, we continue to expand our institutional influence and prominence beyond the state of Georgia. We offer more than 190 undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degrees to empower our 47,000 students to become thought leaders, lifelong learners, and informed global citizens. Our entrepreneurial spirit, high-impact research, and Division I athletics draw students from throughout the region and from more than 100 countries across the globe. Our university's vibrant culture, career opportunities, rich benefits, and values of respect, integrity, collaboration, inclusivity, and accountability make us an employer of choice. We are part of the University System of Georgia . We are searching for talented people to join Kennesaw State University in our vision . Come Take Flight at KSU! Location Our Kennesaw campus is located at 1000 Chastain Road NW, Kennesaw, GA 30144. Our Marietta campus is located at 1100 South Marietta Parkway, Marietta, GA 30060. Job Summary Provides administration for all contract activities in the areas of contract negotiations, Independent Contractor Agreement and Subaward drafting, award set up, and building and maintaining positive relations with internal and external customers and partner various KSU offices, analyzing and interpreting policy and procedures related to research administration, and developing and disseminating research administration-related information to the campus. Builds and maintains partnering relationships with internal stakeholders and other operational departments while acting as a liaison with sponsors. Responsibilities KEY RESPONSIBILITIES: 1. Manages internal and external contract review and negotiations for assigned research related agreements 2. Drafts and manages Independent Contractor Agreements and outgoing Subawards 3. Reviews and may draft other research related agreements including but not limited to Data Use Agreements, Material Transfer Agreements, and Confidentiality Agreements 4. Works closely with KSU Legal Division on contract review 5. Responsible for institutional contracts award acceptance and set up 6. Routes required agreements in various systems 7. Monitors and tracks the status of agreements 8. Interacts regularly with and provides high quality customer service to faculty and other staff throughout the contract development and review process 9. Contributes to Sponsored Programs website to ensure it is user-friendly, has useful information, and is up to date Facilitates Just-In-Time and other pre-award actions requiring institutional authorized review 10. Aids in electronic system management for contract tracking and status updates 11. Serves as primary intermediary with all pertinent sponsors, faculty, staff and campus entities 12. Ensures adherence to quality standards, all policies, and award regulations Required Qualifications Educational Requirements Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution of higher education or equivalent combination of education and/or experience Required Experience Two (2) years of related work experience in grant award and/or contract management and review within a university, non-profit, or academic medical center setting Preferred Qualifications Additional Preferred Qualifications Certified Research Administrator (CRA) Preferred Educational Qualifications Advanced degree from an accredited institution of higher education Preferred Experience Experience with applying and interpreting Unifor Guidance 2 CFR 200, federal agency specific regulations, and non-federal sponsor guidelines Experience with electronic grants management system Proposed Salary The budgeted salary range is $59,460 to $65,000. Offers are based on relevant experience. Comprehensive benefits to include Medical, Dental, Vision, 13 paid holidays, vacation, generous retirement plans, tuition waiver, wellness options, and much more! Visit hr.kennesaw.edu/benefits. Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities ABILITIES Ability to read and interpret complex documents Desire and ability to provide outstanding service to faculty and staff Able to handle multiple tasks or projects at one time meeting assigned deadlines KNOWLEDGE Knowledge of federal grant regulations SKILLS Excellent interpersonal, initiative, teamwork, problem solving, independent judgment, organization, communication (verbal and written), time management, project management and presentation skills Proficient with computer applications and programs associated with the position (i.e., Microsoft Office suite) Strong attention to detail and follow up skills Strong customer service skills and phone and e-mail etiquette USG Core Values The University System of Georgia is comprised of our 26 institutions of higher education and learning as well as the System Office. Our USG Statement of Core Values are Integrity, Excellence, Accountability, and Respect. These values serve as the foundation for all that we do as an organization, and each USG community member is responsible for demonstrating and upholding these standards. More details on the USG Statement of Core Values and Code of Conduct are available in USG Board Policy 8.2.18.1.2 and can be found on-line at . Additionally, USG supports Freedom of Expression as stated in Board Policy 6.5 Freedom of Expression and Academic Freedom found on-line at . Equal Employment Opportunity Kennesaw State University is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer. The University is committed to maintaining a fair and respectful environment for living, work and study. To that end, and in accordance with federal and state law, Board of Regents policy, and University policy, the University prohibits harassment of or discrimination against any person because of race, color, sex (including sexual harassment, pregnancy, and medical conditions related to pregnancy), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, ethnicity or national origin, religion, age, genetic information, disability, or veteran or military status by any member of the KSU Community on campus, in connection with a University program or activity, or in a manner that creates a hostile environment for members of the KSU community. For additional information on this policy, or to file a complaint under the provisions of this policy, students, employees, applicants for employment or admission or other third parties should contact the Office of Institutional Equity at English Building, Suite 225, . Other Information This is not a supervisory position. This position has financial responsibilities. This position will not be required to drive. This role is considered a position of trust. This position does not require a purchasing card (P-Card). This position may travel 1% - 24% of the time Background Check Credit Report Standard Enhanced Education Per the University System of Georgia background check policy, all final candidates will be required to consent to a criminal background investigation. Final candidates may be asked to disclose criminal record history during the initial screening process and prior to a conditional offer of employment. Applicants for positions of trust with screening results which confirm a disqualifying criminal history will be immediately disqualified from employment eligibility. All applicants are required to include professional references as part of their application process. Some positions may require additional job-based screenings such as motor vehicle report, credit check, pre-employment drug screening and/or verification of academic credentials.

Created: 2026-03-04