Contracts Officer (Education)
| Posting date: | 23 January 2026 |
|---|---|
| Salary: | £43,482 per year |
| Hours: | Full time |
| Closing date: | 15 February 2026 |
| Location: | Exeter, Devon |
| Remote working: | Hybrid - work remotely up to 3 days per week |
| Company: | University of Exeter |
| Job type: | Contract |
| Job reference: | Q13257 |
Summary
This new full time (1.0 FTE) post is available immediately on a fixed term basis until December 2027.
This role offers the opportunity for hybrid working, which means that some days will be in the office on the Streatham campus (minimum of 2 days per week) and other days from home.
We welcome applications from candidates interested in working part-time hours or job-sharing arrangements.
This position could be an opportunity for an internal secondment, with approval from your current line manager.
The Role
We are looking for a Contracts Officer to work within the Legal Team and alongside other members of Professional Services to ensure the provision of an effective contractual negotiation and administrative function to the University, covering a range of activities primarily relating to the University’s education portfolio.
The role is primarily focussed on the drafting and negotiation of contracts for education matters being carried out by the University with various third parties, including other universities, the public sector, charities and businesses. This will include supporting with the negotiation of study abroad and academic partnerships with a range of global universities, placement contracts with a range of commercial and third sector partners, supporting the contracting for a range of medical and other clinical programmes, as well as some work on degree apprenticeships and other more commercially focused education projects. There may also be the chance to get involved with larger scale education projects as and when they required legal advice, and responding to ad hoc requests for advice on a range of matters that involve education.
We wish to recruit someone who is experienced with contracts and contractual negotiations, organised and enthusiastic with an eye for detail and a willingness to learn to work within to a busy team working on education and commercial matters. The successful candidate will have the opportunity to work independently and collaboratively on occasions, within a supportive team.
Please ensure you read the Job Description and Person Specification for full details of this role.
The University of Exeter
We are a member of the prestigious Russell Group of research-intensive universities and in the top 200 universities in the world (Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2024 and QS World University Ranking 2024). We combine world-class teaching with world-class research, achieving a Gold rating in the Teaching Excellence Framework Award 2023, underpinned by Gold ratings for Student Experience and Student Outcomes.
Our world-leading research impact has grown more than any other Russell Group university in recent years, and we are home to some of the world’s most influential researchers, seeking to answer some of the most fundamental issues facing humankind today. More than 99 percent of our research is of international quality and 47 percent is world-leading (2021 Research Excellence Framework).
We encourage proactive engagement with industry, business and community partners to enhance the impact of research and education and improve the employability of our students. Read about our world leading research – Green Futures and how we are transforming education for a changing world. We are located in a beautiful part of the country and Exeter (a fast growing tech hub) is one of only a few UK cities to have been designated as a UNESCO Creative City
Our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Commitment
We are committed to ensuring reasonable adjustments are available for interviews and workplaces.
Whilst all applicants will be judged on merit alone, we particularly welcome applications from groups currently underrepresented within our working community.
With over 30,000 students and 7,000 staff from 150 different countries we offer a diverse and engaging environment where our diversity is celebrated and valued as a major strength. We are committed to creating an inclusive culture where all members of our community are supported to thrive; where diverse voices are heard through our engagement with evidence-based charter frameworks for gender (Athena SWAN and Project Juno for Physics), race equality (Race Equality Charter Mark), LGBTQ+ inclusion (Stonewall Diversity Champion) and as a Disability Confident employer.
We are proud signatories of the Armed Forces Covenant and welcome applications from service people.
Benefits
We offer some fantastic benefits including:
41 days leave per year
options for flexible working
numerous discounts at leading retailers
onsite gyms on all of our campus’ and a cycle to work scheme
sector leading policies around maternity, adoption and shared parental leave (up to 26 weeks full pay), paternity leave (up to 6 weeks full pay) and a Fertility Treatment Policy
stunning campus environments in Exeter and Cornwall, in the beautiful South West of England
Further information
For further information, please contact Luke Dunham, email l.dunham@exeter.ac.uk
This role offers the opportunity for hybrid working, which means that some days will be in the office on the Streatham campus (minimum of 2 days per week) and other days from home.
