Contracts Counsel

Mavericks Wanted

When was the last time you achieved the impossible? If that thought feels overwhelming, you might want to pause here, but if it sparks excitement...read on.
 
In 2015, we pioneered a “moneyball for biotech” approach, pooling projects and promising early-stage research from academia together under one financial umbrella to reduce risk and unleash innovation. This model allows science and small teams of experts to lead the way. We build bridges to groundbreaking advancements in rare disease and develop life-changing medicines for patients with unmet needs as fast as humanly possible. 
 
Together we define white space, push boundaries and empower people to solve problems. If you're someone who defies convention, join us and work alongside some of the most respected minds in the industry. Together, we'll ask "why not?" and help reengineer the future of biopharma.

What You'll Do

We’re looking for a Contracts Counsel to lead drafting, review, and negotiation of a broad range of agreements. You’ll be a primary legal partner to several business teams, helping scale contracting processes, accelerate deal cycles, and manage risk with practical, business-friendly guidance.

Responsibilities

• Independently draft, review, and negotiate a wide variety of agreements, including master services agreements, statements of work, clinical trial agreements, consulting agreements, quality agreements, NDAs, SaaS/technology agreements, data processing/security addenda, and other vendor/commercial and/or research contracts
• Serve as day-to-day counsel to affiliates and cross-functional stakeholders (e.g., Procurement, Finance, Clinical, Quality, IT/Security, HR, and business teams), advising on contract structure, risk allocation, and negotiation strategy
• Triage contract requests and drive matters through intake, approvals, execution, and repository/CLM workflows; keep deals moving while maintaining consistency with company policies
• Identify and manage key issues (indemnities, limitation of liability, IP ownership/licensing, confidentiality, data privacy/security, insurance, termination, audit rights, subcontracting, compliance)
• Partner with InfoSec/Privacy and other SMEs to align contractual obligations with internal controls (e.g., security requirements, incident response, vendor assessments)
• Act as a strategic stakeholder in the development of processes, systems, and training to support contract lifecycle management
• Develop and maintain templates, fallback positions, playbooks, and process guidance; proactively spot patterns and reduce repeat friction in negotiations
• Support governance, audits, and reporting on contracting volume, cycle times, and risk trends; help train internal teams on contracting best practices
• Coordinate with outside counsel as needed and manage scope/costs

Where You'll Work

This is a hybrid role with in-office collaboration 2x per week in our San Francisco and/or Palo Alto Offices.

Who You Are

• J.D. from an accredited law school and active bar membership in at least one U.S. jurisdiction
• 4–6 years of relevant experience, including at least 2 years at a law firm, with substantial hands-on responsibility negotiating commercial contracts
• Preferred experience in life sciences/biotech/pharma and/or other regulated industries
• Have strong drafting/redlining skills and proven ability to manage negotiations independently
• Have willingness to use and incorporate AI tools on a routine basis
• Organized, responsive, and comfortable managing multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment
• Experience with contracts in the life sciences industry, such as sponsored research and clinical trial agreements
• Experience building contracting infrastructure (templates, playbooks, CLM workflows and tools) and partnering closely with Procurement

Rewarding Those Who Make the Mission Possible

We have high expectations for our team members. We make sure those working hard for patients are rewarded and cared for in return. 

Financial Benefits:

• Market leading compensation 
• 401K with 100% employer match on first 3% & 50% on the next 2%
• Employee stock purchase program
• Pre-tax commuter benefits
• Referral program with $2,500 award for hired referrals

Health & Wellbeing:

• Comprehensive health care with 100% premiums covered - no cost to you and dependents
• Mental health support via Spring Health (6 therapy sessions & 6 coaching sessions)
• Hybrid work model - employees have the autonomy in where and how they do their work 
• Unlimited flexible paid time off - take the time that you need
• Paid parental leave - 4 months for birthing parents & 2 months for non-birthing parents
• Flex spending accounts & company-provided group term life & disability 
• Subsidized lunch via Forkable on days worked from our office

Skill Development & Career Paths:

• People are part of our growth and success story - from discovery to active drug trials and FDA pipelines, there are endless opportunities for skill development and internal mobility
• We provide career pathing through regular feedback, continuous education and professional development programs via LinkedIn Learning, LifeLabs, Spring Health & BetterUp Coaching
• We celebrate strong performance with financial rewards, peer-to-peer recognition, and growth opportunities

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