Senior Director, Contract Management
Immunocore

Job Info

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About the Company
Immunocore (NASDAQ: IMCR) is a pioneering, commercial-stage T cell receptor biotechnology company whose purpose is to develop and commercialize a new generation of transformative medicines which address unmet patient needs in oncology, infectious diseases and autoimmune disease. Our leaders in R&D are internationally recognised as some of the biotech industry's most successful drug developers. We are creating not just an environment where great minds can interact but an innovation powerhouse answering the big questions.

Focused on delivering first-in-class biological therapies to patients, we have developed a highly innovative soluble TCR platform. Our ImmTAX molecules underpin a new generation of precision engineered drugs that harness the immune system to treat a broad spectrum of diseases with high unmet medical need, including oncology, infectious diseases and autoimmune diseases.

We strive to create a diverse and inclusive workplace, while seeking talented individuals to work with us across the many functions that will allow us to deliver new medicines to transform the lives of patients. You will work with outstanding people who together pioneer the research, development and commercialization of bi-specific TCR therapies. We aim to create an environment where individual contributions and initiatives can be maximized, while fostering a culture of collaboration, based on respect and integrity. We want each individual employee to own their career, as part of high-performing teams, and in the context of on-the-job and formal continuous development and training, as well as constructive feedback. We always strive to identify ways to improve what we do and how we do it, by asking questions, voicing opinions, exploring various approaches and staying connected with healthcare professionals, patients, academia and other key partners.
Key Responsibilities
MAIN PURPOSE OF ROLE

We are seeking a "player/coach" who will lead a global team of contracts lawyers/managers and also in drafting and negotiating contracts as an individual contributor at a successful commercial-stage biotechnology company. The position can be based at any of our office locations in the UK & US.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Lead team of contract lawyers/managers with a significant workload plus queries/disputes on active contracts.
This involves both:
- line management; and
- owning and proactively developing processes and resources to improve controls (including Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX) controls), contract outcomes, customer experience and interaction of legal review with other contracts processes including seamless interface with Legal & Compliance specialists and Procurement.

Draft and negotiate contracts as an individual contributor, in particular higher value/more complex contracts.

Able to apply deep expertise of life science industry and contract law and practice to provide insight and leadership to promote new ideas, innovative concepts and resolving critical issues in the area of expertise.

Team workload: Legal review of contracts covering Research, Development, CMC, Commercial and Operations; and across the UK, US, EU and other jurisdictions. Postholder is responsible for allocating/prioritizing contracts between team and postholder him/herself is typically responsible for higher value/more complex contracts. Review contracts - the goal is for the review to be proportionate to the opportunities and risks underlying the contract and to balance immediate business outcomes, timeliness, relationships with counterparties etc. Postholder works consistently with ambiguous situations and assesses intangible variables and identifies and evaluates issues to provide strategy and direction to team and internal clients from across the business of all levels of seniority. Agree final version with requestor/other internal stakeholders/counterparties, ensure correct authorization and signature according to SOX controls, ensure archiving of final signed document. Also responsible for responding to/allocating between team queries on active contracts and handling most contractual disputes, where postholder will drive the resolution of complex problems that have organizational impact.

Line management/leadership: Establishes Contracts strategy and translates company strategy into objectives for own team and adjacent teams e.g. Procurement. Has expert people management skills so able to ensure positive engagement, manage succession planning, develop, address performance management issues etc.

Continuous improvement: Postholder must have a continuous improvement mindset and ensure this exists in the team. Postholder will oversee team and wider Contracts team (internal clients, Procurement, approvers etc) to develop new methods and solve company-wide matters. Examples of previous improvements made include introduction of/ongoing improvements to electronic contracts management system, development of standard documents/clauses and guidance notes, development of relationships with external lawyers and other service providers (e.g. translation services), improvement of interaction of legal review with other contracts processes e.g. obtaining input from Legal & Compliance specialists, vendor selection, generation of POs.

- Proactively upskill on new (to post holder)/emerging areas e.g. healthcare compliance.

