Associate Director, Legal Operations and Contracts Management

At Kailera, we are bold, authentic and committed to our mission of developing therapies that give people the power to transform their lives and elevate their overall health. Rooted in an entrepreneurial spirit and a team-oriented culture, we are working together to advance Kailera’s mission to advance novel therapies for obesity and related conditions.
 
We are passionate about creating an inclusive workplace that promotes collaboration, integrity, and excellence. As we expand, we seek the most talented individuals with diverse backgrounds, cultures, perspectives, and experiences to join our team.

What You’ll Do:

Reporting to the Senior Vice President, Deputy General Counsel, Kailera is seeking an exceptional and experienced leader to drive efficiency, scalability, and operational excellence within the Legal Department, overseeing processes, technology, budgeting, vendor management, and cross-functional initiatives to ensure the legal team can operate at peak performance. A key responsibility of the role will be the management of our entire end-to-end contract lifecycle process. The ideal candidate combines operational expertise with a strong understanding of legal workflows and business strategy, particularly within the biotechnology and/or pharmaceutical sectors.

Required location: Waltham, MA (hub-based, onsite 3-4 days per week).

Responsibilities:

• Manage the end-to-end contract life cycle process in Kailera’s contract management system and its integration with Kailera’s finance/procurement system, from intake, to review/negotiation, approval, execution, monitoring and archiving
  • Serve as primary point of contact for contract process related inquiries, assisting end users with entering requests, checking contract status, and other queries
  • Coordinate review, redlines, and approvals among internal and external stakeholders and outside counsel efficiently
  • Draft, review, edit, and negotiate a variety of routine agreements, such as CDAs, SOWs, amendments, and change orders, ensuring that contracts align with company policies and industry best practices
  • Partner with Finance and IT to implement system integrations, changes and upgrades, and to troubleshoot issues
  • Create key metrics, reports, and analytics to assess health of contracts management function (volume, contract turn-around times, etc.)
  • Contribute to the development, maintenance, and optimization of contract templates, playbooks, workflows, and standard operating procedures
  • Recommend strategies to enhance contract turnaround time and operational efficiency
• Develop, implement, and refine legal department processes, workflows, and standard operating procedures
• Identify opportunities to streamline work through automation, technology, and improved resource allocation
• Track KPIs, department metrics, and analytics to support continuous improvement
• Lead selection, implementation, and administration and optimization of legal technology tools (e.g., contract management, eBilling, document management, generative AI)
• Drive cross-functional understanding of legal processes through training on new systems, monthly new hire training, ad hoc training, office hours, and self-service tools
• Manage legal department budget, including vendor oversight, forecasting, variance tracking, and reporting

Required Qualifications:

• 10 years of experience in legal operations and/or contracts management, preferably including in an in-house legal department
• Experience with end-to-end contracts management, preferably within the biotechnology and/or pharmaceutical sectors
• Proficiency with legal technology platforms such as contract management systems, eBilling and document management
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment
• Superb customer service orientation toward internal and external stakeholders
• Strong analytical, organizational and communication skills
• Solid understanding of contract language, negotiation principles and legal terminology

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree in business administration, legal studies or related field, or equivalent experience
• Advanced certification in legal operations and/or contracts management a plus

For Full Time Roles: This range represents the company’s good-faith estimate of the salary at the time of posting. Actual pay may vary based on experience, skills, qualifications, location, and internal equity. We also offer comprehensive health coverage, flexible time off, paid holidays, and a year-end shutdown. Enjoy a monthly wellness stipend, generous 401(k) match, tuition reimbursement, commuter benefits, disability and life insurance, plus annual bonus opportunities and equity grants—because your well-being and future matter to us.

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY INFORMATION: 

Kailera Therapeutics, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer that does not discriminate on the basis of actual or perceived race (including traits historically associated with race, such as hair texture and protective hairstyles), color, creed, religion (including religious dress and grooming practices), national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, age (40 and over), sex or gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, pregnancy-related conditions, and lactation), gender identity or expression (including transgender status), sexual orientation, marital status, military service and veteran status, physical or mental disability, genetic information, reproductive health decisions, domestic victim status, political affiliation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local laws and ordinances.

E-Verify:

Kailera Therapeutics, Inc. uses E-Verify to confirm the identity and employment eligibility of all new hires.

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