Do you want to be part of an inclusive team that works to develop innovative therapies for patients? Every day, we are driven to develop and deliver innovative and effective new medicines to patients and physicians. If you want to be part of this exciting work, you belong at Astellas!

Astellas Pharma Inc. is a pharmaceutical company conducting business in more than 70 countries around the world. We are committed to turning innovative science into medical solutions that bring value and hope to patients and their families. Keeping our focus on addressing unmet medical needs and conducting our business with ethics and integrity enables us to improve the health of people throughout the world. For more information on Astellas, please visit our website at www.astellas.com .

This position is based in Northbrook, Illinois. Remote work from certain states may be permitted in accordance with Astellas’ Responsible Flexibility Guidelines. Candidates interested in remote work are encouraged to apply.

Purpose and Scope:

  • The Contract Content Lead will support the third-party supplier contracting process. This includes creating, maintaining, and improving templates, playbooks and clause libraries for third-party supplier contracts. The Contract Content Lead will ensure that the templates and clauses receive legal review and approval on the contractual and commercial risks involved and follow Astellas’ legal and compliance policies. They will also be proactive with changes and/or improvements to templates, playbooks and clause libraries to align with evolving business needs. This role interfaces with GCO Contracting team members, GCO Engagement Partner, GCO Program Manager, GCO Process and Systems Lead, Legal subject matter experts, and other internal and external stakeholders as required to identify and execute new needs, changes and improvements. Contributes to the improvement of the contract process by being an active member of the Astellas Global Contracting Office.

Essential Job Responsibilities:

  • Preparing and managing various supplier contract templates for use by Legal and/or Astellas business clients, including Master Service Agreements, Service Agreements, Confidentiality Agreements, etc.

  • Preparing and managing playbooks to support the efficient and effective negotiation of contract provisions with third-party suppliers.

  • Engaging with subject matter experts in Legal and in other Divisions such as Procurement, Ethics & Compliance, Regulatory, etc. on escalations of specific contracting issues and capturing knowledge to minimize future escalations and ensuring captured knowledge is communicated to contract reviewers within the GCO and to others in the Legal Division outside of the GCO who may work on contracts that give rise to similar types of escalations.

  • Maintaining and updating existing templates, playbooks and clause libraries; regularly soliciting feedback from various stakeholders such as business clients, contract reviewers, and SMEs on their experience with the templates and playbooks, understanding requirements/pain points, and identifying and implementing changes for improvement; working with SMEs to ensure the templates and playbooks reflect current laws and Astellas policies and align with Astellas’ risk profile.

  • Communicating and providing training on changes to relevant team members, service providers and stakeholders.

  • Maintaining repositories for the templates and playbooks and ensuring adequate version tracking and controls are in place.

  • Generating and maintaining a plan for the proactive creation and ongoing maintenance of templates, playbooks and clauses.

  • Providing insightful observations and suggestions for improvement that can be achieved through contractual language and/or process improvement.

  • Contributing to the development and optimization of the GCO strategy and vision for contract management and contract operations.

  • Supporting a legal culture of excellence, which includes driving and fostering: (1) an agile, adaptive culture; (2) a value-based organization based on Legal’s Mission and objectives; (3) a culture of innovation, transparency and trust; (4) proactive identification/mitigation of risk in a balanced approach; (5) empowerment and engagement of the team members; (6) a collaborative culture with close coordination with other members of Legal and IP as appropriate to leverage synergies and efficiencies; (7) a culture of compliance and good corporate governance; and (8) a continuous expectation of high performance, where “ok” is not good enough.

  • Leading and supporting other projects as may be requested by the GCO Lead, Legal Governance, Corporate Strategy and Administration Head, or General Counsel.

  • Overnight travel, including international travel, as needed.

Organizational Context:

  • The GCO Contract Content Lead reports to Director, GCO Contracting (US/EST/INT)

  • Works closely, collaborates, and coordinates with others in the Global Contracting Office (“GCO”), including Directors, GCO Contracting, GCO Engagement Partner, GCO Program Manager, GCO Process and Systems Lead, and Legal subject matter experts.

Qualifications:

Required

  • Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent years of experience required, preferred if in a healthcare-related discipline, life sciences, law, or business.

  • Legal background or contracting expertise.

  • At least 3-5 years of experience with contract negotiation, analysis, and interpretation; experience with global contracts preferred.

  • Solid experience and knowledge of best practices relating to contract matters.

  • Strong work ethic and ability to manage a large workload, multi-task and focus on critical priorities and otherwise effectively meet client needs.

  • Strong attention to detail and ability to produce quality work and complete tasks under pressure and against tight deadlines. Self-motivated and conscious of both the quality and timeliness of the work completed.

  • Good analytical and problem-solving skills. Ability to acquire process knowledge quickly.

  • Inspires trust and confidence through effective communication and interpersonal skills.

  • Ability to take direction and follow instructions, including asking clarifying questions when needed to ensure understanding.

  • Team player and able to build relationships both internally and externally.

  • Computer literacy and proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite; ability to achieve advanced-level skills in Ariba Contracts Management Module and DocuSign.

  • Excellent interpersonal, oral, and written communication skills required, including fluency in written and spoken English.

Benefits:

  • Medical, Dental and Vision Insurance

  • Generous Paid Time Off options, including Vacation, Sick time, plus national holidays including Heritage Days, and Summer and Winter Breaks

  • 401(k) match and annual company contribution

  • Company paid life insurance

  • Annual Corporate Bonus and Quarterly Sales Incentive for eligible positions

  • Long Term Incentive Plan for eligible positions

  • Referral bonus program

*LI-JB1

Category Legal Governance, Corporate Strategy and Administration

Astellas is committed to equality of opportunity in all aspects of employment.

EOE including Disability/Protected Veterans

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