The Role
Lead drafting, review, negotiation, and management of Clinical Trial Agreements and related clinical contracts across U.S. and international studies. Support Clinical Operations, R&D, Legal, and other stakeholders by managing obligations, risks, milestones, and contract compliance. Negotiate CRO, vendor, data privacy, consulting, NDA, MSA, and SOW agreements; advise stakeholders; and use Agiloft for contract intake, routing, and tracking.
Summary Generated by Built In
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 Kardigan’s mission to develop multiple targeted treatments in parallel that bring people with cardiovascular diseases to the cures they deserve.
Led by Tassos Gianakakos, Jay Edelberg, M.D., Ph.D., and Bob McDowell, Ph.D., Kardigan’s co-founders have reunited after leading MyoKardia to discover and develop mavacamten, the first cardiac myosin inhibitor, resulting in an acquisition by Bristol Myers Squibb in 2020.
We have a cutting-edge discovery and translational research platform, a pipeline of late-stage candidates, and an industry-leading team that is driven to improve the lives of patients.
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: Senior Contracts Manager
Department: Legal
Reports To: Vice President, Corporate Law and Head of Transactions
Location: Princeton, NJ – On-site 4 days per week (Mon to Thurs)
Job Overview
Kardigan is seeking an experienced Senior Contracts Manager to lead the negotiation and management of
Clinical Trial Agreements and other clinical-related agreements in support of Kardigan’s clinical development
programs. This is a hands-on drafting and negotiation role — the primary focus is clinical contracting, with
additional responsibility for general contracting needs across the business as they arise. This role does not have
ownership of Kardigan’s contract lifecycle management (CLM) system implementation or administration, which
is led separately within the Legal team. Kardigan seeks an exceptional candidate with strong clinical contracts
experience who can collaborate cross-functionally, negotiate agreements independently, and communicate
clearly and effectively with stakeholders at all levels. Attention to detail is essential. You will join our fast-paced
legal team, reporting to our Vice President, Corporate Law and Head of Transactions, and will interface directly
with Clinical Operations, R&D, and other business stakeholders across the company.
Clinical Trial Agreements and other clinical-related agreements in support of Kardigan’s clinical development
programs. This is a hands-on drafting and negotiation role — the primary focus is clinical contracting, with
additional responsibility for general contracting needs across the business as they arise. This role does not have
ownership of Kardigan’s contract lifecycle management (CLM) system implementation or administration, which
is led separately within the Legal team. Kardigan seeks an exceptional candidate with strong clinical contracts
experience who can collaborate cross-functionally, negotiate agreements independently, and communicate
clearly and effectively with stakeholders at all levels. Attention to detail is essential. You will join our fast-paced
legal team, reporting to our Vice President, Corporate Law and Head of Transactions, and will interface directly
with Clinical Operations, R&D, and other business stakeholders across the company.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Clinical Contracting (Primary Responsibility)
- Independently draft, review, and negotiate Clinical Trial Agreements (US and ROW), Local Sponsor Agreements, and CRO agreements.
- Draft and negotiate clinical-adjacent agreements including Data Sharing and Data Processing Agreements, Standard Contractual Clauses (GDPR), Informed Consent Forms, Early Access/Compassionate Use Program agreements, Pharmacy Agreements, Indemnification Agreements, and Letters of Authorization/POAs.
- Serve as the primary contracts point of contact for Clinical Operations, working closely with the team to troubleshoot obstacles that arise during clinical trial start-up, site activation, and ongoing conduct.
- Track key clinical contract obligations, milestones, renewals, and deadlines across active studies and sites.
- Build and maintain effective working relationships with clinical sites, CROs, CMOs, investigators, and other external clinical stakeholders.
- Stay current on clinical trial regulatory and industry requirements (e.g., GCP, ICH) as they affect contract terms.
General Contracting
- Draft, review, and negotiate additional company contracts as needed, including vendor and supplier agreements, MSAs, SOWs/WOs, consulting agreements, and NDAs.
- Translate business needs into clear, legally sound contract language that balances risk mitigation with operational flexibility.
- Serve as a resource to internal stakeholders — including Legal, Procurement, R&D, Finance, and IT — on contracting matters outside the clinical space.
- Use Kardigan’s CLM system (Agiloft) for contract intake, drafting, routing, and tracking; partner with the Legal team members responsible for CLM administration on process and workflow questions, without owning system implementation or administration.
