Pharmaceutical Contracts Lawyers

Overview

A legal services organization 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 contexts, providing legal advice, and collaborating with various business functions.

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 contracting needs.
• Support manufacturing and supply chain agreements involving CMOs, CDMOs, and distribution partners.
• Ensure contracts comply with internal policies and pharmaceutical industry regulatory requirements.
• Contribute to contract process improvements, including template and playbook development and workflow scalability.
• Manage multiple concurrent matters with competing deadlines in a high-volume environment.

Requirements

• 4–12+ years of experience in commercial contracting, preferably within pharmaceutical, biotech, or life sciences companies.
• Strong 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 and shift across different contract types and stakeholders.
• Familiarity with manufacturing, supply, or distribution agreements is preferred but not required.
• Proven ability to independently manage a large pipeline of contracts efficiently.
• Excellent communication skills with a pragmatic, solutions-oriented approach.
• Juris Doctor (JD) or equivalent degree and active license to practice law in at least one U.S. jurisdiction.

Preferred Qualifications

• Prior in-house experience within pharmaceutical, biotech, or life sciences companies.
• Experience supporting procurement, IT, and commercial teams in a centralized legal function.
• Familiarity with regulatory considerations impacting pharmaceutical contracts (e.g., FDA, GMP, GxP).
• 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 is based on factors including experience, skills, certifications, location, and business needs.
• Benefits may include health, dental, and vision insurance; paid holidays and PTO; flexible work arrangements; and professional development opportunities.

Location

• United States (remote or flexible on-site/hybrid depending on engagement)