Director, R&D Counsel

Viridian Therapeutics; Waltham (MA); Hybrid; USD 180,000 - 320,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Stock options

Medical, dental, vision plans

Disability coverage

401(k) Company Match

Paid holidays

Job summary

Viridian Therapeutics seeks an experienced Director, R&D Counsel to support contracting across R&D and Technical Operations. You will draft and negotiate a wide range of life-sciences agreements, provide strategic business counsel, and drive scalable contracting processes. The role requires a J.D.

and 12+ years as a transactional attorney, with biotech/pharma experience preferred. This on-site role is based in Waltham, MA with a three-day-per-week office expectation and a collaborative,

Qualifications

• Requires a J.D. degree and active membership in good standing in at least one U.S. state bar.
• Twelve-plus years of experience as a transactional attorney in biotech/pharma preferred.
• Strong background drafting and negotiating life-sciences agreements (early research, supply chain/manufacturing, and/or clinical development).
• Excellent communication, business judgment, and practical solutions-oriented approach.
• Ability to work as part of a cross-functional team and build relationships across functions.
• Ethical standards and risk-aware decision making are essential.

Responsibilities

• Draft, review, and negotiate a wide variety of R&D, Supply Chain, manufacturing, and vendor agreements including CDAs, MSAs, SOWs, MTAs, and more.
• Provide legal and strategic support across contracting lifecycle—drafting, negotiating, risk assessment, and execution.
• Translate business priorities into contracting plans, align stakeholders on timelines, and resolve delivery issues.
• Counsel R&D and Technical Operations on legal and contract questions, rights, obligations, compliance, and risk.
• Lead resolution of complex contractual issues, balancing legal risk with business need and urgency.
• Lead initiatives to develop scalable templates, processes, and playbooks to support Viridian’s growth.
• Support broader Legal department initiatives and special projects.

Skills

Contract drafting

Negotiation

Cross-functional collaboration

Regulatory awareness

Strategic thinking

Education

J.D. degree

Bar admission (US)

Tools

Microsoft Office suite

Job description

At Viridian, we are focused on developing best-in-class medicines for people living with autoimmune and rare diseases. Leveraging our team’s expertise in antibody discovery and engineering, we have created a robust pipeline of differentiated investigational therapeutic candidates for well-validated targets.

Reporting to the VP, Transactions Attorney, the Director, R&D Counsel will support contracting and other matters for the Research and Development organization and the Technical Operations team. The ideal candidate is an attorney with strong cross-functional collaboration skills, creativity in solving legal issues with a business-focused approach, excellent judgment, the ability to manage a high volume of requests and tight timelines, and a comfort operating in a fast-moving, scaling biotech environment. This role requires the ability to be both strategic and tactical.

This role will collaborate closely with other members of the Legal team as well as Technical Operations, Research, Finance, and Quality.

This role is based in our Waltham, MA headquarters. Our office-based employees are required to work in the office three (3) days a week.

Responsibilities (including, but not limited to):

• Draft, review, and negotiate a wide variety of agreements for R&D, Supply Chain, manufacturing related and other vendor agreements; including CDAs, Master Services Agreements, Amendments, Statements of Work, Material Transfer Agreements, Sponsored Research Agreements, Supply and Manufacturing Agreements
• Provide legal and strategic support to internal partners throughout the contracting lifecycle, including drafting, negotiating, risk assessment, and execution
• Translate business priorities into contracting plans, align stakeholders on timelines, and resolve issues that affect delivery
• Provide business counseling to the Research and Development and Technical Operations teams on a variety of business and legal questions and advise cross-functional teams on contractual rights, obligations, compliance considerations, and risk mitigation
• Lead resolution of complex contractual issues within assigned matters, balancing legal risk, business priorities, quality, and urgency; develop actionable recommendations and elevate matters requiring broader Legal leadership decisions
• As part of the Legal team, lead assigned initiatives to develop and implement scalable templates, contracting processes, and playbooks to support Viridian’s rapid growth. Align improvements with recurring business needs and Legal requirements, coordinate stakeholder input, and assess whether changes improve contracting consistency, quality, and efficiency
• Support broader Legal department initiatives and take on special projects aligned with Viridian’s evolving needs

• Requires a J.D. degree and active membership in good standing in at least one U.S. state bar
• 12+ years of experience as a transactional attorney, ideally with a blend of law firm and in-house biotech/pharma experience
• Strong background drafting and negotiating life-sciences agreements (with a focus on early research, supply chain/manufacturing, and/or clinical development) and sophisticated understanding of relevant legal, contractual, regulatory, scientific, and commercial considerations
• Demonstrated ability to work as part of a team while building strong relationships across functions
• Excellent communication skills, business judgment, and a practical, solutions-oriented approach
• Strong commitment to ethical standards
• Proficient with Microsoft Office suite (i.e., Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Outlook, SharePoint, etc.)
• The salary range for this position is commensurate with experience

Viridian offers a comprehensive benefits package including:

• Competitive pay and stock options for all employees
• Competitive medical, dental, and vision plans
• Fertility and mental health programs
• Short- and long-term disability coverage
• Life, Travel and AD&D
• 401(k) Company Match with immediate company vest
• Employee Stock Purchase plan
• Generous vacation plan and paid company holiday shutdowns
• Various mental, financial, and proactive physical health programs covered by Viridian

Viridian Therapeutics, Inc. provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination, harassment, or retaliation of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by Federal, State, and Local laws. Viridian will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.

Viridian Therapeutics, Inc participates in E-Verify, the federal program for electronic verification of employment eligibility.