Commercial Contracts Manager

Shape strategic agreements and protect business interests as a trusted Commercial Contracts expert

R&D Partners is seeking a Commercial Contracts Manager to join our biotech client and provide expert advice on commercial contracts, negotiate agreements with external parties, and support internal teams in managing risks and ensuring compliance. You will play a key role in drafting, reviewing, and executing contracts while protecting the company’s interests and reputation.

What You Will Be Doing (Core Tasks):

• Involved with pre-tender engagement positioning; advising the Business Areas on the existing contract landscape and any foreseen risks with the customer’s proposed tender approach.
• Reviewing and managing multiple large tender opportunities simultaneously; reviewing the relevant tender documents and providing a comprehensive risk assessment of the opportunity to the business.
• Play an active part in the tender squad working closely with the Bids and the Commercial functions on our tender submissions. Advising and drafting tender clarifications to help seek clarity and position the business.
  • Coordinating and drafting, on behalf of the business, a tender submission for any unacceptable risks.
  • Reviewing, drafting, negotiating and executing commercial contracts with our customers highlighting areas of risk, proposing/agreeing risk mitigating strategies and ensuring contracts are commercially and legally robust (and in accordance with our tender submissions).
  • Advising Business Areas on contractual rights and obligations within existing contracts.
  • Drafting and negotiating variations to commercial contracts.
  • Providing ad hoc advice and guidance on public procurement legislation and contractual queries from internal departments.
  • Responsible for a wide range of additional contractual documents including novation agreements, parent company guarantees, confidentiality agreements, software licence and/or subscription agreements.

What You Need for This Position:

It is expected that you will be educated to degree level or equivalent. In addition, you will preferably be a qualified commercial contracts lawyer or hold a World Commerce and Contracting Association (formerly IACCM) qualification or a CIPS qualification (Graduate Diploma). Significant experience in the field will also be considered in the absence of the above qualifications.

You will have an excellent level of contract law experience and a track record of providing contractual expertise relating to the provision of high value complex goods and services (typically in excess of £5m+). The company’s Business Areas will need to be able to rely on that expertise, along with your sound business acumen and professionalism. You will offer practical advice to all Business Areas and take accountability for the contract reviews and projects assigned to you. It is also preferable that you have knowledge of public procurement contract regulations (PCR2015 /PA23) and have a basic understanding of data protection matters.

Other critical attributes to your success in the position include:

• Strengths in planning and prioritising.
• Problem solving and decision making.
• Pragmatic approach, maintaining balance between efficiency while still protecting our commercial interests.
• Consistently generates new ideas, seeking new opportunities and tries new approaches.
• Effective internal/external stakeholder engagement skills; confident at interacting at all levels both within and outside of the organisation.
• Strong negotiation skills and an eye for detail.
• Proven analytical and excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Self-starter who is action and impact oriented; possesses a strong sense of urgency and the ability to comfortably work independently (when required) or as part of a team, in an intensely deadline-oriented environment. Speed and accuracy are essential requirements for this position.
• Trustworthy; demonstrating experience working with confidential information and in confidential situations; High integrity and an unyielding commitment to legal and regulatory compliance.
• Comfortable with adopting new digital contracting solutions; proficient in Microsoft Office and Google Suite products.

For more information, please contact Grant Van Schalkwyk.

If you are interested in applying to this exciting opportunity, then please click ‘Apply’ or to speak to one of our specialists visit the ‘Contact Us’ page.

R&D Partners is a leading life sciences recruiter focused on finding exceptional people and matching them with the finest positions across the globe. R&D Partners is acting as an Employment Agency in relation to this vacancy.

By submitting this application, you confirm that you’ve read and understood our privacy policy, which informs you how we process and safeguard your data – https://www.r-dpartners.com/privacy-policy/