Counsel - Contracts

Description:

About the Department
Our Boston Research & Development hub, anchored in the greater Boston area, brings together the best minds in life science innovation. The teams located in facilities in Lexington, Watertown and Cambridge reflect the full R&D continuum, from early research through late-stage clinical development. Here, we are building for the future, creating a distinct R&D community based on collaboration, partnerships, and cutting-edge research across multiple modalities and therapeutic areas. We recognize that improving human health starts here and that patients rely on us. Our greater Boston R&D hub merges biotech speed and agility with large pharmaceutical company quality, resources,and stability, uniting the best of both worlds to develop new medicines for patients.

The Position:
The Counsel, Contracts is primarily responsible for working within US R&D legal and cross-functionally to provide high-level legal support for the contract function. They will ensure timely turnaround of proposals, contracts, SOWs, NDAs, MSAs and other agreements, including drafting and first-line negotiation of contracts. The Counsel, Contracts will independently identify and suggest solutions to complex legal issues and will work with internal subject matter experts.

Relationships:
Reports to a Managing Senior Counsel. The role interacts with internal subject matter experts, outside counsel and leadership within U.S. R&D legal, primarily in Lexington, Boulder, Seattle and Fremont offices, and legal counterparts in Princeton, NJ and Copenhagen, Denmark.

Interacts internally with Research, Finance, Human Resources / People & Organization, Information Technology, Alliance Management, Facilities and Communications. Interacts with external vendors, legal counsel and collaboration partners.

Essential Functions:

• Review, draft and negotiate a variety of agreements, such as non-disclosure agreements, master agreements, and SOWs, and review transaction structure across a range of areas
• Independently ensure timely review and response on all contract and proposal requests and escalates concerns appropriately
• Aid in development or modifications of templates, tools and procedures; participate in team meetings
• Work cross-functionally throughout US R&D to understand full scope of internal needs and vendor services and to ensure contract obligations are communicated and managed
• Complete high volumes of tasks and projects quickly with little guidance, react with appropriate urgency to situations and events that require a quick response or turnaround
• Client-service oriented, have great attention to detail while still meeting deadlines, have excellent organization skills and the ability to switch gears easily
• A high level of integrity and discretion in handling confidential information and professionalism in dealing with senior professionals internally and externally are essential

Physical Requirements:
Approximately 5% overnight travel to US R&ED sites.

Qualifications:

• A JD required with minimum of 4 years relevant experience in contract drafting, review and management and/or 2-year experience in corporate or contract law post-law school
• At least 1 year of pharmaceutical, biotech or life sciences industry experience preferred
• Experience drafting and negotiating detailed and complex contracts common to the life sciences industry preferred
• Possess and demonstrate exceptional judgment, self-management, impeccable ethics and a high degree of personal and professional maturity required
• Strong sense of accountability and ownership required
• Demonstrated experience in thinking critically and connecting the dots across broad areas to identify and analyze complex, novel, and challenging issues, well-articulating the risk and potential consequences for transparent decision making, and timely providing compliant, practical, creative and implementable solutions required
• Excellent communication skills (both verbal and written)
• Demonstrated ability and prioritization to be a valued business partner required
• Exceptional multi-tasker with strong work ethic to deliver timely, high-quality work product
• Proactive in identifying issues, opportunities and solutions for short and long-term success and growth for the business and legal team

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