Senior/Contracts Manager

Crescent Biopharma; Waltham (MA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Base salary + bonus + equity

Employer-paid benefits

Flexible PTO

Two company shutdowns per year

Professional development

Job summary

Crescent Biopharma’s Contracts team seeks a Senior/Contracts Manager to lead day-to-day contract intake, drafting, negotiations, execution, and lifecycle management across research, clinical, and corporate agreements.

The role emphasizes speed, precision, and business-oriented risk management in a fast-moving biotech environment, based in Waltham, MA.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree is required.
• 5+ years (7+ for Senior) of professional experience in contract management in life sciences or biotech.
• Experience negotiating CTAs in the US and ROW.
• Demonstrated experience managing a high volume of agreements across multiple business functions with strong attention to detail, organization, and follow-through.
• Strong drafting and redlining skills.
• Ability to identify legal and business risk issues and escalate appropriately.
• Experience in a fast-paced, high-growth startup environment.
• High proficiency with modern legal technology, including CLM platforms (LinkSquares), DocuSign, AI-assisted contract review and drafting tools, and the Microsoft Office Suite.

Responsibilities

• Drive the full contract lifecycle by drafting and reviewing a high volume of core biotech agreements, including CDAs, MSAs, complex Statements of Work (SOWs), Consulting Agreements, vendor and supply agreements, CTAs and related service agreements.
• Manage routine and mid-level negotiations directly with counterparties and escalate material legal, regulatory, IP, privacy, insurance, compliance, and liability issues when needed.
• Provide strategic contractual guidance to cross-functional teams, acting as a first line of defense to identify and mitigate potential operational, regulatory, and business risks within agreements.
• Maintain and improve contract templates, clause libraries, negotiation guidelines, and internal playbooks.
• Lead management of a Contract Lifecycle Management (CLM) system (LinkSquares) to track contract status, key terms, renewal dates, termination rights, notice deadlines, payment obligations, and other milestones.
• Support contract governance, including signature authority, version control, records management, and repository hygiene.
• Support audit, diligence, financing, and business development requests by organizing and summarizing agreement data.
• Identify bottlenecks and recommend process improvements that reduce cycle time without weakening controls.
• Partner with key internal stakeholders to ensure contract execution is aligned with CBIO’s strategic goals, timelines, and budget.
• Partner with the finance department to continuously improve the contract/PO process and lifecycle.
• Uphold rigorous compliance standards by ensuring all contracts meet applicable laws, regulations, and clinical standards including FDA, GCP, and GDPR.

Skills

Contract management

Negotiations

Cross-functional collaboration

Attention to detail

Drafting & redlining

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

LinkSquares

DocuSign

AI-assisted review tools

MS Office

Job description

Crescent Biopharma’s vision is to build a world leading oncology company bringing the next wave of therapies for cancer patients. The Company’s clinical-stage pipeline includes its lead program, a PD-1 x VEGF bispecific antibody, as well as novel antibody-drug conjugates. By leveraging multiple modalities and established targets, Crescent aims to rapidly advance potentially transformative therapies either as single agents or as part of combination regimens to treat a range of solid tumors. For more information, visit www.crescentbiopharma.com and follow the Company on LinkedIn and X.

We areseekingaSenior/ContractsManagertoleadday-to-daycontractintake,drafting,negotiationsupport, execution, and contract operations across the company. This role is for a business-focused contracts professional, not a practicing attorney. You will partner closely with cross-functional leads and drive a high-volume portfolio of research, clinical, and corporate agreements with a focus on speed, precision, and business-oriented risk management.

The right candidate is highly organized, practical, responsive, and comfortable managing a high volume of agreements in a fast-moving biotechnology environment. You should be able to spot issues, drive process, keep stakeholders aligned, and escalate legal or business risks appropriately.This role is based in Waltham, MA and you must have experience in biotech.

