Director, Privacy Legal Counsel

Crinetics Pharmaceuticals-posted about 1 month ago

Full-time • Director

San Diego, CA

251-500 employees

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Crinetics is seeking a highly experienced and strategic Director, Privacy Legal Counsel to lead and oversee the company’s global privacy program. Reporting to the Chief Legal Officer, this role is critical in ensuring compliance with United States and international privacy regulations, standards, and industry best practices. The Director will be Crinetics’ privacy subject-matter expert, advising on privacy, data protection, cybersecurity, and data governance initiatives across R&D, clinical development, IT, HR, and commercial operations. The ideal candidate will bring deep experience counseling life-sciences organizations, a sophisticated understanding of global privacy frameworks, and the ability to translate complex legal requirements into actionable business guidance that supports innovation, patient trust, and ethical data use.

Lead, design, implement, and maintain a comprehensive global privacy and data protection program, including policies, standards, procedures, and controls that align with U.S. and international regulations and industry best practices.
Serve as the company’s primary advisor and subject-matter expert on privacy, data protection, cybersecurity, and data-use ethics across all business functions, including clinical development, research, pharmacovigilance, HR, IT, and commercial operations.
Provide practical, timely, and strategic legal advice on privacy and data-security issues impacting research, development, and commercialization activities, balancing risk mitigation with operational efficiency.
Counsel on privacy and data-protection considerations throughout the clinical-trial lifecycle, including informed consent, pseudonymization and de-identification, secondary data use, and cross-border data transfers involving CROs, investigators, vendors, and regulators.
Support compliant data-use practices for real-world evidence, pharmacovigilance, patient-support programs, and digital health platforms, ensuring lawful processing and appropriate safeguards for sensitive health information.
Advise on privacy, data-governance, and ethical considerations in connection with artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), and emerging digital technologies, including transparency, fairness, and explainability requirements under evolving AI and data-use frameworks (e.g., EU AI Act, Colorado AI Act).
Monitor, interpret, and implement strategies to comply with emerging privacy and AI laws, including the GDPR, HIPAA, CCPA/CPRA, Colorado Privacy Act, Virginia Consumer Data Protection Act, Washington My Health My Data Act, Oregon Consumer Privacy Act, and other state, federal, and global regulations.
Oversee Privacy Impact Assessments (PIAs) and Data Protection Impact Assessments (DPIAs) for systems, clinical programs, and data-processing activities, and advise on remediation and risk-mitigation measures.
Draft, review, and negotiate data-protection and privacy provisions in vendor, commercial, collaboration, and clinical research agreements, ensuring alignment with company policies and global legal requirements.
Provide legal support for cross-border data transfers, including evaluation and implementation of Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs), Transfer Impact Assessments (TIAs), and other transfer mechanisms.
Partner with Compliance, IT, and Information Security to establish governance frameworks for data classification, access, retention, and disposal, promoting “privacy by design” and “security by default.”
Play a leadership role in incident response investigations involving potential privacy or data-security events, including assessing regulatory notification obligations and advising on root-cause and remediation efforts.
Develop and deliver enterprise-wide privacy training and communications to strengthen understanding of data-protection principles, regulatory requirements, and ethical data handling across the organization.
Build strong cross-functional relationships with R&D, clinical, IT, HR, Compliance, and Commercial teams to foster a proactive, collaborative, and accountable privacy culture.
Other duties as assigned

Juris Doctor degree from accredited law school required
10+ years of relevant experience, with at least 5+ years in the biotechnology, pharmaceutical, or healthcare industry focusing on privacy and data protection.
Leadership: a minimum of 8 years of experience as a supervisor with strong leadership skills and experience managing and developing high-performing teams.
Ability to influence senior executives and cross-functional teams.
Deep knowledge of HIPAA, GDPR, U.S. federal and state privacy laws, and global data-transfer frameworks.
Proven experience developing and operationalizing privacy programs and managing complex, cross-functional privacy issues.
Strong contract drafting and negotiation skills related to research agreements, particularly vendor, data-processing, and clinical agreements.
In addition to top-notch legal skills and a strong ethical center, excellent interpersonal, strategic thinking, communication and organizational skills
Ability to build consensus with diverse stakeholders and form strong, collaborative working relationships
Ability to handle multiple projects in a fast-paced environment and exercise sound legal judgment
In-house experience with product counseling, compliance, litigation, and regulatory teams
Experience with commercial or consumer contracts involving data privacy
High level of business acumen, excellent contract drafting and negotiation proficiency

CIPP/US, CIPM, or equivalent privacy certification.
AIGP or similar AI governance credentials.
Experience supporting AI-driven innovation.

In addition to your base pay, our total rewards program consists of a discretionary annual target bonus, stock options, ESPP, and 401k match.
We also provide top-notch health insurance plans for employees (and their families) to include medical, dental, vision and basic life insurance, 20 days of PTO, 10 paid holidays, and a winter company shutdown.

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