Research Contracts Manager

The Focused Ultrasound Foundation, a mission-driven medical research, education, and patient advocacy organization in Charlottesville, VA, is seeking a Research Contracts Manager. This is an exciting opportunity to support groundbreaking medical research in a small, entrepreneurial environment where precision, service, and results matter. The Research Contracts Manager ensures that every research partnership—from preclinical studies to clinical trials—is executed with precision and integrity.

We seek a highly organized, detail-oriented professional who excels at coordinating complex workflows, maintaining accurate records, and facilitating effective communication. The ideal candidate will be a proactive communicator and reliable process manager, comfortable running meetings, tracking progress, and ensuring timely completion of deliverables. A background in clinical or preclinical contracts administration will provide a strong foundation for this role.

This is an on-site position based in Charlottesville, VA. Candidates must be able to work in person at our office.

Key Responsibilities

Contract Lifecycle Management:

• Draft, negotiate, and route agreements (preclinical and clinical).
• Maintain version control and clause library; coordinate signatures and archival.
• Track key terms and deadlines to ensure compliance.

Stakeholder Coordination:

• Serve as primary liaison among investigators, institutional offices, and internal teams.
• Lead weekly contract status meetings and document decisions.

Data Stewardship & Reporting:

• Maintain accurate Salesforce records and dashboards.
• Provide leadership with cycle time and performance analytics.

Process Improvement:

• Audit records for completeness; streamline workflows and SOPs.
• Enforce document security and retention protocols.

Qualifications

Required:

• Bachelor's degree required; a degree in a scientific discipline strongly preferred. Candidates with significant experience in research administration or clinical research operations will also be considered.
• 3–6 years of research administration experience with responsibility for contract coordination.
• Demonstrated experience drafting from templates, managing version control, and coordinating e-signature and archival of executed agreements.
• Proven data stewardship in a CRM or grants platform (field standards, QA, dashboards).
• Experience running recurring status meetings and documenting outcomes.
• Advanced proficiency in Excel and document management tools.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong interpersonal and customer service skills, with discretion in handling confidential information.

Preferred:

• Experience with Salesforce (data entry, reporting, record management).
• Working knowledge of clinical research contexts (e.g., GCP, IRB/IACUC, data/use agreements, and when to escalate issues).
• Professional training or certification in research administration (e.g., CRA/CPRA from RACC, SRAI/NCURA coursework).
• Familiarity with clinical trials, clinical budgeting and contract templates.
• Experience preparing portfolio analytics or dashboards.
• Exposure to FDA regulations and clinical trial operations.

To Apply

Send your cover letter and resume in PDF format to

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $80, $105,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• 401(k) matching
• Dental insurance
• Employee assistance program
• Health insurance
• Health savings account
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Parental leave
• Professional development assistance
• Retirement plan
• Tuition reimbursement
• Vision insurance

Experience:

• research administration: 3 years (Required)
• contract coordination: 3 years (Required)

Ability to Relocate:

• Charlottesville, VA 22903: Relocate before starting work (Required)

Work Location: In person