Legal Administrator in Norfolk

Who we are: Life, Reimagined. Constructive Bio is a VC-backed biotechnology startup based in Whittlesford, Cambridge. Our unique technology turns living cells into biofactories, creating sustainable new materials and therapeutics. With full control of the genetic sequence and code, we are exploring chemical space previously unreached by natural biology. Constructive Bio is a spinout from Professor Jason Chin's laboratory at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge.

The Role: We are seeking a highly organised and detail-oriented Legal Administrator to provide comprehensive administrative support to the Chief Legal Officer (CLO) and the wider Legal Department. This critical role will play a crucial role in supporting the efficiency and organisation of the Legal Department. The successful candidate will be responsible for maintaining document integrity, managing the contract repository, and providing administrative support for the review and execution of key commercial agreements and ensuring the smooth execution of Board and Committee meetings.

Key Responsibilities

• Governance & Board Meeting Administration
  • Meeting Material Preparation: Contribute towards the preparation and distribution of Board and other meeting materials via the online platform, ensuring contributors are aware of deadlines and meeting materials are circulated in good time.
  • Governance Calendar Management: Plan, maintain, and manage the Company's governance calendar to ensure all statutory, regulatory, and internal governance obligations are met on time.
  • Action Tracking: Assist in tracking and following up on action items arising from Board and Committee meetings to ensure timely completion by responsible parties.
• Contract Administration & Lifecycle Management
  • Contract Intake & Execution: Manage the end-to-end process for contract review requests, including intake, status, and coordinating signature collection (both physical and via e-signature platforms like DocuSign), chasing outstanding signatures, and accurately filing executed agreements in the central repository.
  • Contract Repository Management: Maintain and organize the document management system (DMS), ensuring all contracts, amendments, and related documents are accurately logged, indexed, and easily retrievable.
  • Tracking & Monitoring: Proactively track key contract provisions including, dates (effective/expiration), renewal terms, and milestone dates for critical agreements; and alert relevant stakeholders in advance of these deadlines.
• Document Review & Processing (NDAs, SOWs, MSAs)
  • First-Pass Review: Conduct initial administrative and compliance checks on standard commercial documents, including Statements of Work (SOWs), and procurement agreements, escalating any deviations from standard templates or identified risks to the Chief Legal Officer (CLO).
  • NDA Management: Manage the process for Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs), including issuing standard templates, tracking execution, and ensuring compliance with internal policies.
  • Document Preparation: Prepare, format, proofread, and finalise legal documents, correspondence, and presentations for the legal team, ensuring accuracy and adherence to company branding and legal standards.
• General Legal & Executive Support
  • Executive Support: Provide ad-hoc support and administrative assistance for the Executive team as required.
  • Procurement Support: Provide administrative support for the procurement process, organising documentation related to vendor selection and compliance checks.
  • Data & Reporting: Assist in compiling data related to contract volume, turnaround times, or spend for reporting purposes to the Chief Legal Officer.
  • General Duties: Assist with all other matters duly assigned.

Required Skills & Experience

• Essential Experience
  • Proven administrative experience, ideally within a corporate legal department, law firm, or a function with heavy document/contract management responsibilities.
  • Demonstrable experience managing document workflows.
  • Experience handling and processing standard commercial agreements such as NDAs, SOWs, and general procurement terms and conditions is highly desirable.
  • Proficiency in the MS Office Suite (Word, Excel, Outlook) is mandatory; experience with e-signature software (e.g., DocuSign) is a strong advantage.

Key Competencies

• Integrity & Professionalism: Act with integrity and professionally represent the organisation, liaising appropriately and professionally with colleagues, external parties and visitors to Constructive Bio's offices.
• Autonomy & Initiative: The ability to work under pressure and use your own initiative with minimal support; capable of driving governance and contract processes forward independently.
• Attitude: A positive attitude, with a hands-on approach to new projects and a willingness to support diverse administrative needs.
• Attention to Detail: Exceptional organisational skills and meticulous attention to detail, particularly when handling complex legal documentation and compliance deadlines.
• Prioritisation: Strong ability to manage competing priorities and meet strict deadlines in a fast-paced environment.

What's in it for you? Why work at Constructive Bio?

We are a small but rapidly growing team, with a vision to become the programmable biomolecules company and push the boundaries of what's possible between biology and chemistry. As an early joiner, you will have a unique opportunity to help shape our trajectory and make real impact from day one.

We offer:

• Newly fitted dedicated site in Whittlesford near Cambridge – on-site parking and regular trains to Cambridge, London and Norwich.
• Competitive salary.
• Employee share option plan.
• 25 days holiday plus bank holidays.
• Private health insurance.
• Pension plan (matching up to 8%).
• Collaborative and pioneering environment, at the leading edge of synthetic genomics and engineered translation.

We want to build a team with trust and respect for each other and create a culture of collaboration, openness, curiosity, and scientific excellence.

We are built on three principles:

• We imagine: We think big and plan our own path for success.
• We pioneer: We take action and grow together as one to break moulds.
• We deliver: We take ownership and work together to deliver excellence.

Constructive Bio is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.

Please note that we work in a dog-friendly office.