Associate Director, Contracts Management

A well-funded, clinical-stage biotechnology company is looking for a sharp, execution-oriented contracts leader to own and elevate its contracting function. This is a high-impact individual contributor role with broad cross-functional visibility, sitting at the intersection of legal, operations, finance, and R&D. The right candidate will bring deep life sciences contracting expertise and a builder's mindset; someone equally comfortable drafting a complex in-license agreement as they are standing up a CLM platform from scratch. Title and compensation will be calibrated to the candidate's background.What You'll OwnDrive end-to-end contract lifecycle management across a diverse portfolio of agreements"”including NDAs, MTAs, research collaborations, consulting engagements, and vendor/service contracts"”from initial draft through execution and amendment.Act as the internal authority on contract matters, providing guidance that balances legal risk, business pragmatism, and company policy.Lead the evaluation, selection, and implementation of a contract lifecycle management (CLM) platform, including workflow configuration, template development, and performance reporting.Build and continuously improve contracting infrastructure"”playbooks, approval workflows, escalation frameworks"”that can scale with the business.Serve as a trusted cross-functional partner to Legal, Finance, R&D, and Business Development, aligning contract processes with organizational priorities.Develop and maintain a metrics dashboard to track contract volume, cycle times, and risk exposure, enabling data-driven operational decisions.Ensure all agreements reflect current standards around contract law, IP, data privacy, and applicable biotech/pharma regulatory requirements.What You BringRequiredBachelor's degree required; JD or advanced degree strongly preferred.7-10+ years of contract management experience, with at least 5 years in biotech/pharma or a life sciences-focused law firm.Demonstrated expertise drafting and negotiating NDAs, research collaboration agreements, MTAs, consulting agreements, and other IP-centric life sciences contracts.Fluency in intellectual property and confidentiality provisions specific to the life sciences context.Proven ability to operate independently, prioritize across competing demands, and drive projects to completion without heavy oversight.Strong working knowledge of contract law, pharma/biotech compliance, and vendor/supplier negotiation.Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to translate complex contract language for non-legal stakeholders.Track record of leading process improvement initiatives with measurable outcomes.PreferredHands-on CLM platform experience (selection, configuration, rollout, and reporting).Experience managing large-scale systems implementations or enterprise-wide contract standardization efforts.Professional certification from NCMA (CPCM), IACCM, or equivalent body.Familiarity with equity, financing, or M&A-related agreements in a life sciences setting.

Created: 2026-05-09