Associate Director, Contract Management & Research Operations - Sage Bionetworks : Job Details

At Sage Bionetworks, we believe in the power of open science and interdisciplinary collaboration to create a new vision of human health. We strive for actionable biomedical insights through the responsible sharing and reuse of data, all guided by our deep scientific expertise and diligent governance controls.

We're a dynamic, adaptable team, and at Sage, we highly value individuals who can flexibly navigate various roles and functions. Diversity in experiences, backgrounds, and identities is essential for our rich culture of learning and collaboration. Our partnerships, both within Sage and with external communities, are founded on principles of trust, transparency, and a commitment to growth. Together, we are leaving a lasting imprint on the fields of science and medicine.

Job Summary:

In this role you will be a key member of the Business Operations Team, overseeing the full lifecycle of a diverse portfolio of research contracts, subawards, enterprise agreements, and federal grants. This role supports Sage Bionetworks' mission-driven research by ensuring regulatory compliance, driving operational efficiency, and managing strategic risk. The ideal candidate is strategic, detail-oriented, and collaborative, with experience navigating complex agreements across academic, federal, and industry sectors. You will lead contract strategy and compliance efforts, supervise grants administration, leverage AI-enabled tools for contract analysis, and build strong partnerships with legal, scientific, and operational teams to continuously improve research operations.

Key Responsibilities:

• Strategic Contract Oversight:
  • Manage a high-volume portfolio of contracts, including federal subawards, NDAs, MSAs, and enterprise agreements.
  • Ensure compliance with institutional policies and sponsor requirements.
  • Represent the organization in negotiations with sponsors and partners.
  • Contract Drafting, Negotiation, and Risk Management:
  • Collaborate with cross-functional teams to draft, review, and negotiate agreements.
  • Mitigate risks related to intellectual property, data use, and publication rights.
  • Apply expertise in enterprise contracting, technology partnerships, and data licensing.
• Lifecycle Management:
  • Oversee pre-award, post-award, and closeout activities for federal grants.
  • Ensure accurate administration of contracts and adherence to compliance standards.
  • Support audit readiness and compliance inquiries.
• Coordinate with leadership to manage the contracts and grants pipeline.
• Prioritize agreements and maintain dashboards for status updates and forecasting.
• Develop and improve contract management policies and systems.
• Implement scalable solutions and leverage AI tools for risk analysis and compliance.

We'd love to hear from you if you have:

Required Experience:

• 8–12 years of progressive experience in contracts or research administration, including 3–5 years in a leadership role.
• Expertise in managing federally funded awards (e.g., NIH, NSF, ARPA-H) and foundation grants.
• Proven success in contracting with commercial partners.
• Strong understanding of legal and compliance principles related to research, IP, and data governance.
• Hands-on experience with AI-driven tools for contract management and compliance.
• A track record of successful stakeholder coordination and negotiation.

Preferred Background:

• Advanced degrees such as JD, MBA, MPA, or a Master's in a related field.
• Certified Research Administrator (CRA) or equivalent credentials.
• Familiarity with open science, cloud infrastructure, and ethical AI frameworks.

Core Skills and Mindset:

• Strategic thinking paired with effective execution.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication abilities.
• Strong leadership and collaboration across diverse teams.
• A proactive approach to process improvement and systems integration.
• Expertise in risk identification and mitigation.
• An equity-driven and mission-aligned perspective.

Job Functions and Physical Requirements

The following cognitive and physical activities outline the essential functions required for successful job performance. Reasonable accommodations may be provided to enable individuals with disabilities to fulfill these functions.

Physical Demands

• Extended periods of sitting at a desk and using a computer.
• Repeated wrist, hand, and finger movements.
• Requires clear vision for tasks like data analysis, transcribing, computer use, and reading.
• Occasionally lifting or moving objects weighing up to 10 pounds.

Cognitive Demands

• Able to work effectively under deadlines.
• Strong problem-solving and analytical skills.
• Attention to detail and accuracy.
• Flexibility to adapt to changing environments, priorities and multitask.

Additional Requirements

• Travel is required a minimum of two times per year for on-site events in Seattle, WA.
• Effective verbal and written communication skills.
• Active participation in a remote work environment, including virtual meetings (on-camera participation expected unless accommodated)...
• Follows company policies, procedures, and relevant laws and regulations.

Note: This list is not exhaustive and may be subject to modification as job duties evolve.

About Us

Sage Bionetworks is a nonprofit biomedical research organization that was founded in Seattle in 2009. We focus on advancing human health through open science practices and radical collaboration, with a view to breaking down existing silos in science and technology. Through our work, we guide responsible data sharing and reuse, benchmark scientific methods and results, and empower participants to be active partners in research. We are a bold team of scientists, engineers, product developers, governance specialists and business experts, working to bring data and communities together in unique ways that accelerate medical progress. As a growing organization, Sage is supported through a dynamic portfolio of competitive research grants, commercial partnerships, and philanthropic contributions.

Sage Bionetworks is pleased to offer a comprehensive benefit package, competitive to both commercial and not-for-profit life science organizations. The plan includes: health, dental, vision, life, AD&D and long term disability benefits; paid time off; a retirement plan; flexible spending accounts; a shared incentives plan, voluntary long term care insurance, and other voluntary products. Additional information can found here:Benefits – Sage Bionetworks

At Sage Bionetworks, we implement equitable workplace strategies to guarantee fair compensation. Actual compensation is determined based on current market data, experience, and internal pay parity. This position is classified as a Sage Associate Director, Management level position, with a hiring salary range of $118,250 to $159,027. New hires typically receive an offer between the minimum and midpoint of the range, although higher offers may be considered based on experience and market conditions.

We have a distributed workforce and support remote and/or on-site hybrid work arrangements within the United States. All interviews will be conducted virtually unless otherwise communicated.

At Sage Bionetworks, we uphold equal employment opportunities for all employees and applicants without bias to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, marital status, or veteran status. We strictly prohibit discrimination and harassment based on these protected categories, in compliance with federal and state equal employment opportunity laws.