Director, Contracts Counsel
Sana Biotechnology
Sana Biotechnology is growing, and we are hiring new team members who believe in the potential of engineered cells as medicines, who are passionate about delivering the possible to patients, and who lead with the desire to work on novel ideas. As a Director, Contract Counsel, you will report to the SVP, Head of Intellectual Property to manage all aspects of contract operations, negotiation, review, and execution while advising the business on legal matters related to contracts. You will form close partnerships within our legal team and with internal clients to provide service-oriented support that helps get cutting-edge cell and gene therapies to patients.
What you’ll do
- Draft, review, and negotiate a broad range of contracts touching all areas of our business in research, development, and G&A, including sponsored and contract research, manufacturing, confidentiality, material transfer, consulting, advisory board, vendor, master services, purchasing, outsourcing, software, licensing, data-related agreements, and clinical trial agreements
- Coordinate contract management by overseeing our software-based contract lifecycle management system (CLM) and in the development and implementation of contract-related policies/procedures, template libraries, and standard language
- Work closely and collaboratively with all legal team members as part of an engaged and efficient team
- Advise internal business owners on the range of issues involved in contracting to provide practical problem-solving guidance and communicate potential business and legal risks
- Promote compliance with internal approval and financial controls regarding contract initiation and requisition
- Partner with IT and Legal stakeholders to maintain the CLM and train end-users effectively
- Provide internal training across the company regarding legal concepts, privacy matters, and contract-related policies
- Provide support on various compliance and privacy matters
- Provide support on all other matters requested by other members of the legal department, as needed
What we’re looking for
- A JD degree from an accredited law school and a license to practice in good standing in Massachusetts (or eligibility to practice as Registered In-House Counsel)
- 4+ years of experience as an attorney drafting and negotiating a wide variety of contracts within a high-growth biotech/pharmaceutical company or law firm equivalent
- Proven ability to analyze legal contractual terms and assess risks in complex business arrangements
- Strong verbal and analytical skills with a track record of making risk-appropriate decisions in line with company standards
- Demonstrated organizational skills necessary to manage multiple, parallel contract negotiations simultaneously while meeting shifting deadlines.
- A customer-service orientation and a positive attitude, balanced with honesty and integrity
What will separate you from the crowd
- Prior experience managing a CLM transition or significant optimization project
- Specific expertise in data privacy regulations as they relate to clinical and research contracts
What you should know
- The base pay range for this position at commencement of employment is expected to be between $225,000.00 and $275,000/year, however, base pay offered may vary depending on multiple individualized factors, including market location, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience
- This role requires a high volume of written and verbal communication with internal stakeholders and external partners
How we work together for patients
- Lead from every seat – we seek to understand, act with honesty, and engage in the crucial conversations
- Thrive as a team – we hire amazing people, are intensely curious, and cultivate inclusion and personal connectivity
- Make it happen – we value vigorous debate, alignment around our decisions, and resilient execution
How we work together for patients
- Lead from every seat – we seek to understand, act with honesty, and engage in the crucial conversations
- Thrive as a team – we hire amazing people, are intensely curious, and cultivate inclusion and personal connectivity
- Make it happen – we value vigorous debate, alignment around our decisions, and resilient execution
Get to know us
At Sana, we believe that a workforce with varied backgrounds strengthens us as a company and helps us to achieve our mission to meaningfully change the outcome of many human diseases. This belief is a pillar of our business and is critical to our success. Our goal is that Sana is the place for talented people to bring their authentic selves to work, to have a great career and to deeply, positively impact patients.
Core to our values, we believe there is nothing more important than the health and wellness of you and your family. For benefit eligible employees, we cover a generous portion of the cost for employee health coverage, making high-quality care more accessible and affordable. We offer ample time-off (various paid time off benefits, such as holidays, vacation, sick time, and parental leave), short- and long-term disability, employer paid basic life insurance, additional voluntary life insurance protection, financial wellness programs including financial planning resources, a 401(k) Plan with an immediately vested employer match, Tuition Reimbursement and Student Loan Repayment, Employee Stock Purchase Plan, commuter subsidy and a variety of wellness offerings to support each person individually. For more details on our benefits, visit Sana’s Benefits Portal.
We are committed to providing a workplace free of discrimination and harassment based on race, color, religion, age, gender, national origin, ancestry, physical or mental or sensory disability (including the use of a trained guide dog or service animal by a person with a disability), genetic information, actual or perceived HIV or Hepatitis C infection, medical condition (cancer or a record or history of cancer and genetic characteristics), marital status, sexual orientation, sexual preference, pregnancy (including childbirth and related medical conditions), disability, veteran status, political ideology, social class (including caste/caste identity), taking or requesting statutorily protected leave, status as a victim of domestic violence, sexual assault or stalking, or any other basis prohibited by applicable law.
To perform this job successfully, you must be able to perform each job responsibility satisfactorily. The job description listed above is representative of the knowledge, skills, and/or abilities required for this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the functions described above.