Senior Counsel - Business Development

About the Department 

The Novo Nordisk Cambridge location is the headquarters for Global Business Development across all of our therapeutic and technology areas. We contribute to innovation in one of the world's largest life sciences ecosystems by participating in events and discussions with renowned and upcoming scientists looking for the next scientific breakthrough to bring transformative treatments to patients. We work with start-ups, established companies, venture capitalists, teaching hospitals, and academic institutions to support the development of innovation for mutual benefit, and to help patients in all of our current therapy areas. Through a variety of partnership models, we accelerate ideas from the lab and clinic to advance and expand our product portfolio and to improve outcomes for the patients we serve.

This position will either be located in Cambridge, Massachusetts or Plainsboro, NJ and will work together with R&D Business Development team located in Cambridge. 

The Position

The Senior Counsel provides legal advice and support to R&D Business Development. The work focuses on drafting and negotiating various types of key strategic agreements for Novo Nordisk such as licensing agreements, research and development collaborations and partnerships, M&A agreements, and support on various transactional intellectual property matters.

The Sr. Counsel engages with a diverse range of stakeholders within the business and across Global Legal. This role will work closely with Business Development, Global R&D teams located in Cambridge, Massachusetts and Denmark, as well as other Novo Nordisk lawyers in Novo Nordisk's US headquarters in Plainsboro, New Jersey. As part of the Global Legal organization, this position is also involved with cross-functional global legal projects and has opportunities, both in the United States and abroad, for further professional development.

Relationships

This position reports to the Vice President – Legal Business Development & Trademarks located in Denmark. The position is a key member of the highly collaborative and high-performing Legal Business Development & Digital Health team which provides legal support to Novo Nordisk’s global Business Development teams, Global Research, Digital Health, including leading support for IP licensing transactions, M&A and other global strategic collaborations.  The team is primarily located in Novo Nordisk’s headquarters in Denmark, with a small team presense in Cambridge, MA.  Novo Nordisk's Global Legal organization has more than 250 global legal colleagues situated at 40+ locatoins around the world with US headquarters in Plainsboro, NJ.

Essential Functions

• Lead drafting, negotiating, structuring and advising on complex life science transactions, including global licensing transactions, strategic collaborations and acquisitions.
• Be a key business partner with R&D Business Development and Global R&D teams
• Advise on and manage critical legal issues and work closely with other Novo Nordisk functions such as Patents, R&D operations, finance, tax
• Proactively identify risks, opportunities and mitigating actions, and collaborate across legal and business functions
• Manages outside counsel relationships

Physical Requirements

0-10% overnight travel required.

Qualifications

• A J.D. Law degree from a recognized university and state bar admission required and ability to obtain a Massachusetts in-house counsel license required
• 6+ years relevant legal experience from a major law firm or in-house legal department required
• Relevant experience providing leagal advice to the life sciences/pharmaceutical industry is preferred
• Experience in drafting and negotiating life sciences/pharmaceutical industry agreements preferred    
• Strong communications and interpersonal skills, with the ability to interact effectively with all levels of the organization
• Has personal drive, “can-do” approach and results-oriented attitude, which enables you to establish strong professional relations internally and externally
• International mind-set and enjoy being part of a global work environment  
• Strong work ethic and business judgement and ability to access risk and think strategically  
• Ability to work under pressure, manage numerous and changing priorities effectively and solid attention to detail
• Ability to work independently as well as in a team environment

We commit to an inclusive recruitment process and equality of opportunity for all our job applicants.

At Novo Nordisk we recognize that it is no longer good enough to aspire to be the best company in the world. We need to aspire to be the best company for the world and we know that this is only possible with talented employees with diverse perspectives, backgrounds and cultures. We are therefore committed to creating an inclusive culture that celebrates the diversity of our employees, the patients we serve and communities we operate in. Together, we’re life changing.

Novo Nordisk is an equal opportunity employer. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, ethnicity, color, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, protected veteran status or any other characteristic protected by local, state or federal laws, rules or regulations.

If you are interested in applying to Novo Nordisk and need special assistance or an accommodation to apply, please call us at 1-855-411-5290. This contact is for accommodation requests only and cannot be used to inquire about the status of applications.