Junior Legal Associate

At Ardena, we’re helping shape the future of medicine. Our teams work on the development of innovative and complex therapies that can improve the lives of patients around the world.

As a global Contract Development and Manufacturing Organization (CDMO) and Contract Research Organization (CRO), Ardena partners with pharmaceutical and biotech companies to turn scientific ideas into real treatments. From early development to manufacturing and regulatory support, we help bring new medicines to market faster and with the highest quality standards.

With more than 750 colleagues across Europe and the United States, Ardena offers expertise in drug substance and drug product development, manufacturing, bioanalytical services, clinical logistics, fill & finish, and CMC regulatory support.

But what truly makes Ardena special is our people. We are a science-driven and people-focused company where collaboration, innovation, and curiosity are encouraged.

We offer an international environment where you can learn, take initiative, and grow your career across teams, functions, and locations. Our way of working is guided by our CARE values: Communicative, Accountable, Reliable, and Excellent. These values shape how we collaborate, solve challenges, and support each other every day.

At Ardena, you’re not just building your career — you’re helping build the future of medicine.

For our Corporate Legal department, based in Wondelgem (Gent, Belgium), we are looking for a motivated and detail-oriented

JUNIOR LEGAL ASSOCIATE

YOUR KEY ROLE

This is an entry-level position designed for recent law graduates who are eager to start their legal careers. No prior professional experience is required, just an eagerness to learn, good attention to detail, and a solid academic foundation.

Your Key Responsibilities

• Contract drafting: You assist in drafting, reviewing, and negotiating a range of agreements, such as clinical trial agreements, confidentiality agreements, licensing deals, and vendor contracts.
• Compliance: You support compliance initiatives related to pharmaceutical regulations, GDPR, anti-bribery laws, and industry codes of conduct.
• Legal research: You conduct legal research on applicable laws, regulations, and emerging industry trends, and translate findings into practical business guidance.
• Automation and AI: You leverage AI-driven legal tools and automation technologies to enhance efficiency in contract review, legal research, and document management; you support the development of automated templates and self-service tools; you identify opportunities to streamline legal workflows; and you contribute to internal guidance on the responsible, compliant use of AI, including monitoring relevant legal and regulatory developments.
• Archiving: You maintain organized and up-to-date legal documentation, including contract repositories and knowledge management systems.
• You report to the Corporate Legal Counsel
  
  

Your Skills And Profile

• Master’s degree in law
• Fluent in English
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Analytical thinking and attention to detail
• Excellent organizational skills and ability to manage multiple tasks and meet deadlines
• Self-starter who is curious, loves AI and technology, and thrives in a dynamic environment
• You are stress-resistant, solution-oriented, and driven by a 'make-it-work' mindset
• You show flexibility and you are open-minded and change oriented (always looking for ways to improve)
• You are a team player
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
  
  

What We Offer

• A true learning environment where you will have the ability to grow your skills
• A rapidly international developing and growing company with an interesting services, product and customer portfolio
• A dynamic working environment with nice colleagues
• Open straightforward but also caring culture
• We love creative thinking and pro-activeness
• We are true to our values
• An attractive remuneration package including extra-legal benefits such as: group insurance, hospitalization insurance, meal vouchers, eco vouchers and a group bonus system