Research Contracts Negotiator

Job number

NAT02105

Faculties

Faculty of Natural Sciences

Departments

Faculty of Natural Sciences

Salary or Salary range

£46,614 - £56,345 per annum

Location/campus

South Kensington Campus - Hybrid

Contract type work pattern

Full time - Open ended

Posting End Date

19 Jan 2026

About the role

You will be joining a science-based institution with the greatest concentration of high-impact research of any major UK university. The Faculty of Natural Sciences, consistently rated among the best in the world, is made up of 5 academic departments and is committed to increasing its research activity by focusing on fundamental discoveries in the physical, mathematical and life sciences. Part of our mission is to integrate this research across multidisciplinary growth areas that target a number of global challenges, including energy and the environment, biomedical sciences and tools and technology and to apply these discoveries to the benefit of humanity.

As a Research Contracts Negotiator for Imperial, you will be helping to enable world-leading academic research by drafting, negotiating and gaining approval of a spectrum of research-related contracts.

Working with a variety of funders and academic collaborators, we seek to balance safeguarding the university's charitable position and the academic community's needs against appropriate benefits for our sponsors.

What you would be doing

As a Research Contracts Negotiator, you will be at the heart of enabling world-leading academic research by providing sound contractual advice to key internal stakeholders. Working closely with various teams (including Partnerships and Commercialisation, Research Services, Research Office, International Relations Office and Advancement), you will review, draft and negotiate multiple research-related contracts. You will safeguard the university's charitable position and the academic community's need to pursue further research and publish results, whilst bridging with our sponsors' needs to ensure value for money and appropriate access to intellectual property rights.

What we are looking for

You will be an enthusiastic and pragmatic negotiator with a good working knowledge of contractual issues including intellectual property, confidentiality, publication, liabilities and VAT. You will demonstrate excellent communication skills (written and verbal) and be able to articulate complex issues clearly and concisely to a wide range of people of varying levels of knowledge and expertise. You will thrive under pressure, prioritise effectively and meet deadlines. You will also work well autonomously, and as part of a multifaceted team. You will share our passion for quality service; possess excellent attention to detail, and act with tact and diplomacy. Experience of working in higher education would be an advantage.

What we can offer you

• The opportunity to specialise in research funding opportunities in the University sector
• The opportunity to develop specialised knowledge in research contracts for scientific research
• The opportunity to continue your career at a world-leading institution
• Sector-leading salary and remuneration package (including 41 days off a year)

Further information

This is a full time, open-ended role based at South Kensington Campus (Hybrid)

If you require any further details on the role please contact: Gary Wheeler ().

Available documents

Attached documents are available under links. Clicking a document link will initialize its download.

Please note that job descriptions are not exhaustive, and you may be asked to take on additional duties that align with the key responsibilities mentioned above.

We reserve the right to close the advert prior to the closing date stated should we receive a high volume of applications. It is therefore advisable that you submit your application as early as possible to avoid disappointment.

If you encounter any technical issues while applying online, please don't hesitate to email us at We're here to help.

About Imperial

Welcome to Imperial, a global top ten university where scientific imagination leads to world-changing impact.

Join us and be part of something bigger. From global health to climate change, AI to business leadership, here at Imperial we navigate some of the world's toughest challenges. Whatever your role, your contribution will have a lasting impact.

As a member of our vibrant community of 22,000 students and 8,000 staff, you'll collaborate with passionate minds across nine London campuses and a global network.

This is your chance to help shape the future. We hope you'll join us at Imperial College London.

Our Culture

We work towards equality of opportunity, to eliminating discrimination, and to creating an inclusive working environment for all. We encourage applications from all backgrounds, communities and industries, and are committed to employing a team that has diverse skills, experiences and abilities. You can read more about our commitment on our webpages.

Our values are at the root of everything we do and everyone in our community is expected to demonstrate respect, collaboration, excellence, integrity, and innovation.

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