Head, Legal R&D External Partnering & IP Licensing

GSK • Warren, NJ

2d • Hybrid

About The Position

The Head, Legal R&D External Partnering & IP Licensing provides senior legal leadership for Haleon’s R&D partnering, external innovation, and intellectual property licensing activities. The role partners with R&D, Business Development, Commercial, Regulatory, and legal IP colleagues to enable collaborations, technology access arrangements, co-development opportunities, and strategic in-licensing and out-licensing transactions that support Haleon’s innovation pipeline and growth priorities.

The position leads legal strategy throughout the deal lifecycle, from opportunity assessment and IP and contractual due diligence through deal structuring, negotiation, execution, and post-signature implementation. It supports identification, protection, commercialization, and deployment of Haleon’s innovation assets, ensuring partnerships are commercially effective, legally robust, and aligned with the company’s risk appetite and long-term objectives. This highly visible, enterprise-facing leadership role advises senior stakeholders, manages complex partner relationships, and embeds IP and partnering considerations in decision-making across R&D and the broader business.

The role is hybrid-based in Berkeley Heights, New Jersey, with on-site presence required three days per week. The stated salary range is $216,487–$297,670 USD, plus an 18% target bonus.

Requirements

• Be a fully qualified attorney with at least 7 years of professional experience.
• Have experience in private equity, investment banking, or corporate development, with strong commercial judgment and the ability to evaluate deal economics, risk allocation, and value drivers in complex licensing and partnering transactions.
• Be familiar with IP portfolio management, including prosecution, enforcement, due diligence, and risk assessment.
• Have experience structuring and negotiating multi-party R&D agreements, including collaborations, co-development, and milestone-based licensing agreements.
• Be skilled in global, high-value deal structures that balance IP rights, commercialization, and financial incentives.
• Be proficient in crafting and negotiating complex IP agreements, including license, co-promotion, distribution, manufacturing, technology transfer, collaboration, and joint development agreements, as well as innovative royalty structures.
• Have thorough due diligence capabilities, including assessment of IP assets, counterparties, and regulatory and compliance factors.
• Be proactive in identifying and mitigating antitrust, regulatory, and technological risks.
• Have experience developing teams, mentoring junior counsel, and effectively managing external counsel.
• Be comfortable operating across time zones and cultures.
• Be able to work on site three days per week in Berkeley Heights, New Jersey.

Nice To Haves

• In-house experience in consumer health, FMCH, CPG, or FMCG.
• Experience coordinating global projects across internal stakeholder teams and working with cross-border teams.
• Familiarity with consumer healthcare, formulations, dosage forms, packaging, or delivery systems.
• Ability to engage proficiently with inventors and technical teams, interpret prior art, and assess patentability.
• Demonstrated interest, aptitude, and curiosity regarding the evolving application of AI to legal and commercial operations, including assessing how emerging technologies can improve transaction workflows, contract lifecycle management, licensing models, and business processes.
• Experience using, evaluating, or supporting AI-enabled tools in a legal, compliance, or commercial environment.

Responsibilities

• Lead the company’s global intellectual property and licensing strategy to protect, commercialize, and optimize brands, innovations, formulations, packaging technologies, and digital assets.
• Partner with R&D, Business Development, Regulatory, and Commercial teams to identify protectable innovations, assess licensing needs, support product pipeline decisions, and integrate IP and licensing considerations throughout the product lifecycle.
• Advise senior leadership on deal structures, development opportunities, competitive intelligence, risk allocation, and strategic implications.
• Lead licensing-related legal matters, including in-licensing, out-licensing, co-development, co-promotion, commercialization, distribution, manufacturing, and technology transfer agreements.
• Support post-execution integration and alliance management, ensuring that obligations, milestones, reporting, and performance commitments are met.
• Develop and execute strategies to manage and resolve pre-litigation disputes, breach-of-contract claims, royalty and licensing disputes, and freedom-to-operate challenges arising from licensing and partnership arrangements.
• Drive the integration of AI and emerging technologies into licensing, contracting, and business transaction processes, and work with business, legal operations, digital, and technology teams to evaluate, implement, and govern AI-enabled solutions in compliance with legal, regulatory, ethical, and company requirements.
• Manage IP considerations relating to patents, trademarks, trade secrets, data exclusivity, research tools, and platform technologies in license negotiations.
• Lead due diligence on IP portfolios, freedom-to-operate risks, data packages, regulatory status, and contractual obligations.
• Spearhead efforts to monetize Haleon’s IP portfolio.
• Lead negotiations for licensing, collaboration, co-development, and technology access agreements, maximizing value while managing risk.
• Serve as the primary legal interface with external partners, including licensors, licensees, academic institutions, biotechnology and technology companies, and CROs.
• Draft, negotiate, and finalize complex licensing and collaboration agreements, balancing risk, value creation, and long-term business objectives.
• Develop and maintain contract templates, playbooks, negotiation frameworks, and governance processes to enable efficient and consistent deal execution.
• Monitor legal and regulatory developments affecting licensing, IP, collaboration models, and industry standards.
• Manage external counsel for specialized IP, regulatory, or transactional expertise.
• Contribute to internal training and capability building on licensing best practices, negotiation strategies, and contracting norms.
• Mentor junior counsel and support team development.

Benefits

• Competitive pay.
• Generous 401(k) plan.
• Tuition reimbursement.
• Time-off programs.
• Six months of paid parental leave.
• Healthcare programs, with the company paying for the majority of medical coverage for employees and their families.
• Eligibility for benefits beginning on day one.
• Discretionary bonus based on achievement of key business performance.
• Other incentive and recognition programs.

What This Job Offers

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