bit.bio is an award-winning spinout from the University of Cambridge. Our breakthrough technology combines synthetic and stem cell biology for the precise, efficient and consistent reprogramming of human cells used in research, drug discovery, and cell therapy.

We are passionate about engineering human cells that will enable the medicine of the future. To do this we need talented and curious people who want to make an impact on the future of science and therapeutics.

Location: Babraham Research Campus, Cambridge

Type: Full time, 6-month contract

Office based position - Cambridge, UK with hybrid working available

This Fixed Term Contract (FTC) is to cover a period of up to 6 months, or on return of the substantive postholder, whichever is earlier.

Your role in our team:

Reporting to the Head of Legal and IP, the Legal Counsel will play a key role in providing legal advice and support with contract negotiation and finalisation across all areas of bit.bio’s operations.

Responsibilities

The Legal Counsel will be responsible for:

• Drafting, negotiating and finalising NDAs, commercial contracts, material transfer agreements, research collaboration agreements, supplier agreements, distribution agreements, SaaS agreements, consultancy agreements, terms and conditions of data as a product and other agreements.
• Providing legal advice to the business on commercial terms, updating and maintaining the business’ terms and conditions of sales and services and licensing terms.
• Providing legal advice and support to the business on product development, and development of commercial processes including workflow and alignment on legal checkpoints.
• Supporting licensing activities and compliance with licensing terms as required.

Corporate Support

• Providing support to the business with all legal corporate functions, as required, including Heads of Terms, due diligence exercises, drafting, negotiating and reviewing transaction documents and the ancillary documents, completion of the transaction and implementing necessary post completion steps to close transactions.
• Preparing or reviewing ancillary documents that are necessary supporting documents required to give effect to a wider corporate transaction.

General Support

• Drafting, negotiating and finalising consulting agreements and supporting the general business operation needs including reviewing related contracts.
• Developing and maintaining strong working relationships with internal stakeholders, external counsels and external business partners.
• Developing and maintaining a strong working knowledge of company contracts, standard terms and business objectives.
• Developing and maintaining a clause library to expedite contract drafting and negotiation.
• Developing, maintaining and improving company agreement templates and tools, including drafting internal policies and guidance documents as needed.
• Managing contracts lifecycle management tool for bit.bio’s legal department.

Requirements

• UK-qualified (or equivalent) lawyer with substantial in-house experience and a minimum 2 years PQE with a strong background in reviewing contracts.
• Pragmatic, responsible, solution-oriented self-starter with exceptional organisational skills.
• Professional with unimpeachable integrity who exercises sound judgment and respects confidentiality obligations.
• Comfortable working in a fast-paced, start-up environment comprising a diverse and geographically dispersed team.
• Proven track record of working closely with internal business partners within the Life Sciences industry, ideally gained in academic technology transfer environment / biotechnology or pharmaceutical sectors.
• Commercially minded, with a primary focus on commercial and research contracts, and also confident handling broader corporate matters.
• Demonstrated ability to ensure compliance and proactively mitigate legal and commercial risks.

bit.bio provides a vibrant and dynamic work environment in an exciting, fast-moving time for biology. We work with cutting edge technologies and with our world-leading scientific advisory board. We conduct pioneering work with real-world impact.

We trust our people to make significant contributions early on with opportunities to be involved in projects that are key to the success and growth of our young company.