Senior Contracts Analyst

Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals; Los Angeles (CA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals, Inc. in Pasadena, CA, seeks a Senior Contracts Analyst to join its Legal Team.

You will draft, review, negotiate, and manage a broad range of contracts and ensure data accuracy in Arrowhead’s contract management system. The ideal candidate has 3+ years of contract negotiation and management experience, excellent writing and verbal skills, sharp attention to detail, and able to work independently in a fast-paced, regulated environment.

Qualifications

• 3+ years of contract negotiation and contract management experience.
• Strong writing and negotiation skills with attention to detail.
• Ability to assess risk and provide practical contract solutions.
• Experience partnering with internal clients and cross-functional teams.

Responsibilities

• Draft, review, negotiate, evaluate, and execute a broad range of contract documents.
• Identify provisions that present risk and liaise with stakeholders to mitigate concerns.
• Manage a high volume of agreements with accuracy and prioritization.
• Maintain contract data in Arrowhead’s contract management system.
• Communicate with internal and external stakeholders on contract matters.

Skills

Contract negotiation

Contract management

Writing skills

Attention to detail

Communication

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business or biotech

Tools

Agiloft

Job description

Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq ARWR) is a commercial stage biopharmaceutical company that develops medicines that treat intractable diseases by silencing the genes that cause them. Using a broad portfolio of RNA chemistries and efficient modes of delivery, Arrowhead therapies trigger the RNA interference mechanism to induce rapid, deep, and durable knockdown of target genes. RNA interference, or RNAi, is a mechanism present in living cells that inhibits the expression of a specific gene, thereby affecting the production of a specific protein. Arrowhead’s RNAi-based therapeutics leverage this natural pathway of gene silencing.

Arrowhead is focused on developing innovative drugs for diseases with a genetic basis, typically characterized by the overproduction of one or more proteins that are involved with disease. The depth and versatility of our RNAi technologies enables us to potentially address conditions in virtually any therapeutic area and pursue disease targets that are not otherwise addressable by small molecules and biologics. Arrowhead is leading the field in bringing the promise of RNAi to address diseases outside of the liver, and our clinical pipeline includes disease targets in the liver and lung with a promising pipeline of preclinical candidates.

Arrowhead’s corporate headquarters is in Pasadena, CA with research and development teams in Madison, WI & San Diego, CA, and a state of the art manufacturing facility in Verona, WI. Our employees are nimble, science-driven innovators who are collaborating to bring new therapies to patients in need.

The Position

Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals is seeking a Senior Contracts Analyst to join its Legal Team in Pasadena, California. Reporting to Arrowhead’s Contracts Manager, the Senior Contracts Analyst will be responsible for evaluating, drafting, negotiating, and managing a broad range of company contracts on behalf of Arrowhead.

The ideal candidate will have strong writing and negotiation skills, excellent attention to detail, sound judgment, and the ability to assess contractual risk independently. This individual should be responsive, tech savvy, comfortable working across multiple priorities, and able to understand how contracting decisions support Arrowhead’s broader business objectives.

This role requires someone who can operate effectively in a fast-paced environment where contracts must be negotiated accurately, efficiently, and with appropriate consideration of legal and business risk.

Candidates should have 3+ years of contract negotiation and contract management experience, preferably within the biotechnology or pharmaceutical industry, with a strong understanding of a variety of commercial and business contract types and the ability to quickly identify and assess key contractual risks.

This role is full-time and onsite five days per week in Pasadena, California.

Responsibilities

• Draft, review, negotiate, evaluate, and execute a broad range of contract documents, ensuring appropriate terms, timelines, deliverables, and alignment with Arrowhead’s risk parameters.
• Identify contractual provisions that may present legal, financial, operational, or business risk and work with internal stakeholders to resolve or mitigate concerns.
• Independently manage a high volume of agreements while maintaining accuracy, responsiveness, and appropriate prioritization.
• Ensure accurate and timely entry and maintenance of contract data within Arrowhead’s contract management system.
• Communicate directly with internal and external stakeholders regarding contractual matters and negotiation status.
• Partner with Finance, Procurement, and business teams to understand objectives and develop contract solutions that appropriately balance business needs and risk.
• Prepare, revise, and manage amendments, termination notices, statements of work, and other contractual correspondence and documentation.
• Apply established contracting standards, templates, and fallback positions while exercising sound judgment when escalation is appropriate.
• Support contract lifecycle management processes and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Assist with other general legal and contracting matters, as appropriate.
• Balance broader business considerations with day-to-day contracting priorities and execution.

Requirements

• 3+ years of contract negotiation and contract management experience, including experience independently managing a high volume of agreements.
• Demonstrated experience drafting and negotiating a variety of contract types.
• Strong understanding of contractual terms, risk assessment, and negotiation principles.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with strong attention to detail.
• Strong analytical, critical-thinking, and problem-solving skills, with the ability to assess risk and make sound recommendations.
• Ability to work independently and exercise judgment within established contracting guidelines.
• Experience partnering with internal clients and cross-functional teams to understand business objectives and develop practical contract solutions.
• Strong organizational and time-management skills with the ability to manage multiple agreements, deadlines, and stakeholders simultaneously.
• Ability to work effectively in a fast-paced, regulated environment

Preferred

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, a biotechnology-related field, or another relevant discipline; paralegal certification or equivalent relevant experience may also be considered.
• Experience within the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, or life sciences industry.
• Experience supporting a publicly traded organization.
• Experience with contract lifecycle management systems, such as Agiloft.

Arrowhead provides competitive salaries and an excellent benefit package.

Candidates must have current, valid authorization to work in the country where this role is located.