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Novartis

Executive Director & Lead Legal Counsel, BD&L

Novartis, East Hanover, New Jersey, us, 07936


About The Role

Location: This role can be based out of Cambridge, MA or East Hanover, NJ. This is a hybrid working model.

The Novartis Legal team is seeking an Executive Director & Lead Legal Counsel, Business Development & Licensing expert, responsible for leading internal and external teams in the management and execution of legal aspects of strategic and complex transactions in close collaboration with legal management and Business Development & Licensing (BD&L) colleagues. This person will be a key enabler of Novartis’s portfolio and lifecycle management activities and overall enterprise strategy.

What you will be doing:

Lead teams of internal and external lawyers to identify, advise on and implement legal aspects of strategic and complex transactions in close collaboration with senior management and BD&L, functional and divisional stakeholders.Define transaction objectives with BD&L leadership, project leads and other key stakeholders and lead teams in the development and implementation of project plans to achieve them, including timelines, reporting and key deliverables.Coordinate and drive the delivery by internal and external teams of legal advice and documentation and related workstreams on transactions, including structuring, due diligence, signing, closing and post-closing/integration activities.Brief and make recommendations to line management, senior management and other stakeholders (e.g., BD&L leadership) in respect of complex and sensitive legal and commercial issues arising in connection with transactions.Ensure that transaction documentation and processes accurately reflect business objectives and the agreed commercial transaction and compliance with applicable legal and regulatory requirements and internal policies and procedures.Drive robust due diligence processes, including external legal support, to identify, assess and communicate legal and deal risks and implement appropriate risk mitigation.Work with BD&L and other business colleagues to ensure appropriate due diligence on other aspects of transactions is completed and addressed in transaction structuring and terms.Develop and implement creative solutions to structuring and legal issues on transactions, working with multiple stakeholders including tax, finance and HR colleagues and external advisors.Support IR and PR on transaction-related communications.Support the transition of closed transactions to responsible functional, divisional and integration/separation teams.Identify opportunities to improve and streamline processes and to lead implementation of change processes to develop a best-in-class transactions organization at Novartis.Manage external legal counsel relationships in accordance with Novartis Preferred Firm Program objectives and to maximize value for Novartis.Proactively identify opportunities to improve legal transactions practices and procedures and lead initiatives to implement positive change.Mentor legal and other colleagues and take accountability for management of internal and external secondees, trainee lawyers and summer associates.

Role Requirements

What you will bring to the role:

Education:Admitted to practice law in good standing in N.Y., N.J, or MA or member in good standing of a state bar of another state required.Experience:10+ years’ experience (post-admittance) required.Must be able to draft complex legal documents and negotiate in English.Significant experience executing complex licensing, collaboration, public and private mergers and acquisitions transactions (both buyside and sellside) and other corporate transactions (e.g., joint ventures, equity and debt investments).At least 2 to 3 years of experience managing and leading transaction teams and processes and stakeholder interests in a corporate environment.Strong business acumen and proven ability to work and to lead in a matrixed organization.Life sciences, VC and/or digital experience a significant plus.Experience in related commercial arrangements (e.g., services and supply arrangements) a significant plus.

Why Novartis:

Our purpose is to reimagine medicine to improve and extend people’s lives and our vision is to become the most valued and trusted medicines company in the world. How can we achieve this? With our people. It is our associates that drive us each day to reach our ambitions. Be a part of this mission and join us!

Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion:

Novartis is committed to building an outstanding, inclusive work environment and diverse teams' representative of the patients and communities we serve.#J-18808-Ljbffr