Senior Counsel, Clinical Contracting (Director)

About Generate:Biomedicines

Generate:Biomedicines is a new kind of therapeutics company – existing at the intersection of machine learning, biological engineering, and medicine – pioneering Generative Biology™ to create breakthrough medicines where novel therapeutics are computationally generated, instead of being discovered. The Company has built a machine learning-powered biomedicines platform with the potential to generate new drugs across a wide range of biologic modalities. This platform represents a potentially fundamental shift in what is possible in the field of biotherapeutic development.

We pursue this audacious vision because we believe in the unique and revolutionary power of generative biology to radically transform the lives of billions, with an outsized opportunity for patients in need. We are seeking collaborative, relentless problem solvers that share our passion for impact to join us!

Generate:Biomedicines was founded in 2018 by Flagship Pioneering and has received nearly $700 million in funding, providing the resources to rapidly scale the organization. The Company has offices in Somerville and Andover, Massachusetts with 300+ employees.

The Role: 

We are seeking a highly experienced and strategic Senior Counsel, Clinical Contracting – Legal & Regulatory to lead clinical contracting efforts across a portfolio of late-phase (Phase II-III) clinical trials. This role will be responsible for driving the negotiation and execution of a wide range of clinical trial agreements, and for advising internal stakeholders on contracting strategy, risk mitigation, and regulatory considerations.

While the vast majority of this role (~80–90%) will be focused on transactional clinical contracts, the ideal candidate will also contribute in a strategic legal advisory capacity (~10%), supporting the General Counsel, Clinical Operations, and Tech Ops teams on matters of regulatory law, including quality and compliance.

A JD with regulatory law experience is strongly preferred.

Here's how you will contribute:

Contract Drafting and Negotiation

• Lead hands-on drafting, negotiation, and execution of a wide array of clinical agreements, including CTAs, MCTAs, CRO agreements, CDAs, SOWs, ICFs, IRB/IEC agreements, DPAs, MTAs, and more.
• Ensure efficient, high-quality, and risk-aware contracting support for late-phase global trials.

Cross-Functional Legal Collaboration

• Act as the primary legal point of contact for Clinical Operations, Regulatory Affairs, Quality, and Clinical Development teams regarding clinical contract terms and structures.
• Provide regulatory legal guidance to relevant teams on Clinical, Quality, Regulatory Affairs, and related issues as needed.

Regulatory and Risk Management Support

• Identify and manage contract-related risks including subject injury, data privacy (e.g., GDPR, HIPAA), indemnification, and IP provisions.
• Support alignment of clinical contracts with applicable regulatory frameworks (FDA, ICH-GCP, etc.).

Vendor and Global Trial Support

• Support contractual engagement of CROs and clinical vendors; define scopes, KPIs, and timelines in close coordination with operational leads.
• Address country-specific contracting and legal challenges in global clinical trial execution.

Process Optimization

• Develop and manage contract templates, fallback language, negotiation playbooks, and escalations protocols.
• Track and analyze key metrics (e.g., cycle times, activation delays), and implement process improvements.

Escalation and Strategic Resolution

• Serve as escalation point for high-complexity negotiations and institutional counterparties; collaborate with executive stakeholders and legal advisors to resolve disputes.

The Ideal Candidate will have:

• 10+ years of relevant experience in clinical trial contracting and legal negotiation, ideally within biotech, pharma, or CRO settings.
• JD strongly preferred, especially with regulatory law experience (e.g., clinical quality, GxP, data protection).
• Proven ability to lead clinical contracting functions and support late-phase (Phase II-III) global studies.
• Collaborative, pragmatic and business-minded approach with strong communication and interpersonal skills
• Experience working with global sites and understanding international legal considerations in clinical trials is a plus.

Preferred Attributes

• Strong communication and influence skills across technical and non-technical audiences.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities and deliver in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.
• Comfortable navigating ambiguity and building new processes from the ground up.
• Familiarity with contracting technology and tools.

Location: Somerville, MA (Hybrid-onsite minimum 3-4 days per week)

Why Join us?

At Generate:Biomedicines, you’ll shape the legal foundation of groundbreaking clinical trials powered by generative biology—a radically new way to create medicines. In this strategic leadership role, you’ll work at the heart of cross-functional decision-making, guiding contract negotiations and advising on regulatory risk at a pivotal time of clinical expansion. You’ll be surrounded by collaborative, mission-driven professionals and have the autonomy to optimize processes, build scalable frameworks, and directly influence the development of life-changing therapies. If you’re excited to combine legal depth with purpose-driven innovation, this is your opportunity to lead at the frontier of science and law.

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Equal Opportunity Employer Statement
Generate:Biomedicines is committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity, or Veteran status.

Recruitment & Staffing Agencies: Generate:Biomedicines does not accept unsolicited resumes from any source other than candidates. The submission of unsolicited resumes by recruitment or staffing agencies to Generate:Biomedicines or its employees is strictly prohibited unless contacted directly by the Company’s internal Talent Acquisition team. Any resume submitted by an agency in the absence of a signed agreement will automatically become the property of Generate:Biomedicines and the Company will not owe any referral or other fees with respect thereto.

 

Compensation: The base salary range provided reflects our current estimate of what we anticipate paying for this position. Your actual base salary will be based on several factors, including job-related skills, experience, internal equity, relevant education or training, and market dynamics. In addition, you will be eligible for an annual bonus, equity compensation, and a competitive benefits package.

Per Year Salary Range$173,000—$260,000 USD