--- title: 'Contracts Manager at Element Biosciences' canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/contracts-manager-element-biosciences-san-diego-0ha6db455b6z' type: 'job' last_seen: '2026-09-07' --- # Contracts Manager at Element Biosciences - **Company:** Element Biosciences - **Location:** San Diego, CA - **Posted:** 2026-08-31 - **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-07 - **Apply:** https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/elementbiosciences/jobs/6162538004 ## Job description At Element Biosciences, we are passionate about our mission to empower the scientific community with more freedom and flexibility to accelerate our collective impact on humanity. We have built a highly efficient product-driven organization where employees can learn, grow, and thrive in a challenging but encouraging environment. We are committed to scientific integrity, collegiality, honesty, objectivity, and openness. We are seeking a motivated and experienced Contracts Manager to join our in-house Legal Team. This role will be pivotal in providing comprehensive commercial and contract legal advice and support across all functions of the company to ensure alignment with the company's strategic objectives. We are looking for candidates with solid experience in contracts and business legal support, preferably in the biotechnology industry. This role will report to Senior Director, Commercial Legal & Compliance and will be based in San Diego. If you possess the following and want to make a meaningful impact, we invite you to explore this role. Essential Functions and Responsibilities: - Independently draft, review, and negotiate a wide range of agreements, including NDAs, MTAs, Instrument Loan Agreements, Reagent Rental Agreements, and other agreements to support research and business operations - Provide efficient, timely, and valued legal support to help the business achieve its goals while also mitigating risk to the company - Escalate and coordinate legal and other issues to the appropriate internal stakeholders (i.e. Legal Counsel, Commercial, R&D, Operations/Business Operations, etc.) to facilitate and resolve contractual issues - Provide Marketing Legal Review support, including legal review of marketing collateral, publications/presentations, and customer facing documentation - Develop and maintain strong relationships with internal stakeholders to understand business requirements and ensure alignment with company goals and policies - Work closely with internal stakeholders and cross-functional teams to advise of potential risks and mitigation strategies - Help develop, manage, and implement Legal's templates, playbooks, and procedures - Interface with global teams across the company to gauge and anticipate legal needs - Provide high level of client satisfaction Education and Experience: - Bachelor’s degree with at least 6 or more years’ experience as a contracts manager or paralegal in the life sciences or biotechnology industry - Experience in the life sciences and/or biotech fields are strongly preferred; California notary a plus - Familiarity and/or experience with data privacy matters is a plus - Highly organized and detail-oriented with strong contract drafting skills - Adept at managing multiple and shifting priorities in a dynamic, fast-paced environment - Excellent communication, problem-solving, and critical/strategic thinking skills - Self-directed, proactive, and enterprising - Strong interpersonal skills and ability to collaborate with and support colleagues and clients, including senior leadership Physical Requirements: - Ability to lift up to 20 pounds Location: - San Diego/On-site Travel: - Willingness to travel up to 10% of the time Job Type: - Full-time Base Compensation Pay Range: - $119,000 - $156,000 In addition to base compensation noted above, you will be eligible for stock options, discretionary annual bonus, no cost health insurance plans, 401k with company match, and flexible paid time off. Please note: Base compensation will depend on multiple factors, including geographic location, qualifications, and experience. We foster an environment such that all people are afforded the freedom to pursue their passions without regard to race, color, religion, national or ethnic origin, gender (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, veteran status or any other characteristics protected by law. ## About Element Biosciences ## Company Overview - **One-liner**: Element Biosciences develops affordable, high-quality DNA sequencing and multiomics platforms to democratize access to advanced biological analysis. - **Entity Type**: Private (Series E) - **Headquarters**: San Diego, California, USA - **Founded**: 2017 - **Founders**: Three scientists (names not publicly listed in detail, but described as industry veterans) ## Core Business - Primary industry/industries: Genomics, Biotechnology, Life Sciences, Multiomics - Target customers: Research laboratories (academic, government, and biopharma), clinical researchers, and diagnostic developers (B2B, primarily research and clinical segments) - Mission or purpose statement: “To empower the scientific community with more freedom and flexibility to accelerate our collective impact on humanity, and open the world of biology to new possibilities.” [elementbiosciences.com/about](https://www.elementbiosciences.com/about) ## Products & Services - **[AVITI™ System]**: A benchtop DNA sequencing system that delivers high-quality, affordable sequencing (the company announced a $200 genome). Uses proprietary Avidity™ chemistry. - **[AVITI24™]**: A 5D multiomics system launched in April 2024 that provides subcellular spatial co-detection of RNA, protein, and morphology on a single integrated platform, with no library prep