Head, Legal R&D External Partnering & IP Licensing

About The Role

The Head, Legal R&D External Partnering & IP Licensing is responsible for providing senior legal leadership for Haleon’s R&D partnering, external innovation, and intellectual property licensing activities. This role partners closely with R&D, Business Development, Commercial, Regulatory, and legal IP colleagues to enable high-value collaborations, technology access arrangements, co-development opportunities, and strategic in-licensing and out-licensing transactions that support Haleon’s innovation pipeline and growth priorities. The role leads legal strategy across the full deal lifecycle, including opportunity assessment, IP and contractual due diligence, deal structuring, negotiation, execution, and post-signature implementation. It also supports the identification, protection, and deployment of Haleon’s innovation assets, helping ensure that external partnerships are commercially effective, legally robust, and aligned with Haleon’s risk appetite and long-term business objectives. This is a highly visible, enterprise-facing leadership role that advises senior stakeholders, manages complex partner relationships, and helps embed IP and partnering considerations into decision-making across R&D and the broader business.

Role Responsibilities

• Lead the company’s global intellectual property and licensing strategy, ensuring robust protection, commercialization, and optimization of brands, innovations, formulations, packaging technologies, and digital assets.
• Partner closely with R&D, BD, Regulatory, and Commercial teams to identify protectable innovations early, assess licensing needs, support product pipeline decisions, and embed IP and licensing considerations throughout the product lifecycle.
• Advise senior leadership on deal structures, development opportunities, competitive intelligence, risk allocation, and strategic implications providing clear decision‑making guidance supporting commercial growth.
• Lead and oversee all licensing‑related legal matters, including in‑licensing, out‑licensing, co‑development, co‑promotion, commercialization, distribution, manufacturing, and technology transfer agreements.
• Support integration and alliance management efforts post‑execution to ensure obligations, milestones, reporting, and performance commitments are met.
• Pre-Litigation Strategy on Royalty, Partnering and Licensing Matters: Formulate and execute legal strategies to manage and resolve pre-litigation disputes, breach-of-contract claims, royalty / licensing disputes, and FTO challenges arising from licensing and partnership contractual arrangements.
• Drive the integration of artificial intelligence and emerging technologies into licensing, contracting, and business transaction processes by identifying opportunities to enhance efficiency, risk management, knowledge sharing, and decision-making.
• Partner with business, legal operations, digital, and technology teams to evaluate, implement, and govern AI-enabled solutions while ensuring alignment with legal, regulatory, ethical, and company compliance requirements.
• Manage IP considerations related to patents, trademarks, trade secrets, data exclusivity, research tools, and platform technologies in license negotiations. 
• Drive legal support for due diligence activities, assessing IP portfolios, freedom‑to‑operate risks, data packages, regulatory status, and contractual obligations.
• Spearhead efforts to monetize Haleon’s IP portfolio.  
• Lead negotiations for licensing, collaboration, co‑development, and technology access agreements that maximize value and manage risk.
• Serve as the primary legal interface with external partners, including licensors, licensees, academic institutions, bio/tech companies, and CROs.
• Draft, negotiate, and finalize complex licensing and collaboration agreements, balancing risk, value creation, and long‑term business objectives.
• Develop and maintain contract templates, playbooks, negotiation frameworks, and governance processes to enable efficient and consistent deal execution.
• Monitor relevant legal and regulatory developments affecting licensing, IP, collaboration models, and industry standards.
• Manage external counsel for specialized IP, regulatory, or transactional expertise.
• Contribute to internal training and capability building on licensing best practices, negotiation strategies, and contracting norms.

Who You’ll Work With

• Global R&D teamsBusiness Development and External Innovation TeamsCommercial, Regulatory and Legal teams supporting Oral Health, OTC, and Wellness.
• Trademark and Patent CounselExternal commercial and development partnersParalegals and support staff across the US, UK, and India

Basic Qualifications

• Fully qualified attorney with 7 years of professional experience.
• Experience in private equity, investment banking, or corporate development, with strong commercial judgment and the ability to evaluate deal economics, risk allocation, and value drivers in complex licensing and partnering transactions.
• Familiarity with IP portfolio management—covering prosecution, enforcement, due diligence, and risk assessment. 
• Experience in deal structuring and negotiating multi-party R&D agreements including collaborations, co-development, and milestone-based licensing agreements. 
• Skilled in global, high-value deal structures, balancing IP rights, commercialization, and financial incentives. Proficiency in crafting and negotiating complex IP agreements, including license, co‑promotion, distribution, manufacturing, technology transfer, collaboration, and joint development agreements along with innovative royalty structures. 
• Thorough due diligence capabilities, including assessment of IP assets, counterparties, and regulatory/compliance factors. 
• Proactive risk identification and mitigation, including in the areas of antitrust, regulatory, and technological risks.
• Team development experience, mentorship of junior counsel, and effective management of external counsel.
• Haleon is a global business; comfort operating across time zones and cultures is essential.undefined

Preferred Qualifications

• In-house experience in consumer health, FMCH, CPG, or FMCG.
• Experience coordinating global projects across a variety of internal stakeholder teams and working with cross border teams.
• Familiarity with consumer healthcare, formulations, dosage forms, packaging and/or delivery systems.
• Ability to proficiently engage with inventors and technical teams, interpretations of prior art, and assessors of patentability. 
• Demonstrated interest, aptitude, and curiosity in the evolving application of artificial intelligence to legal and commercial operations, with the ability to assess how emerging technologies can improve transaction workflows, contract lifecycle management, licensing models, and business processes.
• Experience using, evaluating, or supporting AI-enabled tools in a legal, compliance, or commercial environment is strongly preferred.
  

Location: This is a hybrid-based position in Berkeley Heights, NJ, requiring on-site presence 3 days per week.

The Salary Range for this role is $216,487 - $297,670 USD + an 18% target bonus.

Benefits

Haleon offers a robust Total Reward package that consists of competitive pay and a comprehensive benefits program.  This includes a generous 401(k) plan, tuition reimbursement and time off programs including 6 months paid parental leave.  On day one, you are eligible for benefits, including our healthcare programs where the company pays for the majority of your medical coverage for you and your family.  We also offer the opportunity to receive a discretionary bonus based on the achievement of key business performance and other incentive/recognition programs as part of the offering.

 

 

Job Posting End Date2026-11-18