Pharma Contracts Manager — Lifecycle & Negotiation

Prolaio; Chicago (IL); Hybrid; USD 100,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Kardigan, a heart health company, seeks an experienced Contracts Manager to oversee the full contract lifecycle for Prolaio, embedded within Kardigan's Legal Department. Based in Chicago with a hybrid schedule (2-3 days/week), you will draft, review, negotiate, and administer service agreements, NDAs, vendor contracts and SOWs.

You will report to the VP of Corporate Law, collaborate across stakeholders, ensure compliance, track obligations, renewals and terminations, and drive process

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree preferred; Paralegal certification preferred.
• 7+ years of relevant experience with at least 5 years of contract administration.
• Pharma, life sciences, or medical device industry experience preferred.
• Proven excellence in drafting and negotiation with complex agreements.
• Experience with CLM implementation and administration desirable.

Responsibilities

• Draft, review, and negotiate a broad range of contracts including service, consulting, NDAs, vendor and SOWs.
• Translate business needs into clear contract language while balancing risk and flexibility.
• Ensure terms comply with laws and policies; manage CLM tool implementation.
• Track obligations, renewals, and deadlines; escalate risks as needed.
• Collaborate with vendors, clinical sites, and internal stakeholders; support training.

Skills

Contract drafting

Negotiation

Communication

Cross-functional collaboration

Attention to detail

Organizational skills

Education

Bachelor's degree preferred

Paralegal certification preferred

Tools

CLM systems

e-signature platforms

Collaboration platforms

Microsoft Office Suite

Excel

PowerPoint

SharePoint

Adobe Acrobat

Job description

Kardigan, a heart health company, seeks an experienced Contracts Manager to oversee the full contract lifecycle for Prolaio, embedded within Kardigan's Legal Department. Based in Chicago with a hybrid schedule (2-3 days/week), you will draft, review, negotiate, and administer service agreements, NDAs, vendor contracts and SOWs.

You will report to the VP of Corporate Law, collaborate across stakeholders, ensure compliance, track obligations, renewals and terminations, and drive process