Contracts & Finance Senior Manager / Associate Director, Clinical Operations

As part of the Clinical Operations team, The Contracts & Finance Sr. Manager/Associate Director is responsible for the development, negotiation, review and lifecycle management of clinical site and vendor contracts and budgets supporting all oncology, inflammation, and immunology clinical trials at Kezar Life Sciences. This is a cross-functional role that interacts with internal stakeholders (Clinical Operations, Finance, Legal, Biometrics and Clinical Supply) and external parties and vendors (Investigator site staff, CRO, Central Labs, EDC, IRT, etc.).

The expectation is to be onsite at our South San Francisco, CA office at least three days per week.

Kezar is focused on small-molecule drug discovery and development to target immune-mediated diseases and cancer. Kezar’s lead product candidate, zetomipzomib, is being evaluated in clinical trials for the treatment of lupus nephritis and autoimmune hepatitis. Kezar is also conducting an oncology clinical trial of KZR-261, the first candidate from its novel platform targeting the protein secretion pathway. This research platform has the potential to generate additional small molecule compounds with therapeutic potential in cancer and inflammation.

Key Responsibilities include:

• Collaborates with Clinical Operations, Finance, Legal and other internal stakeholders, CRO(s), and vendors to negotiate vendor budgets, scopes of work and work orders
• Partners closely with Clinical Operations study leads to understand the clinical trials and study priorities to support timely delivery of negotiated budgets and contracts.
• Negotiates project agreements and related budgets in accordance with established timelines and the project budget, in coordination with Finance and Legal.
• Leads or assists in the development of request for proposals (RFPs), assessment, and selection of appropriate vendors, and reviewing, tracking and analyzing vendor quotes and proposals
• Coordinates and manages vendor bid defense meetings and associated follow-up
• Ensures the project specifications are clearly defined, the budget reflects the scope of work, and works with Legal to ensure project changes are integrated into the main study contract
• Leads the CRO Quarterly Budget Reviews from the sponsor-side and works with Finance to monitor and estimate clinical trial accruals.
• Provides direct oversight of Contract Research Organizations (CRO) with respect to CTA/budget negotiations; sets clear milestones, escalation steps, and triggers.
• Engages with the study teams from early planning throughout the end-to-end contracting lifecycle
• Manages changes to study scope, ensuring timely contract and budget amendments
• Participates in the development and improvement of departmental processes and procedures
• Participates in CRO governance activities and meetings
• Bachelor’s degree and 10+ years of experience in contract and budget management in a biotech/pharma/CRO setting
• Experience in a start-up environment with a desire and ability to build processes and procedures
• Deep understanding of the operational aspects of clinical development and the clinical site contracting and budgeting process
• Vast knowledge of clinical vendor and trial site agreements in the US and globally
• Strong analytical, negotiation and problem-solving skills
• Ability to mitigate and drive solutions regarding investigator site contract and budget challenges
• Effective cross-functional collaborator with excellent interpersonal, organizational, project and time management, and written and oral communication skills
• Strong business judgment and experience with finance and budgeting
• Proficient in Microsoft Office suite and applications with an understanding of budget benchmarking tools

Not sure if you are qualified for this position? We know that skills and experience can show up in different ways and we welcome resumes from a broad range of applicants. You are encouraged to apply even if you do not meet each of the listed preferred qualifications.

Preferred Qualifications Include:

Compensation and Benefits

The salary range for this position as Contracts & Finance Sr. Manager at our South San Francisco, CA corporate office is $175,000 - $185,000. The salary range for candidates at the Associate Director level is $186,000 - $196,000. Factors such as academic credentials and relevant experience will influence the actual salary offered. In addition to a competitive market-based salary, Kezar Life Sciences offers the opportunity to participate in stock programs, a performance-based bonus, and a comprehensive benefits package including 401K. Additional information about our total rewards program can be