Contracts Manager

Celea Therapeutics; Boston (MA); Hybrid; USD 130,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity package

Job summary

Celea Therapeutics in Boston is seeking an experienced Contracts Manager to lead end-to-end contracting, template development, and CLM administration in a fast-paced biotech environment.

The role collaborates with the General Counsel and cross‑functional teams, supporting governance, SEC disclosures, and strategic transactions. Hybrid work in Boston with competitive compensation and equity opportunities.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required; equivalent experience considered.
• 7+ years of paralegal experience, including in-house; biotech or life sciences experience preferred.
• Experience managing commercial, research, clinical, and other contracts.
• Experience building templates, clause libraries, playbooks, and workflows.
• Experience supporting Boards and governance processes; SEC reporting familiarity.
• Strong organizational, project-management, and communication skills.
• Comfort with AI tools to improve efficiency in legal ops.

Responsibilities

• Manage end-to-end contract lifecycle including intake, drafting support, negotiation tracking, approvals, execution, amendments, renewals, and archiving.
• Develop and maintain contract templates, clauses, playbooks, and approval workflows.
• Administer CLM system, repositories, trackers, and signature tools; scale with the company.
• Support Board/committee processes: agendas, resolutions, minutes, and materials.
• Maintain corporate minute books, capitalization records, and governance calendars.
• Assist with SEC reports (10-K/10-Q/8-K) and related disclosures.
• Collaborate with Legal, Finance, IR, HR, BD, R&D, Clinical, Ops, and outside counsel.
• Support financings, strategic transactions, audits, and compliance initiatives.

Skills

In-house paralegal

Contract management

Governance knowledge

SEC reporting

Board support

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Tools

DocuSign

Diligent

Carta

Shareworks

Job description

About Celea Therapeutics

Celea Therapeutics is dedicated to advancing transformative treatments for people with serious respiratory diseases. Drawn from the Latin word for “sky,” our name reflects our mission to rise above the status quo and deliver therapies that change lives. Our lead program, deupirfenidone (LYT-100), is currently in Phase 3 clinical development with active candidate enrollment, representing a potential new standard of care for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and other fibrotic lung diseases.

About Celea Therapeutics

Celea Therapeutics is dedicated to advancing transformative treatments for people with serious respiratory diseases. Drawn from the Latin word for “sky,” our name reflects our mission to rise above the status quo and deliver therapies that change lives. Our lead program, deupirfenidone (LYT-100), is currently in Phase 3 clinical development with active candidate enrollment, representing a potential new standard of care for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and other fibrotic lung diseases. Rising above the status quo takes a team as strong as its science, and we hire and work by five values: accountability — owning outcomes and acting like owners; transparency — talking straight and building trust; collaboration — achieving together what no one could alone; innovation — challenging accepted ideas and taking smart risks; and passion — bringing energy and heart to the mission. As we prepare for our next stage of growth and clinical advancement, Celea is seeking an experienced, highly organized, and hands‑on Contracts Manager to serve as a key member of the Legal team. This role will support a broad range of corporate, transactional, governance, securities, and contract‑management matters, with particular emphasis on building scalable legal operations as the company grows. The ideal candidate is highly organized, proactive, detail-oriented, and comfortable working independently in a fast‑paced, science‑driven environment. This position will report to the General Counsel and will work closely with executive leadership and outside counsel. This position is hybrid and based in Boston.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage the end-to-end contract lifecycle, including intake, drafting support, negotiation tracking, approvals, execution, amendments, renewals, terminations, archiving, and reporting.
• Develop, maintain, and improve contract templates, playbooks, workflows, and standard operating procedures for commonly used agreements, including NDAs, consulting agreements, vendor agreements, master services agreements, statements of work, clinical, manufacturing, supply, research, and collaboration agreements.
• Administer and improve the company’s contract lifecycle management (CLM) system, legal document repositories, matter trackers, signature tools, and legal department processes, including thoughtful use of AI and automation, so the function scales with the company.
• Support the Board of Directors and committee processes, including preparation and organization of agendas, resolutions, consents, minutes, presentations, calendars, and meeting materials.
• Maintain corporate minute books, capitalization and equity-related records, entity documentation, governance calendars, officer and director records, and other corporate records.
• Assist with the preparation, coordination, review, filing, and recordkeeping for SEC reports and related materials, including Forms 10‑K, 10‑Q, 8‑K, proxy statements, Section 16 filings, and public‑company disclosure support.
• Partner cross‑functionally with Legal, Finance, Investor Relations, Human Resources, Business Development, R&D, Clinical, Technical Operations, and outside counsel on contracts, governance, securities, compliance, and transactional matters.
• Support financings, strategic transactions, audits, litigation holds, compliance initiatives, legal training, outside counsel management, and other projects as needed.

Qualifications

Required

• Bachelor’s degree; equivalent experience considered.
• 7+ years of relevant paralegal experience, including significant in‑house legal department experience; biotechnology, pharmaceutical, life sciences, or high‑growth technology company experience strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated experience managing commercial, research, clinical, vendor, consulting, confidentiality, and other business contracts.
• Experience developing and maintaining contract templates, clause libraries, playbooks, approval workflows, and contract‑management processes.
• Experience supporting Boards of Directors, board committees, corporate governance processes, resolutions, consents, minutes, and corporate records.
• Working knowledge of public‑company securities and governance requirements, including SEC reporting processes, Section 16 filings, proxy statement support, insider trading policies, disclosure calendars, and public‑company controls.
• Excellent organizational, project‑management, and follow‑through skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines in a fast‑moving environment.
• Strong attention to detail and commitment to accuracy, confidentiality, and sound judgment.
• Ability to work independently, take ownership of projects, and identify process improvements without extensive supervision.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to collaborate effectively with senior executives, Board members, outside counsel, vendors, and cross‑functional business partners.
• Comfort operating in a lean legal team and helping build scalable legal infrastructure, systems, and processes.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office, contract lifecycle management (CLM) platforms, electronic signature tools, board portal systems, document‑management systems, and equity or capitalization‑management platforms; experience with tools such as DocuSign, Diligent, Carta, Shareworks, or similar systems is a plus.
• Entrepreneurial mindset and comfort operating in a fast‑paced, early‑stage environment.
• Proficiency using AI tools to work smarter, with curiosity about how technology can improve the quality and speed of your work.

Why Join Celea Therapeutics

• Play a pivotal role in advancing life‑changing therapies for patients with devastating lung diseases.
• Shape the foundation of a Phase 3–ready biotech poised for significant growth.
• Collaborate with a passionate, mission‑driven leadership team.
• Competitive compensation and equity package.

Compensation

Transparency is one of our values, and that includes how we pay. The anticipated salary range for this role is $130,000 — $150,000 plus bonus and equity. Where an offer lands within the range reflects the candidate’s experience, skills, and internal equity — and we welcome open conversations about compensation from the first call, so there are no surprises at the offer stage. Actual compensation will be determined based on experience, qualifications, and location. In addition to base pay, this role is eligible for bonus and equity compensation. Base Pay Information: $130,000 USD - $150,000 USD

Our Commitment

Celea Therapeutics is an equal opportunity employer. We evaluate every candidate against the requirements of the role using a structured, evidence‑based process, and we make employment decisions without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other legally protected characteristic. For more information, visit www.celeatx.com or connect with us on Twitter @celeatx.