Senior Legal Counsel

Summit Therapeutics•Princeton, NJ

9h•$203,000 - $242,563

About The Position

The Senior Legal Counsel is primarily responsible for drafting and negotiating key clinical collaboration agreements through execution, while supporting other legal and contracting needs of the company. This role is part of the Legal Department and partners with business development, clinical development, clinical operations, medical affairs, finance, research and development, and other internal clients to support business objectives, protect the company from risk, and ensure compliance with company guidelines. The role serves as a primary contact between internal business units—including Business Development and Strategic Alliance—and external parties on legal and contractual matters. It identifies risks and issues, proposes alternatives that advance company objectives while reducing risk, and escalates matters to the Chief Legal Officer or General Counsel as needed. The Senior Legal Counsel also supports due diligence related to acquisitions of assets, prepares and maintains contract templates, and provides contracting training to the legal team and other business departments as needed.

Requirements

Juris Doctorate from an accredited law school and admission to a U.S. state bar in good standing.
At least 7 years of major law firm and/or in-house experience with a pharmaceutical, medical device, or healthcare company.
Substantial prior experience as lead attorney drafting and negotiating Clinical Trial Collaboration Agreements.
Experience drafting and negotiating U.S. and ex-U.S. clinical trial agreements with a pharmaceutical company.
Precise drafting and strong legal analysis skills.
Knowledge of regulations, statutes, and industry guidelines affecting clinical trials, pharmaceutical research and development, and commercial contracts, including U.S. data privacy and GDPR.
Proficiency with Microsoft Word, working knowledge of Microsoft Excel and Teams, and experience with CLM systems; ability to learn new CLM systems quickly.
Excellent written and oral communication skills and ability to work effectively and efficiently with all levels of management and personnel.
Ability to handle multiple projects in a timely manner.
Experience handling due diligence for acquisitions and/or divestitures.
Strong interpersonal skills and a team-oriented approach.
Business understanding and ability to diagnose legal problems and present positive, creative solutions and alternatives for management.
Strong organizational and planning skills, with meticulous attention to detail.
Ability to work independently while exercising initiative, flexibility, and good judgment.
Ability to work under pressure to meet specific deadlines.
Flexibility in a rapidly changing growth-company environment.

Responsibilities

Draft, review, and negotiate strategic clinical trial collaboration agreements, including related supply, delivery, and quality agreements, with business development, research and development, and commercial partners.
Draft, review, and negotiate clinical contracts, including clinical trial agreements and ancillary agreements, investigator-sponsored studies, sponsored research agreements, and agreements with contract research organizations.
As needed, draft, review, and negotiate financing, consulting, master services, vendor and service, IT software license, confidentiality, and related agreements and statements of work or work orders.
Serve as the primary contact between internal business units and external parties to address legal and contractual matters efficiently and promptly.
Escalate matters to the Chief Legal Officer or General Counsel as necessary to reduce company risk and support business objectives.
Provide guidance and supervise other attorneys and paralegals in contract review and negotiation, ensuring compliance with Legal Department guidelines, policies, and procedures.
Develop strong working relationships with functional groups and project teams.
Respond promptly to complex inquiries regarding contract obligations and revisions.
Identify risks and issues and suggest alternatives that meet business objectives while reducing company risk.
Report contract status to internal clients using established processes, updating processes as necessary.
Seek feedback and advice from IP Counsel, Regulatory Counsel, Commercial Counsel, and the Compliance Department on relevant agreement issues.
Work with Quality Assurance to ensure appropriate handling of quality matters.
Prepare template agreements, modify existing templates, and prepare unique agreements as required.
Communicate clearly and promptly with company employees and outside parties regarding contract status and outstanding issues.
Support due diligence activities involving the acquisition of assets through contract review and assessment.
Provide contracting training to the legal team and other business departments as needed.
Handle miscellaneous legal tasks and special assignments as needed, and perform other assigned duties.