CMCC Position cod. 12833

Research Grants & Contract Management Officer

Deadline: August 2nd, 2026

ROLE

The Research Grants & Contract Management Officer reports to the Head of Fund Raising and is responsible for supporting the pre‑award phase, managing consortium agreements, negotiating IPR clauses, and coordinating between Fund Raising, Legal, and Project Management.

RESPONSIBILITIES

- Support the Fund Raising team in the preparation and submission of research proposals, ensuring compliance with funder legal requirements and internal procedures.
- Coordinate with the Fund Raising team, Legal & Contract Advisory, Principal Investigators, Project Managers, and internal units during proposal development.
- Draft and review pre‑award documents including letters of intent, eligibility checks, due diligence questionnaires, and declarations.
- Liaise with the Legal & Contract Advisory team for drafting NDAs, MoUs, and other pre‑contractual instruments.
- Work with the Fund Raising Office to shape consortium governance structures and anticipate key negotiation issues.
- Define the Foundation’s non‑negotiable positions on IPR, liability, confidentiality, and consortium governance in collaboration with the Legal Office.
- Create, maintain and update a funding and research knowledge base: model clauses, standard documents, funder guidelines, and best practices.
- Lead the preparation and negotiation of Consortium Agreements for Horizon Europe projects, adapting standard clauses to project‑specific requirements.
- Manage negotiation sessions on IPR clauses, identifying mutually acceptable solutions among partners with diverging interests.
- Coordinate with consortium partners throughout the negotiation process, managing specific requests, timelines and open issues.
- Liaise with internal units to finalize consortium agreements and oversee signature collection, ensuring compliance with deadlines.
- Support management of other project agreements and contractual instruments within the agreed scope of the Fund Raising division.
- Conduct legal due diligence on contractual documents, identify and flag legal risks and communicate legal nuances to stakeholders.




- Maintain an up‑to‑date repository of signed agreements and negotiation templates.
- Ensure a structured post‑award handoff to the Project Manager, transferring the contractual framework and outstanding issues.
- Contribute to the development and continuous improvement of Fund Raising procedures and internal tools.
- Participate in cross‑functional working groups and resolve operational issues at the interface between Fund Raising, Legal & Contract Advisory, and other functions.
- Provide guidance and training to Fund Raising team members on contractual and procedural matters.

REQUIREMENTS

- Master’s Degree in Law, European Studies, International Relations, or a related field; additional training in contract law is an asset.
- Minimum of 3 years of work experience in grant and contract management within a research institution or university.
- Very good knowledge of the English language.
- Accuracy and strong analytical skills.
- Proven experience with Horizon Europe (or FP7/H2020) and other major European funding schemes.
- Familiarity with the DESCA model consortium agreement and EU grant agreement standard clauses.
- In‑depth knowledge of Horizon Europe regulations and eligibility rules.
- Knowledge of EU submission and management tools (Funding & Tenders Portal, SYGMA).
- Understanding of IPR concepts in research, including background/foreground IP and licensing.
- Ability to read and interpret contractual texts in English and Italian.
- Knowledge of major research funding programmes (EU, Italian MUR, private foundations).
- Experience coordinating multi‑partner consortia and managing complex contractual negotiations.
- Track record in handling IPR matters in research and innovation contexts.
- Experience liaising with legal and administrative offices of research organisations, universities, or companies.




- Experience in public law or with publicly‑funded institutions is preferred.
- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills to convey legal nuances clearly to non‑legal stakeholders.
- Strong analytical and drafting skills, attention to detail, and ability to conduct legal due diligence.
- Negotiation skills for complex multi‑party negotiations.
- Knowledge of Intellectual Property provisions in EU Grant Agreements.
- Awareness of data management and stewardship requirements in EU‑funded research.
- Cross‑functional collaboration across Legal, Fundraising, Project Management, Finance.
- Managing complexity: capacity to track parallel processes and meet deadlines.
- Proficiency in English (written and spoken) and Italian for internal coordination.
- Good command of standard office tools and document management platforms.
- Familiarity with AI tools and large language models (e.g., Claude, ChatGPT) and ability to develop AI‑assisted workflows.

DURATION, COMPENSATION & BENEFITS

- Position will be issued both internally and externally.
- Based in Milan (or Lecce if preferred). Contract type: Coordinated Continuous Collaboration or Fixed‑Term, not exceeding 1 year with possibility of extension.
- National Collective Labour Agreement for the Tertiary, Distribution and Services Sector (Confcommercio) applies.
- Gross annual salary range: €35,000 – €50,000, determined by experience and technical level.
- Welfare package of €2,000 per year.
- Flexible working time per internal policies.
- Support during immigration process if needed.

PROTECTED CATEGORY / EEO STATEMENTS

Belonging to legally protected categories (e.g., L. 68/99) will constitute a preferential condition. Some fiscal benefits could apply for repatriated workers or foreign researchers/professors, as defined by Dlgs 147/2015 or Dl 78/2010.

CMCC is an equal‑opportunity employer. We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, age, familial status, and other legally protected characteristics. Please omit from your CV any data that could be discriminatory.

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📌 12833 - Research Grants & Contract Management Officer (Lecce)
🏢 Cmcc - Centro Euro-Mediterraneo Sui Cambiamenti Climatici
📍 Lecce