Counsel - Contracts

About the Department                                                                                                                                             

Our Boston Research & Development hub, anchored in the greater Boston area, brings together the best minds in life science innovation. The teams located in facilities in Lexington, Watertown and Cambridge reflect the full R&D continuum, from early research through late-stage clinical development. Here, we are building for the future, creating a distinct R&D community based on collaboration, partnerships, and cutting-edge research across multiple modalities and therapeutic areas. We recognize that improving human health starts here and that patients rely on us. Our greater Boston R&D hub merges biotech speed and agility with large pharmaceutical company quality, resources,and stability, uniting the best of both worlds to develop new medicines for patients.

The Position

The Counsel, Contracts is primarily responsible for working within US R&D legal and cross-functionally to provide high-level legal support for the contract function. They will ensure timely turnaround of proposals, contracts, SOWs, NDAs, MSAs and other agreements, including drafting and first-line negotiation of contracts. The Counsel, Contracts will independently identify and suggest solutions to complex legal issues and will work with internal subject matter experts.

Relationships

Reports to a Managing Senior Counsel. The role interacts with internal subject matter experts, outside counsel and leadership within U.S. R&D legal, primarily in Lexington, Boulder, Seattle and Fremont offices, and legal counterparts in Princeton, NJ and Copenhagen, Denmark.

Interacts internally with Research, Finance, Human Resources / People & Organization, Information Technology, Alliance Management, Facilities and Communications. Interacts with external vendors, legal counsel and collaboration partners.

Essential Functions

• Review, draft and negotiate a variety of agreements, such as non-disclosure agreements, master agreements, and SOWs, and review transaction structure across a range of areas
• Independently ensure timely review and response on all contract and proposal requests and escalates concerns appropriately
• Aid in development or modifications of templates, tools and procedures; participate in team meetings
• Work cross-functionally throughout US R&D to understand full scope of internal needs and vendor services and to ensure contract obligations are communicated and managed
• Complete high volumes of tasks and projects quickly with little guidance, react with appropriate urgency to situations and events that require a quick response or turnaround
• Client-service oriented, have great attention to detail while still meeting deadlines, have excellent organization skills and the ability to switch gears easily
• A high level of integrity and discretion in handling confidential information and professionalism in dealing with senior professionals internally and externally are essential

Physical Requirements

Approximately 5% overnight travel to US R&ED sites.

Qualifications

• A JD required with minimum of 4 years relevant experience in contract drafting, review and management and/or 2-year experience in corporate or contract law post-law school
• At least 1 year of pharmaceutical, biotech or life sciences industry experience preferred
• Experience drafting and negotiating detailed and complex contracts common to the life sciences industry preferred
• Possess and demonstrate exceptional judgment, self-management, impeccable ethics and a high degree of personal and professional maturity required
• Strong sense of accountability and ownership required
• Demonstrated experience in thinking critically and connecting the dots across broad areas to identify and analyze complex, novel, and challenging issues, well-articulating the risk and potential consequences for transparent decision making, and timely providing compliant, practical, creative and implementable solutions required
• Excellent communication skills (both verbal and written)
• Demonstrated ability and prioritization to be a valued business partner required
• Exceptional multi-tasker with strong work ethic to deliver timely, high-quality work product
• Proactive in identifying issues, opportunities and solutions for short and long-term success and growth for the business and legal team

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.