Senior Legal Counsel

Novotech

$140K — $170K *
Legal & Accounting
11 - 15 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Qualified lawyer admitted to practice in a US jurisdiction.
  • 12-16 years of post-qualification experience in private practice and/or in-house roles.
  • Strong expertise in complex commercial contracting and negotiation.
  • Experience with multinational organizations and cross-border transactions.
  • Familiarity with life sciences, CRO, pharmaceutical, biotech, or healthcare sectors.

Responsibilities

  • Lead drafting, reviewing, and negotiating commercial agreements, including vendor and partnership contracts.
  • Provide practical legal advice on corporate, compliance, and operational matters.
  • Collaborate with various functions to identify and manage legal risks.
  • Support in disputes and regulatory matters, managing external counsel as necessary.
  • Assist with strategic transactions and post-acquisition integrations.
  • Help develop and enhance legal and compliance frameworks.
  • Advise on privacy and data protection across jurisdictions.

Benefits

  • Opportunity to work in a collaborative, supportive global organization.
  • Exposure to cutting-edge projects in life sciences.
  • Strong team culture where every voice is valued.
  • Ongoing support from senior leadership for professional development.
  • Empowerment to make proactive decisions and influence business outcomes.
Full Job Description
Job Description

About the Role

This is a broad in-house role supporting Novotech's US operations operations across commercial contracting, corporate matters, employment, compliance, privacy and strategic initiatives. You will work closely with business leaders to enable growth, manage risk and deliver practical legal solutions that support business objectives.

As a trusted adviser, you will combine strong legal expertise with sound commercial judgement, helping stakeholders make informed decisions in a fast-paced, global environment.

Key Responsibilities
  • Lead the drafting, review and negotiation of a wide range of commercial agreements, including customer, vendor, consulting, confidentiality and partnership contracts.
  • Provide practical, risk-based legal advice across commercial, corporate, employment, privacy, compliance and operational matters.
  • Partner with Business Development, Clinical Operations and other functions to identify and manage legal and contractual risks.
  • Support disputes, investigations, regulatory matters and employment issues, including the management of external counsel where required.
  • Support acquisitions, strategic transactions and due diligence projects, including post-acquisition integration activities.
  • Assist in the development and continuous improvement of legal, compliance and risk management frameworks.
  • Advise on privacy and data protection requirements across relevant jurisdictions.
  • Build strong relationships with stakeholders and deliver commercially focused, solution-oriented advice.
  • Collaborate with colleagues across the global Legal team to ensure consistent, high-quality legal support.


Qualifications and Experience
  • Qualified lawyer admitted to practise in a relevant jurisdiction in the US.
  • Approximately 12-16 years' post-qualification experience gained in private practice, in-house, or a combination of both.
  • Strong experience in complex commercial contracting and negotiation.
  • Experience supporting multinational organisations and cross-border business activities.
  • Experience in life sciences, CRO, pharmaceutical, biotechnology or healthcare sectors.


Skills and Attributes
  • Strong commercial judgement and a pragmatic approach to risk management.
  • Excellent drafting, negotiation and stakeholder engagement skills.
  • Ability to influence and communicate effectively with senior leaders and business partners.
  • Practical, solutions-focused mindset with a balance of legal rigour and commercial awareness.
  • Ability to manage competing priorities and operate effectively in a dynamic, global environment.
  • High levels of integrity, professionalism and attention to detail.
  • Competent leveraging technology and legal operations tools to improve efficiency and effectiveness.


Salary Band - Senior Legal Counsel: $140,000 to $170,000 USD - Salary offered will be based on candidates experience level.

Find out more about working at Novotech at: www.novotech-cro.com/careers

About the Team

At Novotech we have advanced therapeutic and regulatory expertise, the ability to execute across markets and a client-centric service model, so that our clients get a trusted, long-term partner and an accelerated path to bring their life-changing advances to market. This gives our employees the opportunity to develop their careers by joining a diverse and supportive global organization with a collaborative culture, whilst working with clients on the cutting-edge of life sciences.

At Novotech you will work alongside empowered teams with a shared commitment to success.

  • Strategic vs transactional mindset.


  • Ability to gain insights and make proactive decisions quickly.


  • Culture that fosters partnership and collaboration, where every voice is heard and valued.


  • Ongoing support from senior stakeholders and leadership team.

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