Contract Manager

artivabio; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 122,000 - 145,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, Dental, Vision

Group Life Insurance

Long Term Disability

401(k) Retirement Plan

PTO & Holidays

Bonus.ly

Job summary

Artiva is seeking a Contract Manager to oversee all contract activities, reporting to the Vice President, General Counsel & Corporate Secretary. The role focuses on commercial contracts and CTAs within a biotech setting, with opportunities to shape CLM tool implementation and data privacy compliance.

Ideal candidates have a paralegal certificate or JD and at least 5 years in biotech or life sciences, strong organizational and communication skills, and experience managing high-volume workflows in

Qualifications

• Paralegal certification or J.D. degree required.
• Minimum 5 years of experience in biotech/pharma/life sciences.
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Excellent written and verbal communication and collaboration skills.
• Experience managing high-volume contract workflows in a fast-paced environment.
• Proficiency with Contract Lifecycle Management (CLM) tools.
• Understanding of GxP/GMP environments and contract roles in compliance.

Responsibilities

• Lead the preparation, review, negotiation, and execution of contracts (MSAs, SOWs, consulting agreements, amendments) with tracking of key terms.
• Serve as primary contact for business users; coordinate with Finance and Procurement.
• Independently manage contract workflows from intake to execution and obligation tracking.
• Collaborate with CROs on CTAs and amendments with sites; develop CTA templates and playbooks; negotiate CTAs.
• Identify contractual, operational, or compliance risks and escalate with recommended paths.
• Coordinate execution of agreements and distribution of fully executed documents.
• Co-lead selection and implementation of a CLM tool; train stakeholders on CLM usage.
• Support the company’s data privacy compliance program.
• Assist with other legal/compliance operations as needed.

Skills

Organizational skills

Communication skills

Contract workflows

Attention to detail

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Paralegal certification or J.D. degree

Tools

CLM tools

Job description

Overview

About Artiva: We are a clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on developing natural killer (NK) cell-based therapies. Our mission is to develop effective, safe, and accessible cell therapies for patients with devastating autoimmune diseases. We aim to develop therapies that patients and physicians can utilize in a community setting. Our lead product candidate, AlloNK®, is a non-genetically modified, cryopreserved NK cell therapy being evaluated in combination with B-cell targeted monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). We believe the compelling cell killing properties of NK cells, when combined with mAbs for targeting, creates an opportunity to generate potentially transformative therapies. For more information, visit www.artivabio.com.

Job Summary: The Contract Manager, reporting to the Vice President, General Counsel & Corporate Secretary, is responsible for managing all aspects of Artiva’s contract activities. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in both commercial contracts and clinical trial agreements with development-stage biotechnology companies, as well as experience or interest in other areas of legal operations.

Duties / Responsibilities

• Lead the preparation, review, negotiation, and execution of a range of contracts (including but not limited to master services agreements, statements of work, consulting agreements, and amendments), ensuring key terms are clearly defined, accurately tracked, and aligned with playbooks, Company policies, regulatory requirements, and business objectives.
• Serve as a primary point of contact and a partner for business users to provide guidance on the contract process and support the timely intake, negotiation, execution, and administration of contracts, ensuring appropriate communication throughout and coordination with Finance and Procurement.
• Independently manage contract workflows, ensuring contracts progress efficiently through intake, review, negotiation, execution, and tracking of obligations.
• Collaborate with representatives from contract research organizations (CROs) on clinical trial agreements (CTAs) and amendments with clinical trial sites, including development of CTA templates and playbooks, review and negotiation of CTAs, and identification and escalation of issues.
• Identify contractual, operational, or compliance risks and escalate appropriately, providing clear issue framing and recommended paths forward.
• Coordinate execution of agreements, including routing for signature, maintaining accurate records, and facilitating distribution of fully executed documents.
• Co-lead the selection and implementation of a contract lifecycle management (CLM) tool, including collaborating with internal stakeholders across functions to identify and address requirements; manage the CLM tool once implemented and train business partners on use of the CLM tool.
• Support the Company’s data privacy compliance program.
• Assist with other aspects of legal and compliance operations, depending on the Company’s needs and the candidate’s areas of experience and interest.

Requirements

• Paralegal certification or J.D. degree.
• Minimum of 5 years of recent experience in the biotechnology, pharmaceutical, or life sciences industry.
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail, with the ability to manage multiple priorities effectively.
• Excellent written and verbal communication and collaboration skills to work effectively with cross-functional teams and third parties.
• Experience managing high-volume contract workflows, with the ability to prioritize, track, and drive contracts to execution in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment.
• Proficiency with Contract Lifecycle Management (CLM) tools including contract intake, workflow management, and reporting.
• Strong understanding of GxP/GMP environments and the role of contracts in supporting clinical, manufacturing, quality, and regulatory compliance.
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment, adapt to changing priorities, and reach practical, business-aligned outcomes.

In addition to a great culture, we offer

• A beautiful facility
• An entrepreneurial, highly collaborative, and innovative environment
• Comprehensive benefits, including:
• Medical, Dental, and Vision
• Group Life Insurance
• Long Term Disability (LTD)
• 401(k) Retirement Plan
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Flexible Spending Account (FSA)
• Paid Time Off (PTO)
• Company paid holidays, including the year-end holiday week
• Our recognition program, Bonus.ly, is where you can trade in points earned for things you want.

Base Salary: $122,000 - $145,000. Exact compensation may vary based on level, skills and experience