Associate General Counsel, Downstream Commercial

Baxter International Inc. • Deerfield, IL

9d • $256,000 - $360,000

About The Position

This is where your work makes a difference. At Baxter, we believe every person—regardless of who they are or where they are from—deserves a chance to live a healthy life. It was our founding belief in 1931 and continues to be our guiding principle. We are redefining healthcare delivery to make a greater impact today, tomorrow, and beyond. Our Baxter colleagues are united by our Mission to Save and Sustain Lives. Together, our community is driven by a culture of courage, trust, and collaboration. Every individual is empowered to take ownership and make a meaningful impact. We strive for efficient and effective operations, and we hold each other accountable for delivering exceptional results. Here, you will find more than just a job—you will find purpose and pride. The Associate General Counsel – Commercial & Downstream Contracts will lead Baxter’s downstream healthcare contracting function and manage a team of attorneys supporting Baxter’s entire medical device and pharmaceutical businesses. This role will focus heavily on healthcare customer contracting, including GPO agreements, IDN agreements, regional and local hospital agreements, government agreements and distribution agreements. Candidates must also be familiar with using AI-powered tools and contract lifecycle management systems to streamline downstream contracting workflows. The successful candidate will partner closely with Sales, Contracting, Finance, Compliance to support revenue generation while ensuring compliance with applicable healthcare laws, regulations and company policies. The role requires sound judgment and excellent communication skills while driving practical, business-focused solutions.

Requirements

• Candidates must also be familiar with using AI-powered tools and contract lifecycle management systems to streamline downstream contracting workflows.
• The role requires sound judgment and excellent communication skills while driving practical, business-focused solutions.

Responsibilities

• Lead, mentor and manage a team of attorneys responsible for downstream healthcare commercial contracting
• Set priorities, allocate work, and ensure timely, high-quality support for legal teams.
• Develop and maintain contract templates, negotiation playbooks and best practices across the team.
• Oversee and personally handle complex or high-risk downstream agreements, including: GPO agreements IDN and health system agreements Regional and local hospital and clinic agreements Federal, state and local government contracts (including VA, DoD and other public sector customers) Distribution, wholesaler and specialty pharmacy agreements
• Advise internal stakeholders on contract structure, pricing terms, rebates, volume commitments and performance obligations
• Support contracting strategies aligned with commercial objectives and regulatory requirements.
• Ensure contracts comply with applicable healthcare laws and regulations including Antikickback Statute, Stark Law, False Claims Act, Sunshine Act, HIPPA and FDA related considerations.
• Collaborate with Ethics and Compliance on contract language related to discounts, rebates, pricing transparency and government pricing implications.
• Identify and mitigate legal and compliance risks in downstream agreements.
• Serve as a strategic legal advisor to senior Sales, Contracting, Finance, Supply Chain and the Business teams.
• Provide practical, business-oriented legal guidance to facilitate deal execution while protecting Baxter’s interests.
• Participate in internal review committees and approval processes for complex or high-risk agreements.
• Develop and deliver training for legal team members and business stakeholders on contracting best practices, compliance and risk mitigation.
• Promote a culture of compliance, innovation and operational excellence within the legal function.
• Evaluate, implement and oversee the use of AI-powered tools, contract lifecycle management systems and other legal technologies to streamline downstream contracting workflows.
• Leverage technology to improve contract review, identify risk, standardize clauses, and implement approval processes and compliance monitoring.
• Use data and analytics to identify contracting trends, risk areas and opportunities for process improvement.
• Partner with Legal Operations, IT, Privacy and Compliance to ensure responsible, secure and compliant use of AI and emerging technologies.

Benefits

• Baxter offers comprehensive compensation and benefits packages for eligible roles.
• Our health and well-being benefits include medical and dental coverage that start on day one, as well as insurance coverage for basic life, accident, short-term and long-term disability, and business travel accident insurance.
• Financial and retirement benefits include the Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP), with the ability to purchase company stock at a discount, and the 401(k) Retirement Savings Plan (RSP), with options for employee contributions and company matching.
• We also offer Flexible Spending Accounts, educational assistance programs, and time-off benefits such as paid holidays, paid time off ranging from 20 to 35 days based on length of service, family and medical leaves of absence, and paid parental leave.
• Additional benefits include commuting benefits, the Employee Discount Program, the Employee Assistance Program (EAP), and childcare benefits.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: No Education Listed