Career Category

Job Description

Role:  As a member of the International Legal Group (ILG) of Amgen Inc., the world’s largest independent biotechnology company headquartered in southern California, the job holder will be responsible for leading the legal function in Amgen’s French affiliate.  France is one of the largest market in Europe for Amgen products.  The job holder will work with a team of 2 French lawyers to provide legal support across a broad range of practice areas.  The job holder will partner with every business and support function to achieve the company’s commercial and strategic objectives.  The job holder will be a member of the local management team.  The job holder will liaise with other members of the ILG based at Amgen’s European Headquarters in Rotkreuz, Switzerland and with Amgen’s other country based counsel.  The job holder will manage external counsel and have related budgetary responsibilities.

Responsibilities:  Examples of specific responsibilities include:

General Business Support

• Participating in strategic decisions impacting the business/local affiliate
• Drafting/reviewing commercial agreements
• Advising on acceptability of promotional materials and activities and conducting risk assessment
• Advising and training on competition law
• Litigation support (civil/administrative/criminal)

Regulatory Affairs & Value and Access

• Interpretation and advising on the law relating to medicinal products and devices
• Advising and supporting strategic partnerships
• Advising on tender, pricing, reimbursement and market access related issues
• Assisting on legal related interactions with the French pharmaceutical agency (ANSM)
• Supporting external GXP inspections and internal audits

R&D/Medical Department Support

• Advising on clinical trial related issues (contracts and interpretation of law)

Compliance

• Advising on appropriate interactions with health care professionals and healthcare organisations
• Advising the local grants and donations and sponsorships committees
• Training on anticorruption/FCPA
• Supporting local healthcare compliance investigations
• Supporting Data Protection Officer on data privacy issues

Corporate Administration

• Advice and assistance on various corporate administration matters including the Amgen Foundation

Administrative and supervisory matters

• Manage external counsel and associated budgets
• Manage a team of 2 lawyers in French affiliate

Required Attributes:

Fluent written and spoken French and English.

Excellent written and oral communication skills.

Strong commercial orientation, leadership and organizational abilities.

Skillful negotiator/influencer and ability to constructively challenge and act as sparring partner.

Able to prioritise effectively, delegate and drive clear and timely outcomes

Proactive, “self-starter”, able to issue spot and analyse complex legal problems and present alternative/creative solutions to management.

Good judgment and maturity, able to assess and advise on legal risk and act as a partner to the business in order to enable it to achieve its commercial and strategic objectives.

Strategic thinker, able to utilize knowledge and experience to understand impact of emerging trends and implications for the company.

Self-aware person who can successfully manage client expectations and can work well with a variety of personalities/capabilities in cross-functional teams.

Educational and Professional Requirements:  Excellent academic credentials and law degree from recognized university.  Qualification to practice law in France and admitted to the French Bar.

Experience Required:  Minimum of 10 years’ post-qualification experience gained from a combination of practice at a major law firm advising on life sciences industry issues and working as an in-house counsel for a pharmaceutical/biotechnology company.

Knowledge of ANSM and HAS (Transparency Committee) rules and procedures impacting the life sciences industry.

Reporting:  Will report directly to Associate General Counsel in European Headquarters.  Will report indirectly to the General Manager of Amgen France.