How will you make an impact?

The Bioproduction Division (BPD)/Lab Chemicals Division (LCD) Legal Counsel will be a key Legal contact and member of the Thermo Fisher Scientific Life Sciences Solutions/BPD and LCD Legal teams. This role supports BPD and LCD principally in the United States and regions outside of Europe on a wide range of Legal matters with a focus on general commercial, compliance, quality, procurement, regulatory, employment, and dispute resolution. The BPD/LCD Legal Counsel will work with BPD/LCD Divisional Counsel, other BPD and LCD lawyers, as well as Thermo Fisher lawyers and outside specialists to provide high quality and comprehensive Legal advice and support to the BPD and LCD Legal entities, sites and businesses. The BPD/LCD Legal Counsel will also work closely with business functional colleagues, including but not limited to Global Trade Compliance, Quality, Procurement, EHS, and Regulatory, to facilitate business transactions and manage Legal compliance matters and requests.

What will you do?

• Support the BPD/LCD Divisional Counsel and work with other Legal team members to provide guidance to business leaders and global team members on, and address a range of, Legal, operational and business issues that impact the BPD and LCD businesses and sites.
• Draft and negotiate agreements of varying complexity with pharmaceutical, chemical, academic, research and manufacturing companies to enable BPD and LCD businesses to sell products and perform services, purchase raw materials and services, license technologies (in and out) and manage quality requirements. Resolve commercial and other Legal disputes related to same.
• Obtain a general working knowledge of applicable United States and other regions’ regulations and compliance rules impacting environmental, compliance, safety, trade, and related liability associated with the sale, transportation, and disposal of BPD products and LCD chemicals in region.
• Work with Legal and business teams to support a risk-based compliance program for BPD and LCD consistent with Thermo Fisher policies and procedures and applicable country-specific laws, rules and culture. Support regulatory, trade, and chemicals compliance efforts by BPD and LCD sites. Coordinate compliance with United States and other applicable regulations with internal and external subject matter experts and outside counsel, and consult on resolution of agency enforcement actions.
• Partner with compliance colleagues to ensure effective prevention, detection and remediation of violations of law, regulations and internal policies, and periodic reporting on risk assessments regarding BPD/LCD site compliance. Support internal BPD/LCD investigations of any allegations of misconduct or reported compliance concerns.
• Help drive use of Securimate (third party distributor tool) within BPD/LCD and resolve open trade compliance items.
• Respond to inquiries and advise BPD/LCD employees on laws and internal policies to help ensure business planning and activities are done in accordance with applicable requirements.
• Deliver Legal training programs relevant to business matters and contractual obligations for BPD and LCD sites.
• Promote PPI (process improvement) initiatives and adopt a process improvement culture within the BPD/LCD businesses.
• Partner with BPD/LCD business teams on a variety of commercial matters (e.g. sales, customer documentation support, product labelling requirements) and quality matters (e.g. customer notifications, quality agreements, regulatory audits). Facilitate review and resolution of customer concerns and complaints.
• Help implement strategic Legal purchasing, quality, commercial, regulatory initiatives at applicable BPD/LCD sites.
• Support litigation, IP, M&A, company secretarial, regulatory, employment matters impacting BPD/LCD businesses.
• Effectively build relationships with external counsel for BPD/LCD businesses.

How will you get here?

• Requires an intellectually strong, United States licensed attorney with a J.D. degree and admission to a state bar. A degree in chemistry and/or life sciences with solid knowledge of contracts law is preferred.

• At least 6 years’ commercial contracts Legal experience, preferably including in-house experience, representing chemicals, life sciences and other relevant regulated-sector companies in either a multinational company Legal department or relevant department of full-service law firm.

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities

• Robust Legal acumen and business sense with strong influencing skills.
• Ability to develop practical processes/approaches, and to drive strategy to action and solutions to completion.
• Excellent communication and negotiation skills, robust and enthusiastic self-starter, excellent team player.
• Ability to perform duties independently with minimal instruction given on new projects or assignments.
• Fluent in spoken and written English.
• Ability to solve problems of diverse scope and moderate to high complexity. Multiple tasks must often be performed contemporaneously, involving commitments of moderate resources, and requiring understanding of issues surrounding contracts, technology and corporate structure. A willingness and competence to pay attention to details in contracts and regulations is essential.
• Recognize when to seek guidance from the Divisional Counsel, General Counsel, and other company personnel or external consultants.

Location

Office-based at site in New Jersey, New York, or Massachusetts (as business conditions permit) with approved remote work. Travel is estimated at 10-15% (as business conditions permit).