Contracts Specialist, Legal and Contracts Operations

Flagship Pioneering is a bioplatform innovation company that invents and builds platform companies that change the world. We bring together the greatest scientific minds with entrepreneurial company builders and assemble the capital to allow them to take courageous leaps. Those big leaps in human health and sustainability exponentially accelerate scientific progress in areas ranging from cancer detection and treatment to nature-positive agriculture.   

 What sets Flagship apart is our ability to advance biotechnology by uniting life science innovation, company creation, and capital investment under one roof in a way that is largely without precedent. Our scientific founders, entrepreneurial leaders, and professional capital managers are each aligned around an institutionalized process that enables us to innovate and transform for the benefit of people and planet.   

Many of the companies Flagship has founded have addressed humanity’s most urgent challenges: vaccinating billions of people against COVID-19, curing intractable diseases, improving human health, preempting illness, and feeding the world by improving the resiliency and sustainability of agriculture.  

Flagship has been recognized twice on FORTUNE’s “Change the World” list, an annual ranking of companies that have made a positive social and environmental impact through activities that are part of their core business strategies, and has been twice named to Fast Company’s annual list of the World’s Most Innovative Companies.

Role Summary

We are seeking a Contract Specialist to provide operational support to a Contracts Attorney and Contracts Manager. This individual will manage contract workflow and queue prioritization, maintain the contract management system, and handle administrative aspects of the contract lifecycle, including filing, signature coordination, and limited contract review. The ideal candidate will have 3–5 years of relevant experience, strong familiarity with contract management systems, and the ability to work efficiently in a high-volume environment.

This is a great opportunity to join a company at the forefront of innovation in technology and science. We are looking for a self-motivated, entrepreneurial, and kind individual who works hard but doesn’t take themselves too seriously. The team you would be joining is tight-knit and committed to helping one another succeed.

Key Responsibilities

• Serve as primary liaison between Legal and cross-functional business stakeholders (procurement, finance, portfolio companies) to facilitate contract intake, manage expectations, and ensure alignment on competing priorities and timelines
• Support onboarding of new Flagship portfolio companies onto established contract standards and CLM processes, serving as dedicated point of contact during organizational transitions and system implementations
• Build and maintain strategic relationships with business colleagues across Flagship and portfolio companies to understand evolving contracting needs, anticipate workflow challenges, and provide proactive support
• Coordinate directly with external vendors, counterparties, and law firms on contract logistics, signature coordination, and low-complexity clarifications that require judgment and relationship management
• Monitor the contract queue in Cobblestone multiple times daily; assign incoming requests to the Contracts Attorney and Contracts Manager, using judgment to triage and flag complex, sensitive, or time-critical matters for expedited review
• Assist with prioritization based on agreement type, requestor, and business priorities; build relationships with cross-functional stakeholders to understand context and coordinate competing demands
• Track signature status and follow up on outstanding executions; coordinate directly with external vendors and counterparties to resolve signature logistics and clarify execution requirements
• Contribute to template and playbook updates by gathering feedback from internal stakeholders, identifying patterns in counterparty redlines, and recommending improvements based on recurring issues
• Track key dates and milestones; proactively identify and escalate potential risks, such as approaching deadlines, renewal windows, or expiring terms requiring action
• Support all aspects of contract lifecycle administration, including filing and archiving; handle exceptions requiring judgment, such as missing information, non-standard formats, or incomplete documentation
• Conduct limited contract review of Statements of Work, Order Forms, Quotes, and CDAs under Attorney/Manager supervision; flag non-standard terms, unusual risk provisions, and deviations from playbook for escalation
• Serve as first point of contact for CLM system (Cobblestone) questions and support; troubleshoot issues and escalate as needed
• Support CLM system training for internal stakeholders; develop training materials, gather user feedback, and recommend process improvements based on stakeholder needs
• Assist with maintaining repository accuracy, metadata tagging, and workflow optimization; identify inefficiencies in current processes and propose workflow design improvements
• Generate contract metrics and dashboards to inform Legal leadership and cross-functional stakeholders; analyze trends and provide recommendations to improve contract operations efficiency

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Legal Studies, Finance or related discipline.
• 3–5 years of contract administration, legal operations, or similar experience.
• Proficiency with contract lifecycle management (CLM) systems and associated workflows.
• Understanding of procurement and finance processes, including budgets, payment terms, and vendor engagement.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills with excellent stakeholder engagement ability.
• Ability to exercise judgment in prioritizing workflow and escalating appropriately.
• Experience troubleshooting CLM or workflow system issues.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in biotech, life sciences, or regulated industries.
• Experience configuring or administering CLM systems (e.g., Cobblestone—taxonomy, permissions, template maintenance).
• Familiarity with Coupa or procurement system integration.
• Experience with contract intake and legal operations frameworks.

Culture & Values (Flagship)

We seek individuals who reflect Flagship’s culture of fearless exploration, entrepreneurial thinking, and collaborative impact. You thrive in environments that require creative problem solving, strong ownership, and alignment with mission-driven outcomes. 

Work Environment & Benefits

• Standard office environment in Cambridge with hybrid and remote flexibility options.
• Collaborative, interdisciplinary teams engaged in high-impact innovation.
• Professional growth opportunities across Flagship Pioneering and its portfolio.
• Competitive compensation and benefits package.

Equal Opportunity Employer

Flagship Pioneering is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, or protected veteran status.

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The salary range for this role is $88,000 - $121,000. Compensation for the role will depend on a number of factors, including a candidate’s qualifications, skills, competencies, and experience. Flagship Pioneering currently offers healthcare coverage, annual incentive program, retirement benefits and a broad range of other benefits. Compensation and benefits information is based on Flagship Pioneering's good faith estimate as of the date of publication and may be modified in the future.