Associate Director, Head of Contracts

Company Overview:

Protara Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biotechnology company committed to advancing transformative therapies for people with cancer and rare diseases. Protara’s portfolio includes its lead candidate, TARA-002, an investigational cell-based therapy in development for the treatment of non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) and lymphatic malformations (LMs). The Company is evaluating TARA-002 in an ongoing Phase 2 trial in NMIBC patients with carcinoma in situ (CIS) who are unresponsive or naïve to treatment with Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG), as well as a Phase 2 trial in pediatric patients with LMs. Additionally, Protara is developing IV Choline Chloride, an investigational phospholipid substrate replacement for patients on parenteral support who are otherwise unable to meet their choline needs via oral or enteral routes.

Protara was named one of the Best Places to Work by BioSpace, a leading industry news and job source. This honor demonstrates the company’s desirability in the recruitment marketplace, looking at various merits with an emphasis on culture, career growth and development opportunities, leadership and innovation.  Attracting and retaining top talent is integral to building a successful company in biotech, and we are committed to ensuring Protara provides our employees with an exceptional experience throughout their careers, even as we continue to grow.

Job Overview: 

The Associate Director, Head of Contracts, will lead and be responsible for organizing, maintaining, and processing contracts efficiently and in accordance with internal policies and guidelines. This role requires someone with strong attention to detail, excellent organizational skills, and prior contracting experience in a pharmaceutical and/or biotech organization.

*This person must be able to come into the NYC office 3 times per week.

 *Essential Duties and Responsibilities include the following. Other duties may be assigned.

 This role is responsible for:

• Interfacing with Company’s external contracts attorneys and internal business owners to support the negotiation and execution of contracts ensuring adherence to internal company policies. 
• Serve as the primary liaison between third parties and internal departments to address contract-related inquiries and issues.
• Collaborate with finance and legal to develop and maintain processes and procedures (templates, tools, documents, etc.) to ensure proper controls, delegation of authority and efficiency.
• Develop, maintain and communicate contract processes/procedures internally.
• Maintain a robust contract lifecycle management (CLM) system and oversee continuous process improvement.
• Establish scalable processes, templates, and governance frameworks to ensure consistency and compliance.
• Partner with internal stakeholders to align contract terms with scientific, operational, and business priorities.
• Ensure all contracts comply with relevant regulations (e.g., FDA, EMA, GxP, data privacy, cybersecurity questionnaire, etc.).
• Track contracting KPIs, cycle times, and performance metrics.
• Drive automation, template optimization, and digital contracting tools.
• Ensure timely execution of agreements to support fast‑moving scientific and clinical timelines.

Supervisory Responsibilities: None

 Education/ Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in law, business, life sciences, or related field.
• 5+ years of contracting experience, with at least 2 years in the biotech or pharmaceutical industry.
• Proven leadership experience managing teams and cross functional stakeholders.
• Experience in both early and late-stage biotech environments.
• Familiarity with CLM systems and digital contracting tools.
• Background supporting global operations and multinational agreements.

Computer Skills:

• Must be proficient in MS Office Suite, with advanced skills in Excel.
• Experience with NetSuite, Workday Adaptive and/or Smartsheet’s is a plus

Certificates, Licenses, Registrations: none required

Other Skills and Abilities:

• Strong interpersonal skills, including ability to communicate effectively with diverse audiences and build strong relationships
• Excellent written and oral communication and presentation skills.
• Ability to prioritize and multi-task successfully in a fast-paced environment.
• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail are essential
• It is essential that this individual demonstrates the ability to work with highly confidential information.
• Ability to manage both day-to-day operations as well as project work in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to work both independently and in a collaborative team setting.
• Demonstrated experience working with and presenting to senior level management.
• Ability to work through uncertainty.

 

Physical Demands:

The physical demands here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.

 

• This position requires minimal travel; average travel for this position is 5-10% with some variation based upon the demands of the business imperatives.

Work Environment: 

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job.

 No specific work demands.

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed above are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

*Salary Requirements are between $180,000 – 185,000 based on experience and qualifications.  We offer a competitive Compensation & Benefits package including incentive bonus, equity compensation, matching 401(k), medical, dental, vision, commuter, and fertility benefits.

Why You’ll Love Working at Protara 

• Friendly, open, and fun team-oriented culture that values unique & diverse perspectives.
• Company-wide dedication to profoundly impacting patients’ lives.
• Amazing culture whereby our core values and behaviors are shared cross-functionally.
• Flexible working hours/schedule.
• Generous Paid Holidays and Unlimited PTO.

Protara is committed to being a diverse and inclusive workplace. Protara is an Equal Opportunity Employer and is committed in policy and in practice to recruit, hire, train, and promote in all job qualifications without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national or ethnic origin, citizenship status, age, sex or gender, gender identity or expression (including transgender status), sexual orientation, marital status, military service and veteran status, disability, genetic information or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state or local laws.