Executive Director, Corporate Legal Counsel

Crinetics Pharmaceuticals•San Diego, CA

32d•$264,000 - $33,000

About The Position

Crinetics is a pharmaceutical company based in San Diego, California, developing much-needed therapies for people with endocrine diseases and endocrine-related tumors. We were founded by a dedicated team of scientists with the simple belief that better therapies developed from rigorous innovation can lead to better lives. Our work continues to make a real difference in the lives of patients. We have a prolific discovery engine and a robust preclinical and clinical development pipeline. We are driven by science with a patient-centric and team-oriented culture. Crinetics is known for its inclusive workplace culture. We are also a dog-friendly workplace. This is an exciting time to join Crinetics as we shape our organization into the world’s premier fully-integrated endocrine company from discovery to patients. Join our team as we transform the lives of others. Position Summary: The Executive Director, Corporate Legal & Governance Counsel will serve as a senior legal leader responsible for advising on global corporate governance, securities law compliance, and strategic transactions. The ideal candidate should possess exceptional leadership skills, strong work ethics, sound judgment, excellent communication and interpersonal skills, proactive problem-solving abilities, and thrive in a fast-paced environment.

Requirements

Juris Doctor degree from an accredited law school and minimum of 13 years of post-law school experience in the biotech/pharma sector
A combination of law firm, in-house (pharma/biotech) experience strongly preferred.
Significant corporate securities law, international expansion, and public company experience serving as in-house counsel for a pharmaceutical or biotechnology company.
Leadership: a minimum of 12 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.
Strong business acumen and understanding of pharmaceutical business.
Demonstrated ability to align global legal and compliance strategies with broader business goals
In addition to top-notch legal skills and a strong ethical center, excellent interpersonal, strategic thinking, communication and organizational skills
Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to convey complex legal concepts to non-legal stakeholders
Proven track record of successfully managing outside counsel, handling multiple priorities simultaneously, and delivering results under tight deadlines
Highly proficient in Microsoft Office Suite, SharePoint, Microsoft Teams and other programs, particularly Excel and PowerPoint

Responsibilities

Serve as a primary legal advisor to the CFO, Head of Investor Relations, and Finance team on corporate transactions, disclosures and public-company obligations.
Draft, review and counsel on the company’s SEC filings (Forms 10-K, 10-Q, 8-K, Proxy Statement), and other periodic/occasional disclosures under U.S. securities laws and applicable stock-exchange rules.
Oversee and advise on the company’s insider-trading compliance program, Section 16 reporting, 10b5-1 plans, trading windows, blackout periods and pre-clearance frameworks.
Manage the company’s public-company corporate governance framework: prepare materials for the Board of Directors and its committees (e.g., audit, compensation, nominating and governance), annual meeting process, minutes, resolutions, charter review, governance records and help ensure best practices.
Collaborate closely with the Finance team and outside counsel on financing, capital markets, debt/equity issuances, share repurchases and other strategic corporate transactions.
Take ownership of disclosure controls and procedures, internal controls over financial reporting and other processes—regularly evaluate, refine and enhance these processes.
Monitor and assess developments in U.S. federal and state securities laws, stock-exchange listing standards, corporate governance trends, proxy advisory-firm developments and global disclosure/regulatory regimes — interpret their impact for the business and recommend appropriate responses.
Develop and maintain strong cross-functional relationships with internal stakeholders (finance, controllership, tax, internal audit, treasury, investor relations, communications, R&D, commercial) and external stakeholders (independent auditors, banks, proxy advisors, outside counsel) to align legal, disclosure and governance strategies.
Set priorities, manage performance and budget for the oversight of outside counsel.
Provide substantive legal support for other corporate-law matters (including subsidiary governance, inter-company agreements, global stock plans, executive compensation) and assist the Chief Legal Officer and broader Legal team as needed.
Champion the company’s compliance culture: translate legal/regulatory requirements into pragmatic business guidance, deliver training, drive awareness of governance and disclosure obligations, and foster ethical decision-making across the enterprise.
Support the company’s international expansion and global commercialization initiatives, providing legal guidance on the formation, governance, and maintenance of foreign subsidiaries, cross-border transactions, and compliance with international corporate, securities, and anti-corruption laws.
Partner with Finance teams to structure and document intercompany arrangements (e.g., cost-sharing, services, IP licensing, and transfer-pricing agreements) consistent with global tax strategy, corporate policies, and regulatory requirements.
Advise on cross-border cash management, capital contributions, and financing arrangements, ensuring alignment with global tax efficiency, local regulatory restrictions, and disclosure obligations.
Coordinate with regional legal and external advisors to address country-specific legal, governance, and compliance requirements as the company expands into new markets, launches commercial entities, or transitions from clinical to commercial operations internationally.
Oversee or support legal due diligence and integration activities for international corporate restructurings, affiliate transactions, and global operational readiness in collaboration with R&D, Commercial, and Supply Chain functions.

Benefits

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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