Overview
A legal team is seeking a Pharmaceutical Contracts Counsel to support client engagements in the life sciences sector. This role involves managing a high volume of commercial contracts within pharmaceutical or biotech environments, providing legal advice, and collaborating with various business functions. The position offers remote or flexible on-site/hybrid work arrangements within the United States.
Responsibilities
- Draft, review, and negotiate commercial agreements including Master Services Agreements (MSAs), Statements of Work (SOWs), work orders, and change orders.
- Handle diverse contract types such as IT licenses, SaaS subscriptions, event and sponsorship agreements, and material transfer agreements (MTAs).
- Provide practical, business-oriented legal advice on contract terms, risk allocation, and negotiation strategies.
- Collaborate cross-functionally with Legal, Procurement, IT, Commercial, and Supply Chain teams to support daily contracting needs.
- Support manufacturing and supply chain agreements involving CMOs, CDMOs, and distribution partners.
- Ensure contracts comply with internal policies and applicable pharmaceutical regulatory requirements.
- Contribute to contract process improvements, including developing templates, playbooks, and scalable workflows.
- Manage multiple concurrent matters with competing deadlines in a high-volume environment.
Requirements
- 4 to 12+ years of experience in commercial contracting, preferably within pharmaceutical, biotech, or life sciences organizations.
- Strong hands-on experience drafting and negotiating MSAs, SOWs, work orders, and related commercial agreements in a high-volume setting.
- Experience with various agreement types including IT/software agreements, vendor contracts, event/sponsorship agreements, and MTAs.
- Ability to support multiple business units as a generalist, comfortable shifting across contract types and stakeholders.
- Familiarity with manufacturing, supply, or distribution agreements is preferred but not mandatory.
- Proven ability to independently manage a large pipeline of contracts efficiently and with sound judgment.
- Excellent communication skills with a pragmatic, solutions-oriented approach.
- Juris Doctor (JD) or equivalent degree and an active license to practice law in at least one U.S. jurisdiction.
Preferred Qualifications
- Prior in-house legal experience within pharmaceutical, biotech, or life sciences companies.
- Experience supporting procurement, IT, and commercial teams in a centralized legal function.
- Familiarity with regulatory considerations affecting pharmaceutical contracts (e.g., FDA, GMP, GxP environments).
- Exposure to biologics or large-molecule manufacturing and distribution.
- Ability to quickly integrate into new teams and deliver value in dynamic client settings.
Compensation & Benefits
- Estimated total compensation for full-time attorney roles ranges from $104,500 to $325,000 per year.
- Compensation for non-attorney roles ranges from $71,250 to $309,750 per year.
- Compensation decisions are based on factors including experience, skills, certifications, location, and business needs.
- Additional benefits may include health, dental, and vision insurance; paid holidays and PTO; flexible work arrangements; and professional development opportunities.
Location
- United States-based with options for remote work or flexible on-site/hybrid arrangements depending on engagement requirements.