required. Powered by ABC Sequencing. - **[VITARI™]**: A new platform/product line announced for scaling without the premium price (details emerging). - **Reagent & Consumables**: Proprietary reagents with a price guarantee for the lifetime of the AVITI system. - **Loop Genomics Acquisition**: Integrated long-read sequencing capabilities via the 2022 acquisition of Loop Genomics. ## Market Standing - **Valuation/Market Cap**: Not disclosed (private company). Total known funding exceeds $553M across multiple rounds. - **Key Metric (Total Funding)**: $277M in Series D (led by Wellington Management), $276M in Series C, plus Series A & B from Foresite Capital and Venrock. An upsized Series E was announced in 2026 to accelerate global growth. [elementbiosciences.com/about](https://www.elementbiosciences.com/about) - **Notable Investors/Partners**: Wellington Management, Foresite Capital, Venrock. Global distribution partners signed in 2023. Nearly 30 unique patents. - **Growth Signals**: - Customer base spanning 40+ countries. - Technology used in 400+ publications. - Achieved ISO 13485 certification (June 2026), establishing a quality foundation for diagnostic applications. - Opened new headquarters at the Alexandria Tech Center in San Diego. - Upsized Series E financing in 2026 to expand genomic, multiomic, and clinical research solutions. ## Competitive Advantages - **Cost Disruption**: The company’s core differentiator is making high-quality sequencing affordable (e.g., the $200 genome) and accessible to labs of all sizes, challenging incumbents like Illumina. - **Integrated Multiomics**: The AVITI24 platform is a first-of-its-kind 5D system that combines sequencing with spatial protein and RNA detection in a single workflow, eliminating the need for library prep. - **Reagent Price Guarantee**: A lifetime reagent price guarantee on the AVITI system provides cost predictability for customers. - **Founding Team & IP**: Founded by industry veterans with deep domain expertise, supported by a strong patent portfolio (30 patents). ## Strategic Focus - **Global Commercial Expansion**: Scaling sales and support infrastructure across 40+ countries, with specific focus on APJ and EMEA regions (as seen in job postings for Field Applications Scientists and Territory Managers in those regions). - **Clinical & Diagnostic Entry**: Leveraging ISO 13485 certification to move into regulated diagnostic applications. - **Ecosystem Expansion**: Building out the AVITI24 multiomics platform and the VITARI scaling platform to capture a broader share of the multiomics and clinical research markets. - **Talent Acquisition**: Actively hiring across R&D, Commercial, Operations, and Quality functions to support rapid growth. ## Why Work Here - **Culture & Values**: The company emphasizes five core values: “We Disrupt the Norm,” “We Lead with Respect,” “We Overcome Challenges with Grit,” “We Own Our Success and Failures,” and “We Embrace Authenticity.” They describe a culture of accountability, transparency, and collaboration. - **Compensation & Benefits**: - 100% company-paid medical, dental, and vision coverage. - Premier mental health care (Spring Health partnership). - $10,000 fertility benefit. - Paid parental leave. - 401(k) match and stock options. - Paid flexible time off (FTO) for both exempt and non-exempt employees. - Free access to local Alexandria EXOS gyms. - Pet insurance and identity theft protection. - **Work Model**: Roles range from onsite (San Diego HQ) to fully remote (APJ, Canada, France). The company has a paid, 10-week onsite summer internship program with a 4.86/5 intern satisfaction rating. - **Growth Opportunity**: Joining a fast-growing, well-funded private company at a pivotal moment of commercial scaling and product expansion, with a mission-driven focus on accelerating science. ## Sources 1. [elementbiosciences.com](https://www.elementbiosciences.com/) 2. [elementbiosciences.com/about](https://www.elementbiosciences.com/about) 3. [elementbiosciences.com/careers](https://www.elementbiosciences.com/careers) 4. [job-boards.greenhouse.io/elementbiosciences](http://job-boards.greenhouse.io/elementbiosciences) 5. [elementbiosciences.com/careers/openings](https://www.elementbiosciences.com/careers/openings) ## Other roles at Element Biosciences - [Director, Software Engineering](https://feeny.ai/job/director-software-engineering-element-biosciences-san-diego-t3d3p429qme5) — San Diego, CA - [Staff Commodity Manager](https://feeny.ai/job/staff-commodity-manager-element-biosciences-san-diego-2qejxwzan0e2) — San Diego, CA - [Associate Scientist, Cell Culture](https://feeny.ai/job/associate-scientist-cell-culture-element-biosciences-san-diego-v0c7g7z87pas) — San Diego, CA - [Scientist, Surface Chemistry](https://feeny.ai/job/scientist-surface-chemistry-element-biosciences-san-diego-2ddvpfny9akb) — San Diego, CA - [Scientist, Biochemistry](https://feeny.ai/job/scientist-biochemistry-element-biosciences-san-diego-yj1x6avab5wn) — San Diego, CA - [Staff Optical Systems Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/staff-optical-systems-engineer-element-biosciences-san-diego-qnmr3jf99rge) — San Diego, CA - [Associate Director, Product Management – Software, Multiomics Data Partnerships](https://feeny.ai/job/associate-director-product-management-software-multiomics-data-partnerships-gkdxm0d7bmn8) — San Diego, CA - [Global Support Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/global-support-engineer-element-biosciences-san-diego-6jxxnmmpc202) — San Diego, CA - [Field Service Engineer - Los Angeles](https://feeny.ai/job/field-service-engineer-los-angeles-element-biosciences-remote-1afqnzv6px1b) - [Channel Account Manager - Italy](https://feeny.ai/job/channel-account-manager-italy-element-biosciences-emea-cnd5ye7tx5av) — EMEA