In-House Legal Counsel

Trova Talent•San Diego, CA

17d

About The Position

The In‑House Legal Counsel provides broad commercial and corporate legal support for company's growing operations, with a focus on contract negotiation, vendor management, commercialization readiness, and day‑to‑day legal advisory work across the business. Reporting to the General Counsel, EVP, this role partners closely with Commercial, Clinical, CMC, Quality, Regulatory, Operations, and Finance to ensure activities align with applicable legal, contractual, and industry standards. The ideal candidate is a motivated junior–mid level attorney with strong law‑firm training and experience supporting pharmaceutical or biotech clients, particularly in commercial contracting and product‑launch environments.

Requirements

J.D. from an accredited law school; active license to practice in at least one U.S. jurisdiction.
5+ years of legal experience, preferably with a combination of law firm training and in‑house or client work supporting pharma/biotech companies.
Experience negotiating and reviewing contracts common in the life sciences sector (e.g., MSAs, CRO/vendor agreements, supply/manufacturing, consulting).
Familiarity with commercialization activities in the pharmaceutical or biotech industry, including pre‑launch and launch-stage considerations.
Experience supporting day‑to‑day business clients and managing a high volume of contracts.
Ability to translate complex legal issues into practical, business‑oriented guidance.
Strong communication, collaboration, and organizational skills.
Ability to operate in a dynamic, fast‑moving, and lean environment while managing multiple priorities.
Proficiency in Microsoft Office 365 and contract management or document‑management platforms.

Responsibilities

Commercial & Corporate Contracting Draft, review, and negotiate a wide variety of commercial agreements, including master service agreements (MSAs), CRO/vendor agreements, confidentiality agreements, supply and manufacturing agreements, consulting agreements, quality agreements, and technology‑related contracts.
Provide day‑to‑day contract management, including redlines, issue spotting, risk assessments, and coordination with internal stakeholders.
Maintain and improve contract templates, playbooks, and contracting processes to support scalability and compliance.
Support contract lifecycle management systems and ensure timely routing, review, and execution.
Commercialization & Pre‑Launch Legal Support Provide legal guidance for commercialization planning including distribution, supply, marketing operations, field team materials, and patient support programs.
Advise cross‑functional teams on legal considerations for scientific exchange, pre‑approval communications, medical affairs interactions, and payer/HCP engagements.
Review commercial and vendor‑related materials to ensure compliance with relevant industry standards and applicable laws.
Vendor & Cross‑Functional Support Serve as the legal point of contact for external partners, vendors, suppliers, and service providers.
Collaborate with Procurement, CMC, Manufacturing, and Quality to ensure vendor obligations are contractually clear and aligned with operational needs.
Provide legal support on vendor disputes, performance issues, and contract interpretation questions as they arise.
Corporate, Operational, & Compliance Support Assist in the development, implementation, and updating of corporate policies, SOPs, and legal processes.
Provide legal support for internal reviews, investigations, and compliance initiatives in collaboration with the General Counsel and Compliance teams.
Partner with internal teams on legal considerations for data privacy, confidentiality, and information governance.
Support audit readiness and respond to legal document needs related to inspections or third‑party assessments.
General Legal Advisory Provide pragmatic, business‑focused legal advice on a wide range of operational matters.
Monitor relevant legal developments in pharma/biotech, including commercial, contracting, privacy, and healthcare law trends, and communicate implications to stakeholders.
Support special projects and new initiatives as company scales toward commercial launch.