Postholder/team may not be familiar with all relevant areas of law and current market practice e.g. healthcare compliance, insurance, GDPR, IP, fraud & abuse, but must proactively seek to fill gaps in team via formal and informal training and continuous professional development, identification/development of relevant resources etc.

- Manage relationships with key stakeholders e.g. contract requestors from across business units.

Postholder and team must develop and maintain excellent relationships with key stakeholders e.g. contract requestors from across business units/geographies, Healthcare specialist lawyer, Compliance, Procurement, Finance acting as an advisor to them. Postholder must understand, anticipate and balance stakeholders' priorities and support team to do the same.

- Report directly into General Counsel (GC), keeping GC abreast of issues/trends/management matters etc and act as a leader within the Legal & Compliance team.

Report directly to the GC: Postholder will report directly into the GC and will keep GC informed of all relevant matters e.g. complex/high value/unusual contracts or terms, market trends, stakeholder/team issues. A similar role is performed by the GC's other direct reports e.g. VP IP in relation to their functional areas.

Act as a leader within the team: Support the GC with team initiatives and ad hoc projects e.g. response to employee engagement survey.

- Report to the Immunocore Leadership Team (ILT) on Contracts (with Procurement).

ILT periodically requires an update on Contracts, and postholder will work with Director Procurement to deliver this. Influences ILT to adopt a different point of view, when and if appropriate.
Other updates/trainings to be provided as necessary on a team by team or whole company basis.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

* Excellent communication and interpersonal skills - ability to put across difficult concepts or different points of view.
* Strong negotiating and organizational skills.
* Excellent work ethic and exceptional attention to detail, the ability to perform calmly under pressure whilst managing multiple priorities with competing demands.
* Able to handle sensitive and confidential management issues and information with discretion with excellent written and verbal communication skills.
* Able to work under pressure in different projects at the same time to deliver under tight deadlines.
* Drive to meet deadlines and achieve and improve customer satisfaction.
* Proactive and prepared to take on challenges outside of their comfort zone.
* Displays intellectual curiosity and integrity.
* The ability to lead and motivate teams providing advice and guidance. Listens to others' needs and concerns.
* Adapts to change, is open to new ideas, takes on new responsibilities, handles pressure, and adjust plans to meet changing needs.
* Builds stakeholder confidence and is committed to increasing stakeholder satisfaction.
* Sets achievable customer expectations, assumes responsibility for solving customer problems, ensures commitments to customers are met, solicits opinions and ideas from stakeholders, responds to internal customers.
* Motivated by long-term results and achieving targeted business outcomes.
* Strong business acumen with skills to find creative solutions to legal issues, and to effectively balance legal risks against business interests.

Experience & knowledge

Essential
* Significant experience as a contracts lawyer or contracts manager covering a range of contracts including complex/high value contracts.
* Significant experience of effective prioritization.
* Experience of proactively developing processes and resources to improve controls, contract outcomes, customer experience and/or interaction of legal review with other contracts processes.
* Experience of upskilling in new/emerging areas.
* Significant experience of stakeholder management.
* Life science sector experience.

Desirable
* Qualified lawyer.
* Previous biotech experience.
* Line management experience.
* Contracts disputes experience.
* Knowledge of/experience in relevant specialist areas e.g., healthcare compliance, insurance, GDPR, IP, fraud & abuse.
* Experience with Contract Lifecycle Management tools e.g., Agiloft.

Education & qualifications
* Educational qualification to at least degree level.
* Additional legal professional qualifications desirable.

