Senior Counsel, Contract

Inventiva Pharma; Northern (KY); Hybrid; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Inventiva is seeking a Senior Counsel to serve as the primary legal advisor for US clinical contracting, supporting clinical development, medical affairs and R&D. You will lead drafting, review and negotiation of CROs, CTAs and site agreements, ensuring risk management and practical guidance.

The role requires 8+ years in pharma/biotech law, a JD, and strong negotiation skills. You will partner with Clinical Operations and cross‑functionally across the organization to streamline contracting and

Qualifications

• 8+ years of legal experience in pharma/biotech.
• Experience drafting and negotiating CRO and CTAs.
• Ability to lead complex negotiations and advise senior stakeholders.
• Proficiency with MS Office and contract management systems.

Responsibilities

• Lead drafting, review, and negotiation of clinical agreements (CRO, CTAs, site agreements).
• Advise US contracting matters and manage risk.
• Collaborate with Clinical Operations and other functions.
• Streamline contracting processes and cycle times.
• Coordinate with outside counsel as needed.

Skills

Clinical contracting

Negotiation

Risk assessment

Contract templates

Cross-functional collaboration

MS Office

Education

Juris Doctor (JD)

Bachelor's degree in Legal/Business/Life Sciences

Tools

Electronic contract management systems

Job description

Inventiva is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company headquartered in France, focused on the development of lanifibranor in a Phase 3 trial, NATiV3, in MASH. To learn more, please visit: https://inventivapharma.com/

The Opportunity

This Senior Counsel position serves as the primary legal advisor for clinical contracting matters and provides legal support across Inventiva’s clinical development, medical affairs and research and development activities with a focus on the US market. This position leads the legal drafting, review and negotiation of complex clinical agreements, including CRO and clinical trial site agreements in partnership with Clinical Operations. As Inventiva grows and its programs advance, the scope of the role may expand to support additional contracting needs.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the legal drafting, review and negotiation of agreements supporting clinical development activities, including but not limited to Clinical Research Organization (CRO) agreements, Clinical Trial Agreements (CTAs) and site agreements, MSAs, SOWs, and vendor agreements
• Serve as the primary Legal partner to the clinical organization on US related contracting matters and provide practical legal advice that supports clinical program objectives while appropriately managing risks
• Partner closely with Clinical Operations throughout contract development and negotiation, with Legal leading legal terms and Clinical Operations contributing to and leading, as appropriate, non-legal and operational components
• Collaborating with the clinical organization to ensure scopes of work, deliverables, milestones, timelines, budgets, payment schedules, resourcing, performance expectations and other operational requirements are accurately reflected in agreements
• Lead legal negotiations with CROs, clinical sites, academic medical centers, laboratories, vendors, consultants and other third parties
• Advise on contractual matters, including intellectual property, indemnification, limitation of liability, confidentiality, publication rights, data ownership and use, compliance, insurance, termination, warranties, privacy and other material provisions
• Parter with clinical organization on amendments, change orders, scope changes, vendor performance matters and contractual issues arising throughout clinical study execution
• Collaborate cross-functionally to ensure appropriate business and functional requirements are incorporated into agreements
• Identify opportunities to streamline contracting processes, improve consistency and reduce contract cycle times
• Coordinate with outside counsel and other subject matter experts on specialized legal matters, as appropriate
• Support additional corporate contracting matters, as needed

Qualifications

• Strong knowledge of clinical contracting and the legal and business considerations associated with clinical drug development
• Excellent contract drafting and negotiation skills, including experience with CRO, clinical site, vendor and other clinical agreements
• Sound legal and business judgement with the ability to assess risk and provide practical, solution-oriented advice
• Ability to independently lead complex negotiations and advising senior business stakeholders
• Ability to develop clinical contract templates, contracting standards and processes
• Strong attention to detail and commitment to accuracy
• Excellent organizational and record-management skills
• Ability to manage multiple contracts, deadlines and priorities simultaneously
• Ability to work collaboratively across functions in a small, evolving organization
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and electronic contract management systems

Required / Preferred Education and Licenses

Required

• Bachelors degree in Legal, Business Administration, Life Sciences or a related field
• Juris Doctor (JD) from an accredited law school
• 8+ years of relevant legal experience with significant experience In the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, or life sciences industry

Preferred

• Significant experience drafting and negotiating complex clinical agreements, including CRO and clinical trial/site agreements
• Significant experience drafting and negotiating complex clinical agreements, including CRO and clinical trial/site agreements
• Experience within a large pharmaceutical organization, biotechnology/life sciences company, and/or private practice supporting life sciences clients strongly preferred
• Commercial contracting experience within the pharmaceutical organization, biotechnology/life sciences company, and/or private practice supporting life sciences clients

WHY JOIN US

Join Inventiva at a pivotal moment as we prepare for the next phase of growth. This is a unique opportunity to serve as a key legal partner across clinical development, medical affairs, and research and development—leading the drafting, review, and negotiation of complex clinical agreements while supporting the advancement of our programs, with a focus on the U.S. market.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, disability, or any other factor prohibited by law.