Senior Legal Counsel, Biotechnology Industry Expert

Senior Director, Corporate Counsel

Vera Therapeutics is a biotechnology company focused on developing treatments for serious immunological diseases. The mission is to advance treatments that target the source of immunologic diseases and change the standard of care for patients.

The company's lead product candidate is atacicept, a fusion protein self-administered at home as a subcutaneous once weekly injection. Atacicept blocks both B-cell Activating Factor (BAFF) and A Proliferation Inducing Ligand (APRIL), which stimulate B cells to produce autoantibodies contributing to certain autoimmune diseases.

The company is also evaluating the role of atacicept in other immunologic disorders. Additionally, Vera Therapeutics is developing VT-109, a novel, next-generation dual BAFF/APRIL inhibitor in preclinical development, and MAU868, a monoclonal antibody designed to neutralize infection with BK virus.

The values guide everything we do every day. These values are the cornerstone of our culture and consist of:

• Hire great people
• Advance our mission together
• Improve medical treatment for patients suffering from immunological diseases

The Senior Director, Corporate Counsel will be pivotal in driving the success of the contracts team. They will work collaboratively with key stakeholders across the organization to drive business growth and improve operational efficiency.

The responsibilities include:

• Lead the negotiating and drafting of various business contracts, including vendor agreements, IT/software licensing, data privacy agreements, service agreements, clinical trial agreements, confidentiality agreements, consulting agreements, material transfer agreements
• Provide high-quality legal advice and guidance, identify, and help resolve critical legal and business issues arising from regulatory, research and development, IT and clinical activities
• Foster and develop strong relationships with internal company stakeholders in legal, clinical operations, clinical development, research and development, IT, outsourcing and quality
• Support the review and negotiation of IT-related agreements, including SaaS contracts, data processing agreements, cybersecurity policies
• Identify legal risks related to business operations and develop strategies to mitigate exposure while supporting business objectives
• Create, support and update library of template contracts, policies, and playbooks
• Assist in the creation and implementation of company policies related to business operations and legal risk management
• Develop training materials on contracting topics for employees and conduct associated company trainings
• Contribute to legal due diligence activities arising from contract reviews
• Work cross-functionally with Compliance, HR, IT, Finance, and Operations teams to align legal strategies with business goals
• Provide support on key legal initiatives and high-priority projects as needed

To be successful in this role, you will need:

• Juris Doctorate from an accredited law school
• Membership in good standing of the California State Bar or otherwise qualified for admission to practice law in California as registered in-house counsel
• At least 8+ years of relevant experience as an attorney in a law firm and/or in-house legal department in the life sciences industry (biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, medical device, healthcare or related fields)
• Contract drafting and negotiation experience is required
• Self-motivated, innovative, strategic, detail-oriented and able to consistently provide high-quality and timely work product and manage multiple projects
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills and stakeholder management
• Demonstrated ability and track record to act as a team player and build trusted cross-functional and external relationships
• Strong commitment to compliance and ethics
• Superior intellect and judgment, with the ability to think critically, set priorities, make clear and well-reasoned decisions and provide practical legal advice
• Outstanding service mentality (proactive and responsive)
• A proven self-starter and results-oriented attorney with ability to work independently and with attention to detail
• High enthusiasm and energy and