Clinical Contracts Associate - II*

The Fountain Group; Minotola (NJ); Hybrid; USD 80,000 - 115,000; Full time

Job summary

The Fountain Group seeks an R&D Sourcing Manager for a prominent pharma/biotech client. Pay rate is $70.76/hour, with hybrid work options in Parsippany, NJ or Foster City, CA. This is a 1-year contract with potential conversion to full-time.

Candidate will lead sourcing, evaluation, and contracting for external development partners supporting global Phase I–IV trials and other R&D initiatives. A minimum of 5 years in sourcing and contracting in life sciences is preferred.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required.
• Minimum of 5 years of experience in strategic sourcing, procurement, vendor management, and/or contract negotiation.
• Experience in pharmaceutical, biotechnology, life sciences, or clinical research preferred.
• Experience reviewing, negotiating, and managing vendor contracts independently.

Responsibilities

• Lead sourcing and contracting activities for external vendors supporting global trials and R&D.
• Manage RFI/RFP development, vendor evaluation, qualification, selection, and contract negotiations.
• Review and negotiate terms within contracts with Legal and internal stakeholders.
• Support the negotiation and execution of agreements, amendments, and change orders.
• Maintain documentation and contract records across systems.

Skills

Contract negotiations

Independent work

Organizational skills

Communication

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Contract management databases

Procurement systems

Job description

R&D Sourcing Manager

The Fountain Group is seeking an R&D Sourcing Manager for a prominent client in the pharmaceutical/biotechnology industry.

Pay Rate: $70.76/hour
Location: Foster City, CA or Parsippany, NJ (Hybrid – 3 days onsite, 2 days remote)
Contract Duration: 1 year, with potential for conversion to a full-time position

Position Overview

The R&D Sourcing Manager will support the sourcing, selection, and contracting of external development organizations and service providers supporting global Phase I–IV clinical trials and other research and development initiatives. This role will primarily focus on clinical ancillary services, systems, and technology solutions utilized across Development functions.

The ideal candidate will bring at least 5 years of sourcing and contracting experience, preferably within the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, or life sciences industry. Strong contract negotiation skills, procurement knowledge, and the ability to independently manage multiple sourcing and contracting initiatives are essential.

Responsibilities

• Lead and support sourcing and contracting activities for external vendors and development organizations supporting global clinical trials and R&D functions.
• Manage various stages of the vendor selection lifecycle, including RFI/RFP development, vendor evaluation, qualification, selection, and contract negotiations.
• Review and negotiate commercial and business terms within contracts, while partnering with Legal and internal stakeholders on legal terms and conditions.
• Support the negotiation and execution of agreements, amendments, change orders, and contract closeouts.
• Manage multiple concurrent sourcing and contracting initiatives while maintaining accurate documentation and contract records.
• Maintain and catalog contractual terms, conditions, and relevant information within contract management databases and procurement systems.
• Support vendor outsourcing activities involving clinical ancillary services, technology, software, and professional services.
• Collaborate with cross-functional stakeholders, including Clinical Operations, Clinical Data Science, Finance, Legal, Regulatory Affairs, Patient Safety, Quality, Medical Affairs, Vendor Management, and Payments.
• Assist with resolving moderately complex contract issues and support negotiations for lower-value or less complex agreements.
• Ensure sourcing and contracting activities align with organizational policies, business requirements, and applicable procurement processes.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required.
• Minimum of 5 years of experience in strategic sourcing, procurement, vendor management, and/or contract negotiation.
• Strong understanding of contracting frameworks, commercial terms, service agreements, and general legal terminology.
• Demonstrated experience reviewing, negotiating, and managing vendor contracts independently.
• Experience supporting RFP/RFI processes, vendor qualification, supplier selection, and contract execution.
• Pharmaceutical, biotechnology, clinical research, or life sciences industry experience strongly preferred.
• Experience supporting Clinical Operations, Clinical Development, Clinical Data Science, or other R&D functions is highly desirable.
• CRO (Contract Research Organization) experience is a significant plus.
• Experience with professional services outsourcing, vendor outsourcing, clinical ancillary services, or technology procurement is beneficial.
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail, particularly when managing contract documentation and multiple negotiations simultaneously.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively with internal and external stakeholders.
• Ability to work independently, manage competing priorities, and operate with minimal supervision.

Additional Information: This is an individual contributor position with no direct people-management responsibilities. The successful candidate should be comfortable independently managing sourcing and contracting activities with minimal training beyond company-specific processes.