Associate Counsel - Foster City, CA

At Gilead, we’re creating a healthier world for all people. For more than 35 years, we’ve tackled diseases such as HIV, viral hepatitis, COVID-19 and cancer – working relentlessly to develop therapies that help improve lives and to ensure access to these therapies across the globe. We continue to fight against the world’s biggest health challenges, and our mission requires collaboration, determination and a relentless drive to make a difference.
 

Every member of Gilead’s team plays a critical role in the discovery and development of life-changing scientific innovations. Our employees are our greatest asset as we work to achieve our bold ambitions, and we’re looking for the next wave of passionate and ambitious people ready to make a direct impact.
 

We believe every employee deserves a great leader. People Leaders are the cornerstone to the employee experience at Gilead and Kite. As a people leader now or in the future, you are the key driver in evolving our culture and creating an environment where every employee feels included, developed and empowered to fulfil their aspirations. Join Gilead and help create possible, together.
Job Description
 

Gilead Sciences is seeking an Associate Counsel to join our Corporate Contracts Legal Team. We are looking for an attorney with experience in negotiating, reviewing and drafting Medical Affairs and Clinical Data Science contract matters to support Gilead’s research and development  operations. Working under a senior level attorney, this role primarily supports the drafting and negotiation of contracts for the Medical Affairs and Clinical Data Science organizations, including but not limited to Data Transfer Agreements, Data Licenses, Collaboration Agreements, Master Service Agreements, Work Orders and Change Orders, and Confidentiality Agreements. This attorney will be the primary point of contact on legal contract issues for one or more client groups and will work  closely with the Corporate Contracts Legal team to support other projects and work as needed, which may include process improvement, playbook preparation, and the design of automation tools . The individual must thrive in a high-volume, fast-paced, high-performing and collaborative corporate teaming environment.

Key Responsibilities

This individual will be responsible for, among other things:

• Drafting, reviewing, and negotiating a full range of medical affairs, research and clinical data science contracts typical of a biotech or pharmaceutical research organization, including data transfer agreements, data licenses, grant agreements, agreements with governmental entities, collaboration agreements, development and supply agreements, vendor services agreements, and related agreements.

• Preparing master services agreements, consulting agreements, confidentiality agreements, and other agreements in support of our Medical Affairs and Clinical Data Science organizations.

• Advising client groups on various legal concerns including, intellectual property and data security and privacy issues, identifying and explaining legal and business risks for the business teams, and partnering with the business teams to ensure the efficient resolution of issues.

• Reviewing contracts, identifying issues, and discussing questions or suggestions with senior attorneys, client and/or contract specialists.

• Developing and improving templates and procedures to drive efficiencies in the legal review process.

• Analyzing non-standard, complex problems based on experience and making recommendations on how to proceed.

• Timely advising clients and other attorneys on higher risk issues and proposing alternative legal terms and solutions to senior counsel and/or the client for presentation to the client or opposing counsel.

• Promptly escalating legal issues to a higher level where appropriate but typically handles most contract legal matters from beginning to end.

• Demonstrating excellent business judgment and ability to clearly explain contract terms to clients and how they affect the business..

• Collaborating with members of legal department, other business partners (tax, finance, and risk management) and internal client departments.

• Advising on and resolving transactional negotiation escalations and potential contract disputes.

• Maintaining and improving productive and efficient ways of working with a wide range of cross- functional colleagues and subject-matter experts.

Basic Qualifications

• 3+ years of prior in-house or law firm relevant experience providing legal counsel on medical affairs or clinical data science related agreements in the biotech, pharmaceutical, or medical research areas

• Juris Doctorate or equivalent advanced degree from a nationally accredited law school

• Admission to the California state bar, registration as in-house counsel, or ability to gain admission or registration for either within 90 days.

Preferred Qualifications

• Solid grasp of contracting concepts and strong skills in drafting, negotiating and interpreting a wide range of commercial and vendor agreements, such as master services agreements, consulting agreements and confidentiality agreements;

• Experience developing and implementing contract processes and knowledge resources, such as contract templates, playbooks, back-up provisions, client guidance, and team and client training materials;

• Excellent analytical, problem-solving, written and presentation skills;

• A high degree of client service orientation and ability to recognize and respond quickly and pragmatically to urgent, complex situations and demanding clients;

• Willingness and ability to coordinate activities of many stakeholders across various departments, not only within the company’s headquarters in Foster City, but also throughout the company’s international organization;
• Must be able to set appropriate priorities with clients and deliver results within the established timelines, including, proactively and independently inquire and take ownership to answer internal client questions even when minimal information, direction, and/or policies are available;

• Experience using a contract lifecycle management software (e.g., Apttus);

• Knowledge of Gilead’s business and the pharmaceutical industry in general, including knowledge of regulations governing the pharmaceutical industry;
• Privacy certifications such as CIPP/US and/or CIPP/E as may be ancillary to medical affairs and clinical data science arrangements with third parties is a big plus.

For additional benefits information, visit:

https://www.gilead.com/careers/compensation-benefits-and-wellbeing

* Eligible employees may participate in benefit plans, subject to the terms and conditions of the applicable plans.

Gilead Sciences Inc. is committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment, and is dedicated to fostering an inclusive work environment comprised of diverse perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences. Employment decisions regarding recruitment and selection will be made without discrimination based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, genetic information or characteristic, gender identity and expression, veteran status, or other non-job related characteristics or other prohibited grounds specified in applicable federal, state and local laws. In order to ensure reasonable accommodation for individuals protected by Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Vietnam Era Veterans' Readjustment Act of 1974, and Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, applicants who require accommodation in the job application process may contact [email protected] for assistance.

For more information about equal employment opportunity protections, please view the 'Know Your Rights' poster.

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Gilead Sciences will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, (c) consistent with the  legal duty to furnish information; or (d) otherwise protected by law.
 

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Gilead provides a work environment free of harassment and prohibited conduct. We promote and support individual differences and diversity of thoughts and opinion.

Please apply via the Internal Career Opportunities portal in Workday.