COMPETENCIES

1. Communication Proficiency.
* Good communication and interpersonal skills - ability to put across difficult concepts or different points of view.
2. Time Management
* Able to work under pressure in different projects at the same time to deliver under tight deadlines.
3. Collaboration Skills.
* Being able to work productively with others to achieve tasks. Showing consideration for the needs and feelings of others.
4. Personal Effectiveness/Credibility.
* Good work ethic and exceptional attention to detail.
* Able to handle sensitive and confidential management issues and information with discretion with excellent written and verbal communication skills including proofreading.
* Being prepared to accept full responsibility for tasks entrusted to them; seeing tasks through to completion and dealing with the consequences of failure or success.
5. Flexibility.
* Being flexible to new ideas and approaches; changes of plans, objectives and/or priorities. Handling disjointed tasks effectively.
6. Technical Capacity.
* Managing negotiations to achieve a favorable outcome for the business.
* Knowledge of Patent and Intellectual Property law, licensing, commercial and research contracts.
* Skilled in drafting and negotiating a range of contracts.
7. Stress Management/Composure.
* The ability to maintain task focus, team focus and emotional control, especially in the face of significant workload, competing timelines, difficulties, and setbacks.

SPECIFIC BEHAVIOURAL ATTRIBUTES

* Analytical Thinking - Tackling problems using a logical, systematic, and sequential approach, identifying discrepancies and inconsistencies.
* Attention to Communication - Ensuring information is passed as required it, keeping managers informed on progress and problems, avoiding surprises.
* Diagnostic Information Gathering - Identifying the information required to clarify a situation, asking questions when required.
* Managing Self Performance - Taking responsibility for own performance, clarifying expectations, and promptly notifying managers/colleagues of problems affecting potential completion of goals.
* Results Orientated - Focusing on desired results, overcoming obstacles and sometimes frustration, with an urgency to get things done.
* Teamwork - Working cooperatively as part of a team, actively listening, and constructively responding to others' ideas.
* Thoroughness - Ensuring work and information provided is complete, carefully reviewing and checking the accuracy of information and work.
* Written and oral communication - Writing and speaking clearly to share thoughts and information concisely and appropriately.
* Building collaborative relationships - Developing, maintaining and strengthening partnerships with others who can provide information, assistance and support.
* Fostering teamwork - Working cooperatively with others listening, responding and offering support for ideas and proposals, whilst constructively expressing differing views.
* Influencing others - Presenting arguments that address others concerns and issues, gaining support for these using own expertise and other experts to help shape opinions.
* Initiative - Proactively identifying what needs to be done, undertaking more than what might be normally required and independently taking action to change the direction of events.
* Interpersonal awareness - Understanding, interpreting and anticipating the concerns and feelings of others, responding attentively and putting measures in place to address these sensitively.
* Conceptual thinking - Adopting a holistic, abstract or theoretical perspective in order to notice similarities between different and apparently unrelated situations.
* Developing others - Coaching and supporting others to develop their capabilities, providing appropriate and specific feedback.
* Forward thinking - Anticipating the implications and consequences of situations, taking appropriate action in order to be prepared for possible contingencies and planning accordingly.
* Fostering innovation - Developing, proposing and supporting new approaches, methods and technologies that improve effectiveness, working cooperatively with others to produce and implement these innovative solutions.
* Managing change - Supporting, implementing and initiating innovation and organizational changes to improve effectiveness, helping others to successfully manage these changes.
* Providing motivational support - Encouraging others, sharing ideas in a way that energizes groups, acknowledging people for their contributions and promptly tackling any problems impacting morale.
* Decisiveness - Making difficult but effective decisions in a timely manner for situations which are difficult, ambiguous and/or unfamiliar.
* Establishing focus - Developing and communicating goals in support of the business' overall mission.
* Persuasive communication - Planning and delivering written and spoken communication which positively persuades the intended audience by identifying and presenting information and data for several different arguments in support of a position.
* Strategic thinking - Analyzing the organization' approach and position by considering industry trends, internal/external existing customers and the organizations strengths and weaknesses compared to others.

IMMUNOCORE VALUES

* We lead with science to benefit patients
* We are entrepreneurial
* We value diversity to drive innovation
* We trust and respect each other
* We act with integrity

POSITION TYPE AND EXPECTED HOURS OF WORK / TRAVEL

This is a full-time position.
There may be occasional travel.

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