Associate Director, Corporate Counsel – Strategic Transactions & Collaborations - BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc.

Who We Are

It takes a village, and at BioMarin our corporate groups are the people behind our success. Groups such as IT, Finance, Legal, Global Compliance & Ethics, and our People Team provide foundational support of all areas of operation at BioMarin.

Job Summary: As Associate Director, Corporate Counsel - Strategic Transactions & Collaborations, you will be the lead attorney advising the heads of BioMarin’s Corporate Strategy & Business Development and Research and Early Development and their organizations. You will play a critical role in BioMarin achieving its corporate strategy to grow through external innovation as well as support BioMarin’s cutting-edge science to further BioMarin’s track record of developing transformative medicines.  This role reports to the company’s Vice President, Deputy General Counsel – Corporate (DGC) and will be part of the Legal Department.  You will be the legal representative on a multiple cross-functional teams and collaborate with colleagues in Business Development, Alliance Management, and Research and Development.  In this role, you will work closely with BioMarin’s Intellectual Property attorneys and other attorneys across the globe in the Legal Department, and you will help manage the department’s contract associates and outside counsel.  You will also regularly interact with senior executives across the organization, including the Chief Legal Officer, Chief Corporate Strategy & Business Development Officer, Chief Scientific Officer, Head of Research, and Head of Innovation Acceleration.     This is an exciting opportunity to join a talented and passionate group of attorneys in support of the company’s mission.    Responsibilities: 

• Support strategic transactions from end-to-end, including providing both business and legal advice to Business Development, Alliance Management, and other stakeholders, conducting legal due diligence, structuring deals, and drafting term sheets and agreements for licenses, collaborations, acquisitions, and mergers.    
• Manage contracts associates in the drafting and negotiation of contracts supporting Research and Early Development and Business Development, including non-disclosure agreements, vendor service agreements, sponsored research agreements, and material transfer agreements utilizing BioMarin’s contract lifecycle management system.  For complex or non-standard agreements, you may have primary drafting responsibility. 
• In collaboration with BioMarin’s Intellectual Property attorneys, advise the Research and Early Development and Business Development teams on intellectual property matters (especially issues related to patents and trade secrets). 
• Collaborate with Finance and Business Development to track the achievement and payment of milestones and royalties, and compliance with other contractual obligations under licenses and strategic agreements. 
• Provide ongoing assistance with training/monitoring of the Research and Early Development and Business Development organizations’ compliance with BioMarin policies and procedures. 
• Liaise with internal clients and respond to inquiries regarding contracts and other matters, as assigned. 
• Contribute to the ongoing development of the Legal Department’s contract templates and “playbooks” for contract negotiations. 
• Provide support for other Legal Department projects, including legal research and drafting of research memoranda on various issues as requested by senior management of the company or senior attorneys in the Legal Department. 
• Manage a significant workload by aligning on priorities with internal clients and developing appropriate timelines for deliverables. 

Required Experience, Knowledge, and Skills: 

• 5+ years prior experience in a major law firm/and or in-house law position at a life sciences company structuring, drafting, and negotiating the types of agreements listed under Responsibilities above, including experience as the primary or lead attorney on strategic transactions in the biotechnology/pharmaceutical industries. 
• Strong background in a science relevant to the biotechnology/pharmaceutical industries. 
• Solid understanding of intellectual property issues relevant to the biotechnology/pharmaceutical industries. 
• Significant experience advising clients on both business and legal issues. 
• Ability to think critically and strategically and to creatively problem solve.   
• Excellent organizational and time-management skills to enable management of multiple projects and delivering on aggressive timelines. 
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills. 
• Strong team orientation.  
• Ability to work onsite at the company’s San Rafael, CA headquarters at least 2 days a week. 

Education and Bar Membership/Registration:  

• J.D. from a nationally recognized law school.  
• Current California Bar membership or eligibility for in-house counsel registration. 

Equal Opportunity Employer/Veterans/Disabled

An Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, or protected veteran status and will not be discriminated against on the basis of disability.