Responsibilities

• Drive the full contract lifecycle by drafting and reviewing a high volume of core biotech agreements, includingCDAs,MasterServiceAgreements(MSAs),complexStatementsofWork(SOWs),Consulting Agreements, vendor and supply agreements, Clinical Trial Agreements (CTAs) and clinical and research-related service agreements.
• Manageroutineandmid-levelnegotiationsdirectlywithcounterpartiesandescalatemateriallegal, regulatory, IP, privacy, insurance, compliance, and liability issues when needed.
• Providestrategiccontractualguidancetocross-functionalteams,actingasafirstlineofdefenseto identify and mitigate potential operational, regulatory, and business risks within agreements.
• Maintainandimprovecontracttemplates,clauselibraries,negotiationguidelines,andinternalplaybooks.
• Optimize contract infrastructure by leading management of a Contract Lifecycle Management (CLM) system(LinkSquares)totrackcontractstatus,keyterms,renewaldates,terminationrights,noticedeadlines,payment obligations, and other critical milestones.
• Supportcontractgovernance,includingsignatureauthority,versioncontrol,recordsmanagement,and repository hygiene.
• Supportaudit,diligence,financing,andbusinessdevelopmentrequestsbyorganizingandsummarizing agreement data.
• Identifybottlenecksandrecommendprocessimprovementsthatreducecycletimewithoutweakeningcontrols.
• PartnerwithkeyinternalstakeholderstoensurecontractexecutionisalignedwithCBIO’sstrategic goals, project timelines, and budgetary requirements.
• Partner with the finance department to continuously improve the contract/PO process and lifecycle.
• Upholdrigorouscompliancestandardsbyensuringallcontractsmeetapplicablelaws,industry regulations, and clinical standards, including FDA, GCP, and GDPR.

Education & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree is required. 5+ years (7+ for Senior level)ofprofessionalexperienceincontractmanagement,specificallywithinthelifesciencesor biotech sectors.
• Experience negotiating CTAs in the US and rest of world (ROW) is required.
• Demonstratedexperiencemanagingahighvolumeofagreementsacrossmultiplebusinessfunctions with strong attention to detail, organization, and follow-through.
• Strongdraftingandredliningskills.
• Abilitytoidentifylegalandbusinessriskissuesandescalateappropriately.
• Experienceinafast-paced,high-growthstartupenvironment.
• Highproficiencywithmodernlegaltechnology,includingCLMplatforms(we use LinkSquares), DocuSign, AI-assisted contract review and drafting tools, and the Microsoft Office Suite. LinkSquares experience is not required but is highly desired.
• FamiliaritywithIP-relatedcontractprovisions,includinglicensing termsand publication rights.

What We Offer

• Opportunity to join a mission-driven team where you'll contribute to impactful work, take on varied responsibilities, and grow quickly in a dynamic environment
• Competitive compensation, including base salary, performance bonus, and equity
• 100% employer-paid benefits package
• Flexible PTO; also, two, one-week company-wide shutdowns each year
• A commitment to your professional development, with access to resources, mentorship, and growth opportunities

$140,000 - $180,000 a year

Additional Description for Pay Transparency:

The final salary offered will depend on several factors, which may include, but is not limited to relevant years of experience, educational background, and geography. Subject to the terms of their respective plans, employees and/or eligible dependents are eligible to participate in the following Company sponsored employee benefit programs: medical, dental, vision, life insurance, short- and long-term disability. Subject to the terms of their respective plans, employees are eligible to participate in the Company’s savings plan (401(k)). This position is eligible to participate in the Company’s long-term incentive program. Subject to the terms of their respective policies and date of hire, Employees are eligible for the following time off benefits: Vacation – Unlimited PTO; Sick time – 10 days per calendar year; Holiday pay, including two Company shut downs; Parental Leave – 16 weeks within one year of the birth/adoption/foster care of a child; FMLA; Military Leave. Additional information can be found - https://www.crescentbiopharma.com/careers/#benefits

Crescent Biopharma is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to fostering a diverse, inclusive, and equitable workplace where all individuals are valued and respected. Employment decisions are based on qualifications, merit, and business needs, without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other protected status.