Associate Director, Head of Contracts

Protara Therapeutics, Inc. • New York, NY

1d • Onsite

About The Position

The Associate Director, Head of Contracts, will lead and be responsible for organizing, maintaining, and processing contracts efficiently and in accordance with internal policies and guidelines. This role requires someone with strong attention to detail, excellent organizational skills, and prior contracting experience in a pharmaceutical and/or biotech organization.
This person must be able to come into the NYC office 3 times per week.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in law, business, life sciences, or related field.
• 5+ years of contracting experience, with at least 2 years in the biotech or pharmaceutical industry.
• Proven leadership experience managing teams and cross functional stakeholders.
• Experience in both early and late-stage biotech environments.
• Familiarity with CLM systems and digital contracting tools.
• Background supporting global operations and multinational agreements.
• Must be proficient in MS Office Suite, with advanced skills in Excel.
• Strong interpersonal skills, including ability to communicate effectively with diverse audiences and build strong relationships
• Excellent written and oral communication and presentation skills.
• Ability to prioritize and multi-task successfully in a fast-paced environment.
• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail are essential
• It is essential that this individual demonstrates the ability to work with highly confidential information.
• Ability to manage both day-to-day operations as well as project work in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to work both independently and in a collaborative team setting.
• Demonstrated experience working with and presenting to senior level management.
• Ability to work through uncertainty.

Nice To Haves

• Experience with NetSuite, Workday Adaptive and/or Smartsheet’s is a plus

Responsibilities

• Interfacing with Company’s external contracts attorneys and internal business owners to support the negotiation and execution of contracts ensuring adherence to internal company policies.
• Serve as the primary liaison between third parties and internal departments to address contract-related inquiries and issues.
• Collaborate with finance and legal to develop and maintain processes and procedures (templates, tools, documents, etc.) to ensure proper controls, delegation of authority and efficiency.
• Develop, maintain and communicate contract processes/procedures internally.
• Maintain a robust contract lifecycle management (CLM) system and oversee continuous process improvement.
• Establish scalable processes, templates, and governance frameworks to ensure consistency and compliance.
• Partner with internal stakeholders to align contract terms with scientific, operational, and business priorities.
• Ensure all contracts comply with relevant regulations (e.g., FDA, EMA, GxP, data privacy, cybersecurity questionnaire, etc.).
• Track contracting KPIs, cycle times, and performance metrics.
• Drive automation, template optimization, and digital contracting tools.
• Ensure timely execution of agreements to support fast‑moving scientific and clinical timelines.

Benefits

• We offer a competitive Compensation & Benefits package including incentive bonus, equity compensation, matching 401(k), medical, dental, vision, commuter, and fertility benefits.
• Friendly, open, and fun team-oriented culture that values unique & diverse perspectives.
• Company-wide dedication to profoundly impacting patients’ lives.
• Amazing culture whereby our core values and behaviors are shared cross-functionally.
• Flexible working hours/schedule.
• Generous Paid Holidays and Unlimited PTO.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level