Description:
Summary:The Head, Legal Americas will lead a team of lawyers working within Novartis Operations for Region Americas, the Mexico Operations Corporate Center (NOCC) and global overview with Operations Legal of the RLT business. This leader will design and execute the Legal strategy for these three areas and be accountable for robust legal risk assessment and effective & efficient Legal support. Being the Legal partner to senior global leadership, the Head, Legal Americas will provide them with counsel on complex and sensitive legal issues; manage law firms for all matters and serve as a member of the Operations Legal Leadership Team & the RLT LT.
About the role:
Job Responsibilties:
- Leads the development and implementation of the legal strategy within Novartis Operations for Americas & the Mexico Operations Corporate Center (NOCC) and contributes to the development of the Americas business strategy.
- Leads the development and implementation of the legal strategy for the global RLT Business in close connection with the RLT Business Owners and is a member of the RLT Leadership Team.
- Is a member of the Operations Legal Leadership Team and actively contributes to the design and execution of the Legal strategy for Operations overall.
- Provides legal leadership on issues across Novartis Operations by providing pro-active, in-depth, business focused advice and contributes to, and influences, the respective strategy and decision-making through value-add Legal advice of high quality as business-minded legal partner
- Counsel senior-level executives and business teams within other functions on complex and sensitive legal and business issues; interacts with other functions within Novartis to support Business Partner training and counsel non-Legal associates, and lead or contribute to both formal and informal teams in provision of legal expertise.
- Manages and further develops a high-performing and diverse Legal team; provides direction and coaching to individual lawyers and oversees their development.
- Leads all regional (and with regard to RLT global) legal activities related to the harmonization of standards, processes and templates to enable simplification, improvement and reduction of costs.
- Anticipates and maintains up-to-date knowledge of current laws relevant to own substantive area to provide strategic advice and foster compliance.
- Manages and works with external law firms as and when necessary; closely monitors related legal spend and ensures cost-efficient solutions
- Represents Novartis Operations in Network Transformation; M&A and divestments within region
- Manages potential disputes and dispute resolution relating to Novartis Operations transactions in the region; in particular, those with suppliers, contract manufacturers and alliance partners.
- Lead the development of and counsel on appropriate Novartis policies in connection with substantive area.
- Establishes and maintains an effective and efficient legal support structure and team that supports the current and future Novartis Operations in the region and RLT.
- The effective and efficient legal execution of key Novartis Operation initiatives / projects in the region.
- The effective and efficient communication, management and mitigation of all Novartis Operation legal risks in the region, allowing Novartis to appreciate its contractual and statutory obligations, and assisting management decision-making processes by providing robust risk and legal assessments.
Essential Requirements:
- JD degree & bar membership
- 20+ years of extensive commercial legal experience in an international environment in-house and/or at a law firm with broad experience in handling pharmaceutical manufacturing and industry specific regulatory matters
- 5+ years' experience in leading large, and legally complex, transactions / projects.
- Global cross-divisional experience in Novartis and/or a comparable organization
- People leadership experience and skills
