Life Sciences Contracts Attorney (fractional)

Overview

This role involves serving as a fractional life sciences contracts attorney to support rapid execution of contracts across the research and development continuum. The position is remote and contract-based, requiring an estimated 5-10 hours per week. The preferred start date is May 2026, and the role reports to the Chief Scientific Officer.

Responsibilities

• Negotiate and facilitate execution of various research-related contracts, including grant agreements, material transfer agreements (incoming and outgoing), licensing and collaboration agreements, confidentiality agreements, master service agreements, and sponsored research agreements.
• Identify legal risks or issues in contracts and propose solutions consistent with the organization's contracts playbook.
• Ensure contract terms align with organizational philosophy, policies, research strategy, and upstream agreements.
• Participate in meetings with external stakeholders and research partners to develop context for contract negotiations.
• Consult or coordinate with external legal counsel on complex legal matters as needed.
• Maintain and update standardized contract forms, templates, and internal documentation, including the contracts playbook.
• Manage contract storage, accurate coding, and lifecycle management within CRM (Salesforce) and file management systems (Box).

Required Qualifications

• Juris Doctor (JD) from an accredited law school.
• Minimum of 5 years' experience in technology transactions within the life sciences industry or academic technology transfer office.
• Proven experience reviewing, drafting, and negotiating a variety of contracts.
• Ability to efficiently negotiate and execute multiple contracts concurrently.
• Strong judgment to make decisions and draft contracts aligned with organizational policies, needs, priorities, and those of collaborators.
• Exceptional interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills with prompt responsiveness.
• Excellent attention to detail in contracts, documentation, and communication.
• Proficiency and comfort using modern SaaS tools to enhance efficiency and collaboration.

Location

• Remote

Compensation & Benefits

• This is a contract position with an estimated commitment of 5-10 hours per week. Specific compensation details are not provided.