Biotech Contracts Lead: Science-Driven Agreements

Northreach; Slough; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Northreach seeks a Contracts Manager to oversee agreements across discovery, preclinical and clinical development activities for a growing biotechnology client. You will manage contracts from initial request and negotiation through to signature and ongoing lifecycle management, collaborating with scientific teams, project management, finance, external service providers and legal counsel.

The role requires understanding contractual terms alongside scientific work, with a hands‑on approach to

Qualifications

• Experience as Contracts Manager or similar role.
• Experience with biotech or life sciences contracts.
• Experience reviewing, drafting and negotiating commercial agreements.
• Familiarity with CRO, CDMO or research contracts.
• Understanding of IP, indemnity, liability and confidentiality clauses.

Responsibilities

• Oversee contracts from initial request through negotiation, signature and lifecycle management.
• Review and negotiate agreements including CDAs, MSAs, scopes of work, CRO and CDMO agreements, consultancy agreements and material transfer agreements.
• Review clauses covering intellectual property, indemnity, liability, confidentiality, payment terms and termination.
• Ensure scopes of work accurately reflect scientific activities, responsibilities, timelines and deliverables.
• Work with scientific leads, project managers and finance teams to progress agreements.
• Identify complex or higher‑risk terms and escalate them to external legal counsel when required.
• Maintain accurate records of key terms, obligations, renewals and termination dates.
• Support internal teams with contract interpretation, supplier obligations and contractual remedies.
• Help improve contract‑management processes and introduce scalable ways of working.

Skills

Contracts management

Biotech industry

Negotiation

Stakeholder management

Attention to detail

Project coordination

Risk assessment

Job description

Northreach seeks a Contracts Manager to oversee agreements across discovery, preclinical and clinical development activities for a growing biotechnology client. You will manage contracts from initial request and negotiation through to signature and ongoing lifecycle management, collaborating with scientific teams, project management, finance, external service providers and legal counsel.

The role requires understanding contractual terms alongside scientific work, with a hands‑on approach to