Director Real Estate & Procurement, Legal

Merck & Co. • Rahway, NJ

78d • Hybrid

About The Position

The Legal Counsel, Real Estate and Procurement will provide legal support and counseling for a broad range of complex, global real estate matters on behalf of the Company, including acquisitions and dispositions of real property; commercial, industrial and ground leasing; development and construction; real estate financings; cross-border and multi-jurisdictional transactions; and real estate aspects of corporate M&A, including transfers of manufacturing sites as on ongoing operation. This role will also support procurement activities, including those related to real estate transactions and other agreements.

Requirements

• An Undergraduate degree from an accredited institution
• Graduate of an accredited U.S. law school, with admission to the Bar of New Jersey or another state
• Five (5) or more years of legal experience focusing on real estate transactions in a law firm or corporate setting
• Experience negotiating and drafting sophisticated corporate real estate transactional documents
• Excellent teamwork, communication (written and oral) and analytical skills, and a high degree of business acumen
• Experience in managing a significant workload, with the ability to juggle multiple transactions simultaneously
• Ability to be proactive and work independently with high level of initiative, self-motivation and intellectual curiosity
• Willingness to embrace development opportunities
• Business Acumen
• Client-Focused
• Client Service
• Communication
• Confidentiality
• Contract Administration
• Corporate Governance
• Legal Documents Preparation
• Legal Research
• Legal Technology
• Merger and Acquisition (M&A) Advisory
• Negotiation
• Real Estate Documentation
• Real Estate Investments
• Real Estate Law
• Real Estate Leases
• Real Estate Portfolio Management
• Real Estate Portfolios
• Real Estate Services
• Self Motivation
• Teamwork
• Working in a Fast-Paced Environment
• Workload Management

Nice To Haves

• Experience supporting procurement functions, including capital procurement, capital equipment, utilities and telecom, and construction management procurement
• Experience handling supply agreements and transition services agreements associated with acquisition or divestiture of manufacturing sites
• Experience advising management on business and legal risks in real estate and procurement transactions
• Experience operating in ambiguous circumstances and working collaboratively to set project plans and timelines
• Experience in regulated industries and/or with industrial/manufacturing real estate portfolios

Responsibilities

• Work closely with management in Global Real Estate Services, Facilities, and regional business units on complex real estate transactions led by the Company's Corporate, Human Health, Manufacturing and Animal Health Divisions
• Provide legal and strategic advice to business, management and executive clients on global real estate and real estate related matters
• Negotiate and draft sophisticated agreements for: Real estate acquisitions and dispositions (asset and entity-level; domestic and cross-border) Leasing (office, industrial, warehouse; ground leases; utilities easements and rights-of-way) Development and construction (design-build, EPC, CM-at-risk, construction management, architect/engineer, and ancillary agreements) Easements, licenses, and rights-of-way Real estate components of corporate M&A and site transfers, including supply and transition services agreements tied to site acquisitions or divestitures
• Provide legal support to Global Real Estate Services on land use and development planning, filings and approvals
• Coordinate with environmental law counsel on environmental law issues and liabilities in real estate and site transactions, including allocation of environmental risks
• Supervise activities and manage the relationship with outside counsel to support ex-US transactions; coordinate with local counsel in multiple jurisdictions
• Support procurement clients on: Capital procurement and capital equipment contracts Utilities and telecom agreements (including site utilities and network infrastructure arrangements) Construction management procurement Other related agreements
• Partner with cross-functional teams to structure and execute sourcing initiatives with real estate and site impacts
• Ensure procurement agreements align with Company policies, risk tolerance, and strategic objectives
• Draft and negotiate supply agreements and related transition services tied to acquisition or divestiture of manufacturing sites as an ongoing operation
• Exercise judgment to drive decisions on routine and non-routine matters within area of practice
• Some domestic and international travel required
• Report to Managing Counsel of Corporate Transactions Legal

Benefits

• medical, dental, vision healthcare and other insurance benefits (for employee and family)
• retirement benefits, including 401(k)
• paid holidays
• vacation
• compassionate and sick days

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director
• Number of Employees: 5,001-10,000 employees