JOB SUMMARY:

NORC at the University of Chicago is seeking a Contract Assistant. The successful applicant will assist with preparing contract templates and related legal agreements for active NORC contracts and proposals. The successful applicant will support legal agreement negotiations and complete a wide variety of contract administration activities including data entry into NORC’s cost account system, and preparing business and compliance forms. This is an entry-level but sophisticated role focused on learning complex contract administration and negotiation techniques with an objective of advancing to more senior responsibilities.
This is an opportunity for someone to leverage a general education in business, accounting, finance or related field of study to be trained on contracts administration within a non-profit social science research organization that contracts with many different government departments and agencies. You will learn from seasoned contracts professionals, including attorneys and social science researchers. This role can serve as an entree into a contracts administration career.

REQUIRED SKILLS:

• Bachelor’s degree is required, with a preference for a degree in Business Administration or similar discipline
• General business, accounting, or financial work experience
• Basic knowledge of accounting and financial management; familiarity with basic data management through use of spreadsheet or other similar
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, time management, personal organization, attention to detail, and discretion
• Ability to create and maintaining physical and electronic filing systems, ability to accurately follow instructions given, ability to work accurately under time pressures and to prioritize multiple tasks from different projects and ability to handle sensitive and/or confidential material in a discreet and confidential manner
• Hybrid work schedule of at least two days a week in our Chicago Loop office.

WHAT WE DO:

NORC at the University of Chicago is an objective, non-partisan research institution that delivers reliable data and rigorous analysis to guide critical programmatic, business, and policy decisions. Since 1941, our teams have conducted groundbreaking studies, created and applied innovative methods and tools, and advanced principles of scientific integrity and collaboration. Today, government, corporate, and nonprofit clients around the world partner with us to transform increasingly complex information into useful knowledge.

WHO WE ARE:

For over 80 years, NORC has evolved in many ways, moving the needle with research methods, technical applications and groundbreaking research findings. But our tradition of excellence, passion for innovation, and commitment to collegiality have remained constant components of who we are as a brand, and who each of us is as a member of the NORC team. With world-class benefits, a business casual environment, and an emphasis on continuous learning, NORC is a place where people join for the stellar research and analysis work for which we’re known, and stay for the relationships they form with their colleagues who take pride in the impact their work is making on a global scale.

• Under guidance from Contracts and Grants staff, prepare support documentation and administrative sections of proposals
• Assist in the review of contracts and grants
• Assist in organizational audits
• Maintain contract files (electronic and paper)
• Assist in contract close out process
• Provide general contract management support
• Perform other duties as assigned