Senior Contracts Manager – Research & Clinical Development

RQ Biotechnology Ltd.; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

RQ Biotechnology Ltd. in London seeks a Contracts Manager to oversee a broad range of R&D and development agreements.

You will draft, review and negotiate CDAs/NDAs, MSAs, SOWs, consultancy agreements, CRO agreements and manufacturing agreements, ensuring terms reflect scientific and operational needs. You will collaborate with scientists, project managers and external partners in a hybrid London setting (typically 1–2 days on site).

Qualifications

• Biotech/Life sciences contracts experience.
• Experience drafting, reviewing and negotiating commercial and/or R&D agreements.
• Exposure to contracts for scientific research, drug development, clinical development or manufacturing.
• Understanding of IP, liability, indemnity, confidentiality and contractual risk.
• Ability to understand scientific and operational context beyond purely legal review.
• Confidence working with senior internal stakeholders and external partners.
• Strong attention to detail with a commercially aware approach.
• Judgement to resolve contractual issues independently while knowing when to involve external counsel.

Responsibilities

• Draft, review and negotiate CDAs/NDAs, MSAs, SOWs, consultancy and CRO agreements.
• Support agreements across discovery through manufacturing and clinical development.
• Negotiate terms covering IP, indemnity, liability, confidentiality, payment terms, deliverables and termination.
• Work with scientists and project managers to reflect scientific/operational requirements in contracts.
• Manage negotiations with CROs, CDMOs, consultants and external organisations.
• Track obligations, amendments, renewals and milestones after signing.
• Maintain an organized contracts repository and help develop contract management processes.
• Identify contractual risks and know when specialist external legal advice is required.
• Support business with increasingly complex agreements as development programmes progress.

Skills

Contracts management

Negotiation

Drafting & review

IP & risk understanding

Stakeholder collaboration

Attention to detail

Independent judgement

Clinical trial agreements (beneficial)

Job description

What you will be doing

You will manage contracts across a broad range of R&D and development activities, including:

• Drafting, reviewing and negotiating CDAs/NDAs, MSAs, SOWs, consultancy agreements, CRO agreements, manufacturing agreements and scientific supplier contracts
• Supporting agreements across discovery, preclinical, manufacturing and clinical development
• Negotiating contractual terms covering areas such as intellectual property, indemnities, liability, confidentiality, payment terms, deliverables and termination
• Working closely with scientists and project managers to understand the underlying work and ensure contracts accurately reflect the scientific and operational requirements
• Managing contract negotiations directly with CROs, CDMOs, consultants, academic partners and other external organisations
• Tracking contractual obligations, amendments, renewals and key milestones after agreements have been signed
• Maintaining an organised contracts repository and helping develop effective contract management processes
• Identifying contractual risks and knowing when specialist external legal advice is required
• Supporting the business with increasingly complex agreements as RQ Biotechnology's development programmes progress

What we are looking for

We are particularly interested in people who have:

• Strong contracts management experience gained within biotech, pharmaceutical, CRO or life sciences
• Experience independently drafting, reviewing and negotiating commercial and/or R&D agreements
• Exposure to contracts supporting scientific research, drug development, clinical development or manufacturing
• A good understanding of clauses relating to IP, liability, indemnity, confidentiality and contractual risk
• The ability to understand the scientific and operational context behind an agreement rather than reviewing contracts purely from a legal perspective
• Confidence working directly with senior internal stakeholders and external partners
• Strong attention to detail combined with a pragmatic, commercially aware approach
• The judgement to resolve contractual issues independently while recognising when external counsel should be involved

Experience with clinical trial agreements would be beneficial, but is not essential.

A legal qualification is also not required. We are much more interested in relevant life sciences contracting experience and your ability to manage agreements effectively within a growing biotech environment.

The opportunity

RQ Biotechnology offers the opportunity to work in a highly collaborative biotechnology company where contracts sit close to the science.

Rather than operating within a large legal or procurement department, you will work directly with the people developing and progressing our programmes and will have genuine visibility across the organisation.

The role offers significant autonomy and breadth while remaining a hands-on contracts management position - making it particularly suited to an experienced Contracts Manager or Senior Contracts Manager looking for greater ownership within a growing biotech.

Location: London, hybrid working with typically 1-2 days per week onsite

Salary: Competitive and dependent on experience

Right to work: Applicants must be eligible to work in the UK