Paralegal, Contracts

Acadia Pharmaceuticals; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Acadia is seeking a Contract Paralegal to support its legal contracts team in a biopharma setting. You will review, revise, draft, and manage a high volume of commercial agreements, evaluating terms for policy compliance and coordinating with internal teams and external counsel.

Candidates should have a Bachelor’s degree, at least five years of paralegal experience in corporate/contracts, and proficiency with contract management systems and MS Office.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required.
• Minimum five years in corporate or contracts paralegal roles.
• Proficiency with electronic contract management systems and MS Office.
• Demonstrated contract review, drafting, and negotiation skills.

Responsibilities

• Review, revise, draft, and administer a high volume of commercial agreements.
• Evaluate contract terms for compliance with policies and legal standards.
• Coordinate with internal teams and external counsel.
• Manage contract lifecycle and maintain accurate records.
• Assist with legal review preparation and related projects.

Skills

Contract review

Drafting contracts

Negotiation

MS Office

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Electronic contract management system

Microsoft Office

Job description

Role

Contract Paralegal supporting Acadia’s legal contracts team in a biopharma setting.

Responsibilities

review, revise, draft, and administer a high volume of commercial agreements (consulting, vendor, confidentiality, SOW, amendments); evaluate contract terms for compliance with policies and legal standards; coordinate with internal teams and external counsel; manage contract lifecycle and maintain accurate records; assist with legal review preparation and related projects.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree
• at least five years' experience in corporate or contracts paralegal roles
• proficiency with electronic contract management systems and Microsoft Office
• demonstrated contract review, drafting, and negotiation skills

Preferred

• Paralegal certification
• knowledge of legal principles and contract terminology
• experience with AI-enabled legal tools
• prior experience in the pharmaceutical or biotech industry

High-Value

• Industry experience in biotech/pharma, supporting commercial agreements
• familiarity with legal principles relevant to biopharma (e.g., compliance, regulatory aspects)
• ability to handle high-volume legal workflows

Work setup

• primarily office-based, with potential for remote work
• travel requirements not specified