Senior Contracts Attorney

Synthego•Redwood City, CA

About The Position

The Senior Contracts Attorney provides commercial legal support across all contract and transactional aspects of the business, working closely with business teams to contribute to the company’s financial and operational success. Reporting directly to the Chief Legal Officer, this role operates with significant autonomy and manages the company’s contract database. The position advises business units on corporate, commercial, transactional, and contract matters; manages deals with biopharma, CDMO, academic, and institutional counterparties; and helps resolve complex matters within and outside the company. It also supports intellectual property matters as needed and oversees performance metrics for the legal contracts function. The position is hybrid or remote with internal approval and may involve periodic travel and flexibility in working hours to support deal timelines.

Requirements

Juris Doctor (JD) degree.
At least 6 years of transactional and contract drafting and negotiating experience at a law firm and/or life sciences company.
Member in good standing of a state bar association.
Ability to manage a high-volume workload independently and exercise sound judgment, including knowing when to elevate issues.
Ability to work effectively with all levels of the organization.
Experience with intellectual property concepts, including patent law.
Strategic judgment, problem-solving, strong written and verbal communication, diplomacy, teamwork and collaboration, high attention to detail, self-direction, prioritization, organizational skills, adaptability, strategic management and use of outside counsel resources, and ability to navigate conflict effectively.

Nice To Haves

Science background.
California Bar membership.
Experience with GMP agreements, quality technical agreements, and technology licensing.

Responsibilities

Serve as a direct legal advisor to all business units regarding corporate, commercial, transactional, and contract matters.
Draft, review, negotiate, and execute a broad range of commercial agreements, including GMP supply agreements, technology license and sublicense agreements, quality technical agreements, OEM and distribution agreements, master services agreements, confidentiality agreements, consulting agreements, leases, and vendor agreements.
Own end-to-end deal management for biopharma, CDMO, academic, and institutional counterparties.
Partner with QA/QC on Quality Technical Agreements for GMP customer engagements.
Identify and communicate legal and commercial risk to internal stakeholders and provide guidance for resolution.
Build and maintain contract templates and the internal contract management system.
Participate in commercial negotiations with internal clients and third parties.
Assist with and/or manage intellectual property-related issues as needed, such as trademark management and freedom-to-operate inquiries.
Manage performance-related metrics for the legal contracts function, including legal intake and contract turnaround metrics.
Strategically manage and facilitate resolution of complex matters, both within and outside the company.
Exemplify leadership and ethical advocacy, and serve as a trusted subject matter resource to colleagues.
Manage competing priorities and communicate effectively with stakeholders.