Senior Manager/ Associate Director, Contracts Management

BioSpace; San Carlos (CA); On-site; USD 147,000 - 187,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity incentive awards

Comprehensive benefits

Job summary

Dren Bio is seeking a Senior Manager / Associate Director, Contracts Management, to lead contract lifecycle management and cross-functional contracting initiatives at our San Carlos, CA site.

The role focuses on drafting, negotiating, and optimizing non-clinical vendor and R&D agreements, ensuring regulatory and policy compliance, and scaling contracting processes as the company grows.

Qualifications

• 5+ years in biotech/pharma or law firm supporting life sciences
• Deep IP and confidentiality contract knowledge
• Proactive, independent project driver in fast-paced env.

Responsibilities

• Manage full lifecycle of contracts (NDAs, MTAs, vendor/SDAs)
• Lead contract standardization and playbooks
• Configure and optimize CLM workflows and templates
• Collaborate with Legal, Finance, R&D, and Business Development
• Track contract metrics for decision-making and audit readiness
• Ensure compliance with pharma/biotech regulations

Skills

Contract negotiations

Cross-functional collaboration

Project leadership

Data-driven decisions

Vendor & supplier agreements

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Advanced degree (JD/LLM/MBA)

Tools

CLM software

Job description

About The Company

Dren Bio is a privately held, clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company pioneering the discovery and development of first-in-class antibody therapeutics for the treatment of cancer, autoimmune disorders, and other serious diseases. Leveraging our wholly owned technologies, we have built a robust R&D pipeline, including two clinical-stage candidates currently being evaluated across multiple ongoing clinical studies. Our lead clinical candidate, dibotatug (also known as DR-01), is designed to induce antibody-mediated killing of a specific cell type implicated in a range of oncology and autoimmune indications. In addition, we have launched multiple programs from our proprietary Targeted Myeloid Engager and Phagocytosis Platform, a multispecific antibody-based technology engineered to selectively engage a novel phagocytic receptor expressed on myeloid cells (antigen presenting cells) for the targeted depletion of pathologic cells and other disease-causing agents. Data generated using the platform support its broad therapeutic potential, including initial programs focused on oncology, immunology, and neurology. Importantly, multispecific antibodies generated from the platform are specially designed to activate phagocytic mechanisms only in the presence of disease targets, potentially offering a superior safety profile compared to other immunomodulatory therapies. For more information, please visit our website at www.drenbio.com.

Function

Business Development

Level

Senior Manager/ Associate Director

Location:

San Carlos, CA. This position is based on site.

Reporting Manager

Head of IP, Risk & Compliance

About The Opportunity

Dren Bio is seeking a seasoned and results-oriented Senior Manager / Associate Director, Contracts Management to join our team. This individual will play a central role in negotiating and managing the company's contracts, ensuring efficiency, compliance, and consistency across a wide range of business agreements. Reporting to the Executive Director, Head of IP, Risk & Compliance, the individual in this role will partner with stakeholders across the company to shape best practices and scale contracting processes as the company grows. Title, compensation and scope of duties will be tailored to the successful candidate's experience.

Role And Responsibilities

• Independently manage the full lifecycle of contracts (primarily non-clinical vendorand R&D agreements), including drafting, reviewing, negotiating, and coordinating execution and amendments across a broad range of agreements, such as non-disclosure, material transfer, in-license, and service agreements.
• Serve as the primary subject-matter expert for contract matters, ensuring consistency with company policies, business objectives, and risk tolerance.
• Identify, implement, and administer the company's contract lifecycle management (CLM) software, including platform selection, workflow design, template creation, and ongoing reporting and optimization.
• Continuously refine contracting processes to improve efficiency, reduce turnaroundtimes, mitigate risk, and support scalability as the company grows.
• Partner cross-functionally with Legal, Finance, R&D, and Business Development to align contract practices, approval workflows, and business priorities.
• Track, analyze, and report on key contract metrics to support business decision-making, operational visibility, and audit readiness.
• Develop, maintain, and enhance standardized contract playbooks to guide negotiations and promote consistency across agreements.
• Apply strong knowledge of contract law, privacy and data protection requirements, and pharma/biotech regulatory considerations to ensure agreements comply with legal and industry standards.

Education, Experience And Qualification Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree (e.g., master’s degree or JD) preferred.
• 7-10+ years of contract management experience with increasing responsibility, and at least 5 years in biotech/pharma industry (or in a law firm and primarily supporting life sciences clients).

Required

Core Competencies, Knowledge and Skill Requirements:

• 5+ years of hands-on experience in biotech/pharma or at a law firm, drafting and negotiating NDAs, research collaboration agreements, MTAs, consulting and service agreements, and other IP-focused life sciences contracts
• Deep subject-matter expertise in intellectual property and confidentiality provisions within life sciences contracts
• Proactive self-starter with demonstrated ability to independently drive projects forward and deliver results in a fast-paced, cross‑functional environment
• Experience negotiating vendor and supplier agreements
• Strong foundation in contract law, compliance, and pharma/biotech regulations
• Excellent communication and negotiation skills
• Demonstrated ability to lead contract-focused initiatives and drive meaningful process improvements
• Proven ability to collaborate effectively with key stakeholders, including R&D and Business Development
• Skilled at leveraging data and analytics to shape recommendations and drive informed decision‑making

Preferred

• Expertise with contracts management software (CLM platforms a plus), including configuration, optimization, and reporting.
• Proven track record in implementing new systems, managing large-scale process rollouts, or standardizing contract templates across the organization.
• Certification from NCMA (e.g., CPCM - Certified Professional Contracts Manager), IACCM, or similar.
• Exposure to equity, financing, or M&A-related contracts in life sciences.

Salaries, Benefits And Other Employee Perks

Dren Bio strongly believes in investing in, and rewarding its employees. This philosophy is embodied in the Company’s total rewards program, which includes competitive cash compensation, equity incentive awards, and employer-sponsored benefits. The base pay range for this position at commencement of employment is expected to be between $147,000 - $187,000 per year. At Dren Bio, pay ranges are determined by role, level and location. The range displayed in this job posting reflects the minimum and maximum new hire pay for candidates located across all U.S. job markets. Within the range, individual pay will be determined by work location and additional factors, including job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training. During the hiring process, Dren Bio’s Human Resources team can share more about the specific pay range based on the candidate’s market location.

Employment Practices

Dren Bio is an equal opportunity employer. Employment decisions are based on merit and business needs. Dren Bio does not discriminate against any job applicant on the basis of race, color, national origin, ancestry, gender, sexual orientation, age, religion, creed, physical or mental disability, gender identity, medical condition, pregnancy, marital status, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law.