Our Client

Marine Bioproducts Cooperative Research Centre (MBCRC) is a not-for-profit Cooperative Research Centre and Australia’s largest research and development hub dedicated to producing new and sustainable products from the marine environment. Based in Adelaide, it brings together a national network of partners from academia, industry and government.

Supported by a $59 million Australian Government grant and partner co-investment, MBCRC anticipates deploying up to $270 million in cash and in-kind resources over 10 years. It funds collaborative research and product development, building pathways from marine discovery to markets in areas such as health, nutrition, agriculture, aquaculture and biomaterials, and supports the training of industry-ready graduates.

Reporting to the Chief Research Officer, the Research Contracts & Projects Officer role is a three-year contract position working alongside the research and business development teams to contract and establish research projects.

The Role

Your duties will include:

- Coordinate approved projects from handover to contract execution, with guidance from the Chief Research Officer and relevant team members
- Prepare and refine project agreements, schedules, milestones, deliverables, budgets and payment schedules using approved templates
- Support the research and business development teams to confirm project scope, timelines, funding contributions and partner roles
- Help ensure agreements clearly reflect intellectual property arrangements, escalating matters that need specialist or senior input
- Draft contract variations, extensions and amendments for review and approval
- Review project concepts, applications and budgets for completeness, compliance and readiness for assessment
- Support project and student project reporting, milestone administration, variations and close-out
- Maintain accurate project and contract records in Turnkey, working with the Research Operations Manager to keep data consistent and audit-ready
- Contribute to improving contracting workflows, templates, checklists and user guidance





About You

- Highly organised and detail-oriented, with a proactive approach and the initiative to drive successful outcomes
- Tenacious, motivated and solutions-focused, with the ability to build effective relationships and collaborate with a diverse range of stakeholders
- Strong analytical skills, with the ability to review complex documentation and identify gaps, inconsistencies, dependencies and required actions
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to coordinate multiple priorities and work effectively with both technical and non-technical stakeholders
- Confident using Microsoft 365, along with project, document and/or records management systems
- Sound judgement and the ability to recognise when specialist or senior input is required, while taking a practical approach to problem-solving
- A professional, dependable and collaborative working style, with the flexibility to adapt to changing priorities and requirements
- Previous project management or contracts experience will be highly regarded, particularly within research or science environments; however, candidates from other sectors with relevant transferable experience are strongly encouraged to apply

In Return

- Role based in brand current offices on Greenhill Road in Eastwood
- A hands-on role at the centre of research contracting for a national CRC
- Exposure to research partnerships, commercial arrangements and intellectual property considerations
- The opportunity to improve contract templates and processes, and leave a lasting mark on how the organisation contracts
- Close collaboration with scientists and a collaborative research and business development team
- A three-year contract with a national CRC
- Salary packaging, car parking and a phone allowance
- Please Note – This position will be offered on an initial 3-year fixed term contract basis

Next Steps

If you’re interested in the position on offer, please apply using the relevant links. If you have any specific questions regarding the role email Nikita Bheem – [email protected].

Applications close Wednesday 25th November at 5.00pm.

📌 Research Contracts & Project Officer (Adelaide)
🏢 Perks People Solutions
📍 Adelaide