Research Contracts Associate

Telethon; Milano; Hybrid; EUR 40,000 - 55,000; Full time

Job summary

Fondazione Telethon seeks a legal professional to support its Intellectual Property & Business Development Team. You will draft and negotiate research agreements, CDAs, MTAs, and other IP-centric contracts, coordinating with researchers, legal counsel, and external partners to protect Telethon’s IP and strategic interests.

You will monitor regulatory updates, contribute to policies, and liaise with internal departments to align contracts with organizational objectives.

Qualifications

• Master’s Degree in Law.
• At least 2 years of experience in Intellectual Property, Technology Transfer, Research Contracts, or related legal matters.
• Familiarity with biological sciences and research environments.
• Strong understanding of IP rights, confidentiality, and contractual matters related to innovation.
• Experience drafting, reviewing, negotiating, and managing IP/research agreements.
• Ability to interact with multidisciplinary stakeholders.
• Strong analytical skills and attention to detail.
• Excellent negotiation, communication, and stakeholder management skills.
• Proficiency in both Italian and English for drafting and negotiating legal documents.

Responsibilities

• Draft, review, negotiate and manage Confidential Disclosure Agreements (CDAs).
• Draft, review, negotiate and manage Research Agreements (MTAs, DTAs, Service and Consultancy Agreements).
• Review IP ownership clauses in contracts handled by other departments with IP/biz dev implications.
• Coordinate with R&D, Legal, Finance, Grant Office, and relevant teams.
• Manage relationships with external counterparties including academic institutes and service providers.
• Collaborate with external legal counsel on specialized matters.
• Monitor legal updates affecting contractual activities.
• Contribute to policies related to IP, business development operations, and related contracts.

Skills

Negotiation

Contract drafting

IP/Technology transfer

Stakeholder management

English language

Italian language

Education

Master’s Degree in Law

Job description

• Draft, review, negotiate and manage Confidential Disclosure Agreements (CDAs);
• Draft, review, negotiate and manage Research Agreements involving intellectual property considerations, including Material Transfer Agreements (MTAs), Data Transfer Agreements (DTAs), Service Agreements, and Consultancy Agreements;
• Review and ensure the proper management of intellectual property rights and ownership clauses related to research results within contracts managed by other internal departments that have IP and/or Business Development implications;
• Coordinate internally with Research & Development, Legal Affairs, Finance, Grant Office, and Tigem’s and SR-Tiget’s teams, including researchers and administrative staff;
• Manage relationships and negotiations with external counterparties, including academic institutions, research organizations, companies, and service providers.
• Act as the primary point of contact for and collaborate with external legal counsel, where required, on specialized matters and contractual issues related to the areas mentioned above.
• Monitor legal updates, and relevant case law affecting the contractual activities under management.
• Contribute to the drafting and review of policies related to intellectual property, business development operations, and associated contractual and strategic matters, ensuring alignment with organizational objectives and best practices.

Requisiti

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Master’s Degree in Law;
• At least 2 years of experience in Intellectual Property, Technology Transfer, Research Contracts, or related legal matters, gained within an IP department of a law firm, a pharmaceutical, biotechnology, healthcare, or research-driven organization.
• Familiarity with biological sciences, research environments, and laboratory settings, with the ability to understand the scientific, technical, and operational context in which research collaborations and innovation activities take place.
• Solid understanding of intellectual property rights, confidentiality obligations, research collaborations, and contractual matters related to innovation and technology transfer.
• Experience in drafting, reviewing, negotiating, and managing agreements involving intellectual property and research activities.
• Ability to effectively interact with multidisciplinary stakeholders, including researchers, scientific personnel, administrative staff, legal advisors, and external partners.
• Strong analytical skills, attention to detail, and the ability to identify and mitigate contractual and intellectual property risks.
• Excellent negotiation, communication, and stakeholder management skills.
• Professional proficiency in both Italian and English, with the ability to draft and negotiate legal and contractual documentation in both languages.

WHY JOIN FONDAZIONE TELETHON?

• We are looking for passionate, collaborative, and strategic individuals who want to help shape the future of rare patients;
• You will work with leading scientists in top ranking research institutes and contribute to the development of breakthrough science in an industry-oriented setting;
• You will be supported by skilled IP, legal and technical experts.

OTHER INFORMATION

• Place work: Milan
• Salary Range: 40.000 – 55.000€

Fondazione Telethon is a major Italian charity focused on rare genetic diseases. Founded in 1990, its mission is to advance biomedical research towards the cure of genetic diseases with the ultimate goal of making new therapies available to patients in need. Fondazione Telethon has 3.186 projects for an overall amount of 790 million Euro , both within its own research institutes (Tigem and SR-Tiget) and through grants to Italian academic institutions, with the purpose of progressing research from the lab bench to the patient bedside and has secured critical competences for such purpose, including translational research management, regulatory, quality and CMC expertise, clinical operation and business development. Since 2023 Fondazione Telethon is also holder of the marketing authorization in Europe for Strimvelis and in Europe and United States for Waskyra, both ex vivo gene therapy for ultrarare immunodeficiencies.

We are seeking a highly motivated individual to join our Intellectual Property & Business Development Team.

The Business Development Office has the purpose of supporting the research groups in order to generate new therapeutic/diagnostic products, facilitating access to third parties’ know-how and technologies, as well as supporting the development of such therapeutic/diagnostic products through mutually successful partnerships with industries and investors.

The resource will be responsible for supporting the management, negotiation, and coordination of contractual agreements related to research activities, technology transfer initiatives, and R&D collaborations with external partners, ensuring the protection of Fondazione Telethon’s intellectual property and scientific interests.