Contracts Manager

About Us

Kardigan is a heart health company working to make cardiovascular disease preventable, curable and no longer the leading cause of death in the world.

It is Kardigan’s mission to develop multiple targeted treatments in parallel that bring people with cardiovascular diseases to the cures they deserve.

Led by Tassos Giannakakos, Jay Edelberg, M.D. and Bob McDowell, Ph.D., Kardigan’s co-founders have reunited after leading MyoKardia to discover and develop mavacamten, the first cardiac myosin inhibitor, resulting in an acquisition by Bristol Myers Squibb in 2020.

We have a cutting-edge discovery and translational research platform, a pipeline of late-stage candidates, and an industry-leading team that is driven to improve the lives of patients.

At Kardigan, we are motivated by our values which guide how we work, interact, and achieve our goals. Driven by patients and their families, we are deeply committed to improving the lives of patients and prioritizing their needs above all else. We believe in being authentic—leading with truth to bring out the best in others by creating an environment where every person knows they will be fully accepted. With an eagerness to learn, we encourage the highest levels of curiosity and are open to changing our minds. We are committed to winning as a team with urgency, excellence, and intention, and support each other no matter what role we play or where we sit. Lastly, we strive to enable the impossible because patients are counting on us. We are not afraid to take risks to unlock innovation and advance scientific discoveries.

These values are the foundation of our work, empowering us to make a real difference, every day.

Position Title: Contracts Manager

Department: Legal

Reports To: Vice President, Corporate Law

Location: South San Francisco, CA – On-site 4 days per week (Mon to Thurs)

Job Overview

Kardigan is seeking an experienced Contracts Manager to oversee all aspects of contract processing and administration. In this role, the Contracts Manager will manage the complete contract lifecycle and lead the implementation and administration of contract management systems. Kardigan seeks an exceptional candidate with strong contract administration experience who can collaborate cross-functionally, negotiate agreements, and communicate clearly and effectively. Attention to detail is essential in this role. You will join our fast-paced legal team, reporting to our Vice President, Corporate Law. This is a highly visible position within Kardigan as you will interface directly with business stakeholders across the company.

Essential Duties And Responsibilities

Contract Lifecycle Management

• Process all contract requests through the company's internal process from initial request intake to execution and track the status of contracts in process.
• Lead the evaluation and implementation of a contract lifecycle management (CLM) tool and serve as the primary administrator for the system (e.g., maintain users, update user roles and workflows).
• Prepare, review and negotiate a range of contracts, including CDAs, Consulting Agreements, MSAs, and other commercial agreements.
• Track key contractual obligations and deadlines.
• Maintain a library of form agreements and contracts repository.
  
  

Contract Operations & Reporting

• Lead weekly interdepartmental contracts update meetings with business stakeholders and contract negotiators.
• Develop and prepare contract management key performance metrics and generate periodic reports.
• Coordinate and manage signature routing for contracts.
• Develop and manage contract-related processes, guidelines and SOPs.
  
  

Business Partnership & Training

• Serve as the primary liaison for internal partners on contract processes and operations.
• Interface with teams across the company to gauge and anticipate contracting needs and provide guidance.
• Develop and maintain training programs for contract processes and CLM system usage.
• Develop communication plans to provide contract process updates and performance metrics to internal partners.
  
  

General

• Support special projects and contract-related initiatives.
• Perform other duties as directed by the manager.
  
  

Required

Qualifications and Preferred Skills

• Bachelor's degree.
• At least 7 years of relevant experience with a minimum of 5 years of contract administration experience.
• Meticulous attention to detail.
• Excellent problem-solving capabilities.
• Strong organizational and planning skills, ability to manage changing priorities and workflow, and the ability to effectively advance multiple simultaneous projects.
• Strong interpersonal and written and verbal communication skills, with an ability to communicate and collaborate with individuals at all levels inside and outside of the organization.
• Ability to identify risks and communicate those risks to appropriate legal or other internal decision-makers.
• Comfortable operating in a fast-paced, rapidly growing workplace, with a keen interest in providing a consistently high level of service.
• Able to work independently while exercising initiative and good judgment.
• Experience working with contract lifecycle management systems, e-signature platforms, and collaboration platforms.
• Contract negotiations experience with a solid knowledge of commercial contract terms and best practices.
  
  

Preferred

• Paralegal Certification
• Previous CLM implementation and administration experience
• Experience in the life sciences/biotech/pharma sector
• IP administration experience
• Experience managing IP docketing system implementation and on-going administration
• Hand on experience with patent prosecution support
• Proficiency with patent related filings and correspondence with patent offices
• Familiarity with patent office systems (e.g. PAIR)
  
  

Exact Compensation may vary based on skills, experience and location.

Pay range

$146,000 - $190,000 USD