Counsel, R&D and Commercial Contracts
Job Overview
We are seeking a Counsel, Contracts and Legal Affairs (Director level) to join our legal team and lead high impact contracting matters across R&D, commercial operations, market access and G&A functions as we prepare to launch our first commercial product. This is a hands-on role for an experienced in-house attorney who enjoys ownership, cross-functional partnership, and operating in a fast moving, scaling organization.
Location
Hybrid in our New York City office. (eventually will be NJ office location)
Reports to
VP, Associate General Counsel.
Roles and Responsibilities
Draft, review, and negotiate complex R&D and clinical development agreements, including:
Clinical trial agreements (CTAs)
CRO, CDMO, and other strategic vendor agreements
Research collaboration and services agreements
Draft, review, and negotiate commercial contracting agreements, including:
Commercial vendor and services agreements
Supply, manufacturing, distribution, and logistics agreements
Support negotiation of payer and market access agreements, including managed care, reimbursement, and innovative contracting models (where applicable)
Advise business partners on contractual risk, deal structure, and practical solutions aligned with company strategy
Help build and scale contracting processes, templates, and negotiation playbooks
Partner cross-functionally with clinical, commercial, market access, finance, and compliance teams
Candidate Profile
JD from an accredited law school and active bar membership in at least one U.S. jurisdiction
Typically 3-5+ years of legal experience, with meaningful in-house experience in the pharmaceutical or biotechnology industry strongly preferred or relevant law firm experience supporting life sciences clients, with exposure to in-house-style responsibilities
Significant experience negotiating
R&D and clinical development contracts
Commercial vendor and operational agreements
Payer or market access–related agreements
Other vendor agreements
Strong understanding of the legal and compliance considerations facing emerging commercial-stage life sciences companies
Proven ability to lead matters independently and exercise sound judgment
Business-oriented mindset with excellent communication and stakeholder management skills
The ideal candidate should have the following characteristics
Legal smarts, analytic rigor, business sense, and a strong work ethic
Ability to operate independently and work cross-functionally with various teams across the organization
Excellent interpersonal communication skills and exemplary attention to detail
Likes finding solutions to complex problems and works well under pressure
Strong written and oral communication (including analysis, interpretation, & reasoning) and organizational skills (project management)
Flexible, with excellent ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously
Believes in holding themselves and others accountable
Nice to Have
Experience supporting a clinical to commercial transition or first product launch
Exposure to market access, reimbursement, or payer contracting strategy
Experience building scalable contracting frameworks in a growing organization
Why Join our Legal team
Play a leadership role at a company approaching a major commercialization milestone
Work closely with senior stakeholders across development and commercial team
Make a meaningful impact in a lean, collaborative legal environment
Compensation
Base salary per annum: $200,000 – $260,000 USD.
Benefits & Compensation
For an overview of our benefits package and compensation information, please visit "Working at Compass".
Equal Opportunities
We are proud of our commitment to diversity and equality (pursuant to the Equality Act 2010). We do not discriminate based upon race, religion or belief, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin, gender, pregnancy or maternity, marital or civil partner status, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, age or disability. (UK applicants)
Compass Pathways is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All employment decisions are based on business needs, job requirements, and individual qualifications, without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions), ethnicity, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, military service, genetic information, familial or marital status, or any other status, category, or characteristic protected by applicable law. (US applicants)
Reasonable Accommodation
We are committed to building a workplace where everyone's wellbeing matters. If you need reasonable accommodation during the interview process to be at your best, please let our recruiting team know.
Sponsorship
Unfortunately, we cannot sponsor employment visas and can only accept applications if you have employment rights in the country to which you are applying.
Data Privacy
All data is confidential and protected by all legal and data privacy requirements, please see our recruitment Privacy Notice to learn more about how we process personal data.
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