Director, Corporate Counsel, Research & Development

Arvinas is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company leading the way in targeted protein degradation therapeutics. Arvinas is the first company to focus solely on protein degradation and its platform technology is the most advanced in the field. Since its founding in 2013, Arvinas’ PROTAC® Discovery Engine has been driving the most significant breakthroughs in the industry. Arvinas’ pipeline encompasses a range of validated and undruggable targets in oncology, immuno-oncology, and neuroscience. This includes three clinical-stage programs: bavdegalutamide (ARV-110) and ARV-766, which are being developed as potential treatments for men with late-line metastatic castrate-resistant prostate cancer, and ARV-471, which is being developed as a potential treatment for patients with breast cancer.

#TeamArvinas is made up of more than 350 passionate and curious employees, whose diverse thoughts and perspectives are highly valued. Arvinas employees embrace the freedom to pursue innovation, think creatively, and give back. They are driven by the company’s values and purpose – to improve the well-being of patients and families impacted by the devastating diseases Arvinas is working to treat. It’s an exciting time to be in drug development and it’s an exciting time to be at Arvinas. But don’t just take our word for it – here’s what Arvinas employees are saying. For more information, please visit www.arvinas.com.

Position Summary

This new role is an exciting opportunity to be an important part of a growing legal team. The Corporate Counsel, Research & Development is responsible for providing pragmatic, business-minded legal solutions for platform and pipeline research and development programs, drafting and negotiating related contracts in compliance with policies and procedures, and helping research and development teams meet their objectives.

This position will report to the General Counsel, and can be remote, hybrid, or located at our headquarters in New Haven, CT.

Principal Responsibilities

Key responsibilities of this role include, but are not limited to:

• Draft and negotiate agreements covering basic to complex legal agreements in the R&D organization; including but not limited to, clinical trial agreements. master services agreements, material transfer agreements, and research agreements in an effective, efficient and time-sensitive manner.
• Act as a thought partner to Arvinas’s research and early clinical deevlopment functions, advising internal clients in structuring and advising on various transactions in a way that advances the company’s strategy while addressing legal and regulatory risks.
• Consistently prioritize significant workload based on business needs and communicate this prioritization.
• Build strong cross-functional relationships with colleagues in R&D, CMC, Regulatory, Clinical, Clinical Operations and other client groups to create efficient and effective processes.
• In collaboration with other legal professionals, ensure consistent legal advice on product discovery, research and development legal issues relevant to the discovery and development of innovative products.
• Identify and analyze global legal, business and reputational risks to the company and consult with the legal team to develop appropriate solutions.
• Identify and resolve legal issues and identify and help resolve business issues arising from related transactions.
• Manage legal resources internally, directly and/or indirectly, and externally to complete projects in a timely and high quality manner.
• Proactively coordinate with the legal team to contribute to and to stay informed of global pharmaceutical laws and regulations.
• Lead assigned cross-functional legal initiatives and serve as lead lawyer on cross-functional teams.
• Creatively solve for the legal needs of the R&D Contracts group by working collaboratively to help develop new ways of working, new processes, process improvements, tools and training and metric based systems to demonstrate performance improvements.
• Train and guide new R&D internal clients on the contracts process and best contracting practices.
• Demonstrate a service-oriented approach to advising internal client groups.
• Assist the legal department on other legal projects as needed.
• Contribute to cultivating a company culture that reflects a strong commitment to the Arvinas values.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 5 years in a law firm, or in-house counsel role or similar experience drafting and negotiating complex contracts.
• Superior written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to communicate concisely to clients and senior management, integrate legal and business knowledge, and provide clear and balanced advice regarding risks.
• Results driven and customer service focused.
• Capable of working independently and able to understand and incorporate legal guidance into work product.
• Must have high integrity, ability to assess risk, ability to make decisions and think strategically while applying knowledge of applicable legal issues.
• Strong negotiation skills, ability to network across functions.
• Have an interest in piloting new approaches to improve legal services in a risk appropriate way.
• Experience with drafting, negotiating and advising on a variety of R&D Agreements in the pharmaceutical/biotech industry.
• Ability to manage and prioritize multiple matters simultaneously and to respond to rapidly shifting priorities in ambiguous or challenging situations.
• Sound conflict resolution skills and ability to work in a collaborative, global environment;
• Effective decision making; proven ability to assess and calibrate and effectively communicate legal risks to senior management and others.
• Creative, thoughtful and practical problem-solving skills.
• Listens to internal client needs and communicates with clients with confidence and diplomacy.
• Excellent verbal and writing skills and business judgment are required.
• Experience with regulations and laws impacting the Research and Development departments within the biopharmaceutical industry.
• Strong drafting and communication skills, and an ability to maintain a high level of attention to detail without losing sight of the big picture.
• Accountability and the ability to take ownership of an issue and provide concise and timely advice.
• Willingness to pitch-in and help on legal projects across the organization.
• Commitment to client service, finding solutions, relationship building, continued learning, proactivity and confidentiality.

Education

• J.D. from an accredited law school; admitted into practice and in good standing

Arvinas is proud to offer a competitive package of base and incentive compensation as well as a comprehensive benefits program designed to support the health, wellness and financial security of our employees and their families. Benefits include group medical, vision and dental coverage, group and supplemental life insurance, and much more. To learn more about Arvinas, please visit www.arvinas.com

Arvinas is an Equal Opportunity employer