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Director, Contracts and Transactions Counsel

Princeton, New Jersey, United States, South San Francisco, California, United States

About Us 

Kardigan is a heart health company working to make cardiovascular disease preventable, curable and no longer the leading cause of death in the world. It is our mission to develop multiple targeted treatments in parallel that bring people with cardiovascular diseases to the cures they deserve. 

At Kardigan, we are motivated by our values which guide how we work, interact, and achieve our goals. Driven by patients and their families, we are deeply committed to improving the lives of patients and prioritizing their needs above all else. We believe in being authentic—leading with truth to bring out the best in others by creating an environment where every person knows they will be fully accepted. With an eagerness to learn, we encourage the highest levels of curiosity and are open to changing our minds. We are committed to winning as a team with urgency, excellence, and intention, and support each other no matter what role we play or where we sit. Lastly, we strive to enable the impossible because patients are counting on us. We are not afraid to take risks to unlock innovation and advance scientific discoveries.   

These values are the foundation of our work, empowering us to make a real difference, every day.  

 

Position Title: Director, Contracts and Transactions Counsel

Department: Legal 

Reports To: Vice President, Corporate Law

 

Job Overview 

Kardigan is seeking an experienced Director, Contracts and Transactions Counsel. This will be a strategic legal role responsible for providing comprehensive legal guidance on commercial transactions and contracts management. This person will serve as a key legal advisor to support business leaders in navigating complex commercial relationships while supporting the company to meet its objectives. This position will be reporting to our Vice President, Corporate Law.

 

Essential Duties and Responsibilities  

Contract Negotiations

  • Draft, review and negotiate a wide range of agreements, including master services agreements, license agreements, supply agreements, manufacturing agreements, quality agreements, sponsored research agreements, clinical trial agreements, material transfer agreements, and other agreements.
  • Provide strategic guidance on transaction structure and contract terms to optimize business outcomes while managing legal risk.
  • Develop and maintain contract templates, playbooks, and standardized contract terms.

Risk Management & Compliance

  • Identify and mitigate legal risks in business operations and commercial relationships.
  • Update and improve contract policies and procedures.
  • Train business teams on contract policies, procedures, risk management, and other legal practices.

Legal Operations and Technology

  • Evaluate and implement legal technology solutions to improve efficiency and effectiveness such as contract lifecycle management system.
  • Establish metrics and reporting systems to track efficiencies and effectiveness of contracting procedures and other legal practices.
  • Manage outside legal consultants and counsels for specialized matters and overflow work.

Stakeholder Management

  • Collaborate with and support business development, research, and other functions to identify and address legal considerations in new business opportunities.
  • Provide strategic advice and counseling in connection with management of collaborations with collaborators, licensees, and other external partners.
  • Serve as a legal liaison to the company.

 

Qualifications 

  • JD degree from an accredited law school with admission to practice law.
  • A minimum of 7 years of legal experience with a mix of law firm and in-house experience at pharmaceutical, biotechnology, or medical device companies with a focus on contracts and commercial transactions.
  • Expertise in drafting and negotiating complex agreements.
  • Experience providing legal counsel for managing external business relationships and collaborations.
  • Solid understanding of intellectual property and privacy and data protection laws as they relaet to commercial agreements.
  • Knowledge of healthcare, FDA regulations, and other relevant laws applicable to life science business transactions.
  • Demonstrated ability to connect the dots across functional areas, identifying how legal issues in one domain may impact other business operations.
  • Strong systems thinking approach to understand complex interdependencies and anticipated downstream effects of legal or business decisions.
  • Proven track record of translating complex legal concepts into practical business implications.
  • Skill in facilitating cross functional dialogue to ensure alignment between legal strategies and business objectives.
  •  Experience serving as a bridge between technical, business and legal stakeholders to drive to solutions.
  • Strong organizational and planning skills, ability to manage changing priorities and workflow, and the ability to effectively advance multiple simultaneous projects.
  • Strong interpersonal and written and verbal communication skills, with an ability to communicate and collaborate with individuals at all levels inside and outside of the organization in a positive and effective manner.
  • Ability to operate in a fast-paced, rapidly growing workplace, with a keen interest in providing a consistently high level of service.
  • Able to work independently while exercising initiative and good judgment.
  • Motivated and enthusiastic, with a proactive approach to solving complete legal and business challenges.
  • Assist and support with any special projects and initiatives.
  • Perform other duties as directed by the manager.

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