Legal Operations Manager

Accountabilities:: Manage the full contract lifecycle, including intake, drafting from approved templates, redlining, negotiation within established guidelines, approval routing, execution, and renewal tracking. Negotiate and manage vendor, consulting, nondisclosure, software, supply, and services agreements within defined authority. Coordinate clinical trial agreements, site budgets, and CRO contracts with Clinical Affairs and external legal counsel. Develop and maintain contract templates, playbooks, approval workflows, and signature authority documentation. Identify non-standard terms and material risks, escalating them to outside counsel with clear summaries and recommended next steps. Maintain corporate records, including board and committee minutes, consents, bylaws, and entity documentation. Prepare board materials and coordinate quarterly board meeting processes. Administer equity documentation in Carta, including option grant approvals, board consents, and 409A records, in collaboration with Finance and HR. Coordinate data rooms, diligence requests, and closing checklists for financing transactions. Manage outside counsel relationships, legal spend, and budget-to-actual reporting. Implement and administer a scalable contract lifecycle management system. Track intellectual property matters with patent counsel, including filings, deadlines, and invention disclosures. Coordinate policy records, employment agreements, state addenda, and regulatory documentation with relevant internal teams and legal advisors. Develop reporting on contract volume, cycle times, legal spend, and other legal operations metrics. Requirements: Bachelor’s degree. 5–8 years of experience in contracts, legal operations, corporate paralegal work, or a closely related field. Demonstrated experience negotiating commercial agreements and exercising independent judgment within established guidelines. Working knowledge of corporate governance, equity administration, and financing processes. Strong organizational and project management skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a growing organization. Excellent written communication skills and the ability to communicate clearly with internal stakeholders and external counsel. High level of discretion and sound judgment when handling confidential and sensitive information. In-house experience within life sciences, medical technology, or a venture-backed organization is preferred. Paralegal certification or a contract management credential such as NCMA CCCM or WorldCC certification is preferred. Experience with clinical trial agreements, FDA-regulated environments, intellectual property, or patent support is advantageous. Hands-on experience with Carta, contract lifecycle management platforms, and electronic signature tools is preferred. Experience establishing legal processes and infrastructure within an early-stage company is a plus. Must be permanently authorized to work in the United States without current or future visa sponsorship. Benefits: Anticipated salary range of $90,000–$110,000. Fully remote work arrangement. Potential bonus opportunities. Potential equity compensation. Company-sponsored benefits. Occasional in-person meetings or activities for employees located within reasonable commuting distance of the Santa Clara headquarters. Opportunity to establish and shape legal operations infrastructure as a first dedicated legal operations hire. Opportunity to work across contracts, corporate governance, compliance, intellectual property, and financing activities in a growing medical technology environment.