Senior Director, Corporate Law & Transactions

About Us   Kardigan is a heart health company working to make cardiovascular disease preventable, curable and no longer the leading cause of death in the world. It is Kardigan’s mission to develop multiple targeted treatments in parallel that bring people with cardiovascular diseases to the cures they deserve. Led by Tassos Gianakakos, Jay Edelberg, M.D., Ph.D., and Bob McDowell, Ph.D., Kardigan’s co-founders have reunited after leading MyoKardia to discover and develop mavacamten, the first cardiac myosin inhibitor, resulting in an acquisition by Bristol Myers Squibb in 2020. We have a cutting-edge discovery and translational research platform, a pipeline of late-stage candidates, and an industry-leading team that is driven to improve the lives of patients. At Kardigan, we are motivated by our values which guide how we work, interact, and achieve our goals. Driven by patients and their families , we are deeply committed to improving the lives of patients and prioritizing their needs above all else. We believe in being authentic —leading with truth to bring out the best in others by creating an environment where every person knows they will be fully accepted. With an eagerness to learn , we encourage the highest levels of curiosity and are open to changing our minds. We are committed to winning as a team with urgency, excellence, and intention, and support each other no matter what role we play or where we sit. Lastly, we strive to enable the impossible because patients are counting on us. We are not afraid to take risks to unlock innovation and advance scientific discoveries. These values are the foundation of our work, empowering us to make a real difference, every day. Position Title:  Senior Director, Corporate Law & Transactions   Department:  Legal   Reports To:  Vice President, Corporate Law and Head of Transactions   Location:  South San Francisco, CA or Princeton, NJ – On-site 4 days per week (Mon to Thurs)   Job Overview     Kardigan is seeking an experienced Senior Director, Corporate Law & Transactions to serve as a key strategic legal leader and trusted business partner across the organization.  This is a senior-level legal and high impact role for a business-minded attorney who enjoys transactions but wants broader exposure to strategy, operations, and company building. While transactions and contracting will be a core responsibility, the successful candidate will also partner with leaders across the business on strategic initiatives, operational frameworks, alliance management, process design, and other high-impact projects that help scale the company and its legal infrastructure.    Beyond transactional support, this position offers a unique opportunity to work directly with senior leadership on strategic initiatives and play a meaningful role in shaping how Kardigan scales its business, partnerships, and legal infrastructure.  The successful candidate will play an active role in evaluating and executing strategic initiatives, building scalable operational frameworks, and helping guide key business decisions that impact the company's partnerships, operations, and long-term success.     This single role can be based in either Princeton, NJ or South San Francisco, CA, and reports to the Vice President, Corporate Law and Head of Transactions.   Essential Duties and Responsibilities      Stakeholder Management   Partner closely with Business Development, Technical Operations, Supply, R&D, and other key functions to provide proactive, solutions-oriented legal support on strategic initiatives, new business opportunities, and alliance management.   Partner with Business Development and functional leaders to help establish and evolve Kardigan's alliance management framework, including governance structures, decision-making processes, escalation pathways, and management of strategic collaborations.   Serve as a trusted advisor to senior leadership and a cross-functional business partner, helping shape commercial, operational, and strategic decisions while ensuring Legal is viewed as an enabler of growth rather than a point of review.   Partner with HR on strategic legal initiatives, including developing and implementing a comprehensive framework for contractor and contingent workforce management.   Strategic Initiatives & Business Partnership   Partner with business leaders to identify and solve operational, compliance, governance, and commercial challenges as Kardigan scales.   Partner directly with senior leadership to evaluate and execute strategic business initiatives, helping shape decisions related to external partnerships, operational priorities, risk management, and organizational growth   Help build scalable policies, frameworks, and processes across the organization.   Lead or support cross-functional special projects involving Legal, HR, Finance, Compliance, Clinical Operations, Technical Operations, and Business Development.   Provide legal and strategic guidance on workforce models, consultant and contingent worker engagement, and other operational matters.   Assist in evaluating and implementing systems, technology, and process improvements that enhance business efficiency and reduce legal risk.   Serve as a trusted advisor and thought partner to senior leadership on emerging business needs and organizational priorities.   Contract Negotiations   Lead the negotiation and drafting of high-value, complex strategic agreements, including collaboration agreements, alliance agreements, licensing and co-development transactions, technical agreements, supply and manufacturing agreements, service agreements, sponsored research agreements, material transfer agreements, and other commercial and strategic transactions, providing end-to-end counsel and support as needed.   Provide strategic counsel on structure, risk allocation, and terms to optimize business outcomes and protect company i