- Identify, assess, and escalate legal and business risks in a timely manner.
- Ensure contractual terms comply with applicable laws, company policies, and industry regulations.
- Monitor contract-related activities for compliance with internal policies and applicable law.
Business Partnership
- Serve as a trusted advisor and liaison to Clinical Operations and other functions on contract negotiation strategy, process, and status.
- Communicate contract status, priorities, and risks clearly to stakeholders at all levels.
- Partner with the broader Legal team on cross-functional initiatives and process improvements affecting clinical and general contracting.
General
- Support special projects and other contract-related initiatives as needed.
- Perform other duties as requested
Qualifications and Preferred Skills
- Bachelor’s degree preferred; paralegal certification a plus.
- At least 7–10 years of relevant contracts experience, with substantial, hands-on experience drafting and negotiating Clinical Trial Agreements and related clinical agreements within the pharmaceutical, biotech, or life sciences industry.
- Proven track record negotiating CRO and vendor agreements, data privacy agreements (GDPR/Standard Contractual Clauses), and reviewing Informed Consent Forms.
- Working knowledge of the clinical trial regulatory framework (e.g., GCP, ICH) as it relates to contracting.
- Comfortable also handling general commercial contracts (vendor, consulting, NDA, MSA/SOW) outside the clinical space.
- Experience with contract lifecycle management systems, e-signature platforms (e.g., DocuSign), and collaboration tools; prior experience with Agiloft a plus.
- Strong organizational and planning skills, with the ability to triage, prioritize, and manage multiple concurrent negotiations in a fast-paced environment.
- Excellent issue-spotting, problem-solving, and communication skills, with the ability to collaborate with individuals at all levels inside and outside the organization.
- Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite.
- Commitment to integrity, ethical conduct, and handling confidential information with discretion.
- Meticulous attention to detail; able to work independently with good judgment and a strong team-oriented mindset.
Exact Compensation may vary based on skills, experience and location.
Pay range
$153,000—$199,000 USD
Skills Required
- At least 7–10 years of relevant contracts experience
- Substantial hands-on experience drafting and negotiating Clinical Trial Agreements and related clinical agreements in the pharmaceutical, biotech, or life sciences industry
- Experience negotiating CRO and vendor agreements
- Experience with data privacy agreements, GDPR, and Standard Contractual Clauses
- Experience reviewing Informed Consent Forms
- Working knowledge of GCP and ICH clinical trial regulations as they relate to contracting
- Experience handling general commercial contracts, including vendor, consulting, NDA, MSA, and SOW agreements
- Experience with contract lifecycle management systems and e-signature platforms
- Strong organizational and planning skills with the ability to manage multiple concurrent negotiations
- Excellent issue-spotting, problem-solving, communication, and collaboration skills
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite
- Ability to handle confidential information with discretion and demonstrate ethical conduct
- Meticulous attention to detail and ability to work independently with sound judgment
- Bachelor’s degree
- Paralegal certification
- Prior experience with Agiloft
Kardigan Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Kardigan and has not been reviewed or approved by Kardigan.
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Healthcare Strength — Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage is paired with life and disability insurance and an EAP, signaling a robust core benefits backbone. Employer materials present this coverage as part of a standard, well-rounded package for a U.S. biotech.
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Fair & Transparent Compensation — Explicit salary ranges are posted for multiple roles and the company highlights competitive salaries, indicating greater pay transparency for candidates. The careers site and job postings also outline an annual bonus program, clarifying elements of total cash compensation.
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Leave & Time Off Breadth — Paid holidays and paid time off are called out, with culture materials referencing “generous” PTO. These signals point to substantive time-off provisions even if accrual details are not yet specified.
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The Company
What We Do
Kardigan is a patient-driven heart health company that is modernizing cardiovascular drug development to deliver medicines that move patients beyond symptom management to functional cures. By matching critical disease drivers with treatment responders identified in clinical trials, Kardigan is developing a portfolio of medicines that modify the underlying cardiovascular disease pathophysiology to get patients closer to the cures they deserve. For more information about Kardigan, please visit kardigan.bio. If you are interested in joining our passionate and driven team with deep cardiovascular, biotechnology and operational expertise, please visit kardigan.bio or the careers tab of this page.
