Lead Counsel, External Innovation

Zoetis•Parsippany, NJ

1d•$185,000 - $240,000•Hybrid

About The Position

The Lead Counsel will serve as the lead legal counsel and primary strategic business partner for Zoetis’s External Innovation (EI) team. The role provides legal support for early-stage animal health research and development transactions, including domestic and cross-border transactions from initial planning through execution and post-signing matters. It supports more than 10 business clients across multiple jurisdictions and handles a high volume of matters with tight deadlines. The Lead Counsel operates independently with limited oversight from the Senior Counsel, Business Transactions, External Innovation and Integration. The position acts as co-lead on deal teams with EI business leads, collaborating with legal and non-legal colleagues across functions and regions. It provides proactive guidance on deal strategy, risk assessment, transaction structure, due diligence, negotiations, and post-signing contract and alliance management. The role also manages legal templates, playbooks, contract databases, and deal tracking; supports internal policy compliance; and contributes to the development and deployment of AI-enabled workflows and legal technology tools. The position works with global teams across time zones in a hybrid environment, with approximately 50% of working time (2–3 days per week) on-site at the company’s Parsippany, New Jersey headquarters. This is a full-time regular position with a U.S. base salary range of $185,000 to $240,000. It is also eligible for short-term incentive compensation and long-term incentives. Zoetis offers healthcare and insurance benefits beginning on day one, a 401(k) plan with company match and profit-sharing contribution, and four weeks of vacation.

Requirements

J.D. from an accredited law school, with demonstrated academic achievement.
Current bar membership in good standing in at least one U.S. state or the District of Columbia, including compliance with continuing legal education requirements.
At least 6 years of legal experience.
Transactional experience, including the ability to independently review, analyze, draft, and negotiate a high volume and variety of agreements.
Ability to prepare and negotiate term sheets and translate business and technical terms into legal agreements.
Ability to conduct legal due diligence and manage non-legal due diligence.
Ability to lead cross-functional deal teams involving legal and non-legal functions.
Ability to provide strategic legal advice to business clients on R&D-related matters.
Strong project management, communication, and interpersonal skills.
Sound and practical business judgment and decision-making skills.
Ability to work independently with limited oversight in a fast-paced environment while handling multiple projects and clients simultaneously.
Strong transactional legal drafting and negotiation skills, with or without precedents or templates.
Authorization to work in the United States for Zoetis; candidates requiring sponsorship must disclose this.

Nice To Haves

Am Law 100 firm experience in a transactional group is strongly preferred.
In-house counsel experience supporting transactions and/or R&D is strongly preferred.
Experience advising on transactions involving non-U.S. counterparties, biotechnology companies, academic institutions, and/or government-funded entities is strongly preferred.
Intellectual property transactional experience is strongly preferred.
Pharmaceutical (human or animal health) R&D transactional experience is strongly preferred.
Familiarity with animal health or veterinary medicine regulatory matters, such as USDA or FDA-CVM, is a plus.
Patent law and/or a non-legal scientific or technical background in R&D or adjacent disciplines is a plus.
Familiarity with contract management systems and legal technology platforms, including experience developing or deploying AI-enabled workflows in a legal or transactional context, is a plus.

Responsibilities

Act as lead legal counsel and strategic advisor to the External Innovation team, independently and with limited oversight.
Support a high volume of transactions and related matters for more than 10 business clients in multiple jurisdictions.
Draft, negotiate, and advise on confidentiality, material transfer, evaluation and option, license, research and development collaboration, research services, and other agreements.
Advise on early-stage R&D transaction terms and structure, including matters before or at the term-sheet stage, due diligence, negotiations, and post-signing issues.
Support post-signing contract and alliance management, including monitoring obligations, processing amendments, and coordinating notices and terminations.
Co-lead deal teams with EI business leads and collaborate with internal legal and non-legal specialists across functions and jurisdictions.
Prepare, update, and manage legal agreement templates, playbooks, and internal contract databases.
Manage and maintain an active deal tracker, including deadlines and action items, and provide updates to business clients and legal leadership.
Implement and ensure compliance with internal policies and procedures, including ABAC, veterinary medicine regulatory policies, and corporate approvals.
Support other project-based assignments and business transaction-related matters.
Support the development and deployment of AI-enabled workflows and legal technology tools for EI transactions.