We welcome applications from candidates interested in working part-time hours or job-sharing arrangements.
This position could be an opportunity for an internal secondment, with approval from your current line manager.
The Role
We are looking for a Contracts Officer to work within the Legal Team and alongside other members of Professional Services to ensure the provision of an effective contractual negotiation and administrative function to the University, covering a range of activities primarily relating to the University’s education portfolio.
The role is primarily focussed on the drafting and negotiation of contracts for education matters being carried out by the University with various third parties, including other universities, the public sector, charities and businesses. This will include supporting with the negotiation of study abroad and academic partnerships with a range of global universities, placement contracts with a range of commercial and third sector partners, supporting the contracting for a range of medical and other clinical programmes, as well as some work on degree apprenticeships and other more commercially focused education projects. There may also be the chance to get involved with larger scale education projects as and when they required legal advice, and responding to ad hoc requests for advice on a range of matters that involve education.
We wish to recruit someone who is experienced with contracts and contractual negotiations, organised and enthusiastic with an eye for detail and a willingness to learn to work within to a busy team working on education and commercial matters. The successful candidate will have the opportunity to work independently and collaboratively on occasions, within a supportive team.
Please ensure you read the Job Description and Person Specification for full details of this role.
The University of Exeter
We are a member of the prestigious Russell Group of research-intensive universities and in the top 200 universities in the world (Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2024 and QS World University Ranking 2024). We combine world-class teaching with world-class research, achieving a Gold rating in the Teaching Excellence Framework Award 2023, underpinned by Gold ratings for Student Experience and Student Outcomes.
Our world-leading research impact has grown more than any other Russell Group university in recent years, and we are home to some of the world’s most influential researchers, seeking to answer some of the most fundamental issues facing humankind today. More than 99 percent of our research is of international quality and 47 percent is world-leading (2021 Research Excellence Framework).
We encourage proactive engagement with industry, business and community partners to enhance the impact of research and education and improve the employability of our students. Read about our world leading research – Green Futures and how we are transforming education for a changing world. We are located in a beautiful part of the country and Exeter (a fast growing tech hub) is one of only a few UK cities to have been designated as a UNESCO Creative City
Our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Commitment
We are committed to ensuring reasonable adjustments are available for interviews and workplaces.
Whilst all applicants will be judged on merit alone, we particularly welcome applications from groups currently underrepresented within our working community.
With over 30,000 students and 7,000 staff from 150 different countries we offer a diverse and engaging environment where our diversity is celebrated and valued as a major strength. We are committed to creating an inclusive culture where all members of our community are supported to thrive; where diverse voices are heard through our engagement with evidence-based charter frameworks for gender (Athena SWAN and Project Juno for Physics), race equality (Race Equality Charter Mark), LGBTQ+ inclusion (Stonewall Diversity Champion) and as a Disability Confident employer.
We are proud signatories of the Armed Forces Covenant and welcome applications from service people.
Benefits
We offer some fantastic benefits including:
41 days leave per year
options for flexible working
numerous discounts at leading retailers
onsite gyms on all of our campus’ and a cycle to work scheme
sector leading policies around maternity, adoption and shared parental leave (up to 26 weeks full pay), paternity leave (up to 6 weeks full pay) and a Fertility Treatment Policy
stunning campus environments in Exeter and Cornwall, in the beautiful South West of England
Further information
For further information, please contact Luke Dunham, email l.dunham@exeter.ac.uk
Proud member of the Disability Confident employer scheme
Disability Confident
About Disability Confident
A Disability Confident employer will generally offer an interview to any applicant that declares they have a disability and meets the minimum criteria for the job as defined by the employer. It is important to note that in certain recruitment situations such as high-volume, seasonal and high-peak times, the employer may wish to limit the overall numbers of interviews offered to both disabled people and non-disabled people. For more details please go to Disability Confident.