Senior Contracts Manager, Corporate and IP Paralegal

MindMed is a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company developing novel product candidates to treat brain health disorders. Our mission is to be the global leader in the development and delivery of treatments that unlock new opportunities to improve patient outcomes. We are developing a pipeline of innovative product candidates, with and without acute perceptual effects, targeting neurotransmitter pathways that play key roles in brain health.   

Founded in 2019, we are continuously expanding our presence and global footprint. We are constantly searching for high-impact individuals in various clinical, technical and business operations domains to strengthen our team of patient-centric, intelligent individuals.

We are looking for a motivated Senior Contracts Manager, Corporate and IP Paralegal with direct pharmaceutical or biotech experience to join our team.  You have a business-first approach with strong attention to detail. You can easily drive timelines and possess the ability to identify and analyze potential risks.  You are meticulous and adept at all phases of contract and IP management. You have a natural drive for innovation and automation. 

In this role, you will be reporting to the company’s Associate General Counsels, you will be responsible for managing the company’s contracts process, all corporate paralegal and IP paralegal matters; providing management support for the administrative operations of the legal department; evaluating, implementing, and managing various processes; performing other work under the supervision of attorneys, including coordinating and managing projects and matters across various practices for the legal team as required. 
 
Responsibilities:

• Management of Contracts and Legal Documents, including: 

• Utilization of templates and fallback materials to draft and review contracts such as confidentiality agreements, amendments and work orders 

• Identify and track key contract terms and conditions, such as deliverables, milestones, dates, deadlines, renewals and termination obligations 

• Assist in the tracking of contracts towards execution and monitor workflow 

• Develop and maintain form agreements 

• Supports legal team by managing intellectual property matters, including patents, trademarks, and copyrights, supporting litigation management and assisting with legal research and document preparation 

• Create, maintain, file legal documents, correspondence, and files in support of corporate policies or in response to regulatory or governmental requests or requirements, including board and committee minutes and materials, and SEC filings 

• Support Legal Operations Initiatives, including: 

• Evaluate, recommend, and lead the implementation of changes to legal processes, as appropriate, that align with the corporate objectives and that are aimed at enhancing productivity and efficiency of the legal operations and legal services to clients 

• Assist with defining and tracking key performance indicators such as metrics to establish performance standards and to ensure that the established standards are met by the legal team 

• Support the contracts management tools used by the legal team; periodically evaluate systems used by the legal team to determine whether process improvements are merited based on cost, operations requirements, and improved efficiency 

• Manage and maintain training programs for employees relating to legal operations, including legal onboarding training for new employees and periodic refresher training for all employees, to ensure that corporate clients are knowledgeable about legal requirements and processes  

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree and Paralegal Certificate 

• Minimum of 10+ years’ experience in contracts negotiations, corporate paralegal and IP paralegal practice 

• In-house experience at publicly traded biotechnology or pharmaceutical company 

• Motivated and extremely detail-oriented, especially when managing sensitive legal information 

• Ability to support and work closely with a high functioning team, but also successfully work independently without direction in a fast-paced, high-volume environment 

• Ability to work and coordinate effectively with broad cross-functional clients and teams, including Regulatory, Commercial, Finance, Clinical Operations, Clin Development, Pharmaceutical Development, Corporate Affairs, Human Resources and R&D 

• Flexible in adapting to changing priorities and able to handle several tasks at one time 

• Excellent communication and organizational skills, and ability to meet deadlines 

• Experience implementing new contract management system a plus 

• Proficient with computer applications and software, including MS Office applications (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Outlook), Google Docs, Slack, Box and contracts lifecycle management systems 

• Knowledge of operations of a legal department and legal terminology 

• Willingness to learn and assume new responsibilities over time