Vice President, R&D Counsel

Crinetics is a pharmaceutical company based in San Diego, California, developing much-needed therapies for people with endocrine diseases and endocrine-related tumors. We were founded by a dedicated team of scientists with the simple belief that better therapies developed from rigorous innovation can lead to better lives. Our work continues to make a real difference in the lives of patients. We have a prolific discovery engine and a robust preclinical and clinical development pipeline. We are driven by science with a patient-centric and team-oriented culture. Crinetics is known for its inclusive workplace culture. We are also a dog-friendly workplace. This is an exciting time to join Crinetics as we shape our organization into the world’s premier fully-integrated endocrine company from discovery to patients. Join our team as we transform the lives of others.

Position Summary:

We are seeking an experienced and strategic legal executive to serve as Vice President, Legal – Research & Development (R&D). In this critical leadership role, the VP, Legal R&D will provide sophisticated legal guidance across the company’s global R&D, manufacturing, and regulatory functions. The VP, Legal R&D will be responsible for advising on the full product lifecycle—from discovery and clinical development through manufacturing and regulatory approval—helping the company manage risk, navigate complexity, and maintain compliance in a rapidly evolving industry.  This role will work closely with cross-functional teams and senior leadership, overseeing a high-performing legal team and partnering across departments to support innovation and operational excellence.

Essential Job Functions and Responsibilities:

These may include but are not limited to:

Legal & Regulatory Counsel

• Provide strategic legal advice on R&D activities, including clinical trial design and execution, patient recruitment, informed consent, CRO engagement, and study reporting.

• Advise on global regulatory requirements and engage with health authorities to support product development, submissions, and approvals.

• Monitor regulatory and industry trends to anticipate legal risks and proactively shape regulatory and product development strategies.

• Counsel on GxP (GLP, GMP, GCP) compliance, inspection readiness, deviations, and audit findings related to R&D and clinical operations.

• Support regulatory filings, pharmacovigilance, and manufacturing matters from a legal and risk management perspective.

Contracting & Transactions

• Draft, negotiate, and manage a broad range of agreements including clinical trial agreements, research collaborations, academic partnerships, licensing deals, and technology transfers.

• Provide legal support on business development activities, including due diligence for pre-clinical and clinical assets, and integration of acquired programs or collaborations.

• Adapt global contract templates and playbooks to meet local and project-specific requirements.

Data Privacy & Compliance

• Advise on research privacy, clinical data use and sharing, biospecimen compliance, and scientific/data integrity.

• Ensure compliance with global data protection laws and ethical research standards in collaboration with internal and external stakeholders.

Leadership & Collaboration

• Lead and manage a team of attorneys and outside counsel supporting global R&D, manufacturing, and regulatory functions.

• Partner cross-functionally with Clinical, Regulatory, Quality, Manufacturing, Commercial, and Business Development teams to align legal guidance with strategic goals.

• Build and maintain strong relationships with regulatory authorities, academic institutions, and industry organizations.

• Ability to independently oversee legal matters and appropriately manage the use of outside legal counsel.

• A pragmatic problem solver, driven not only to identify issues but to actively seek innovative and practical solutions.

Operational Excellence & Risk Management

• Oversee the R&D legal department’s budget, including managing external counsel.

• Develop and implement SOPs, training materials, and best practices to enhance legal operations and promote a culture of compliance.

• Identify and mitigate legal risks across the R&D landscape, providing senior leadership with actionable insights to inform decision-making.

Education and Experience:

Required:

• Juris Doctor (J.D.) from an accredited law school; licensed and in good standing with the U.S. state bar.

• 15+ years of legal experience, with substantial experience in the life sciences industry or a top-tier law firm supporting pharmaceutical clients.

• 14+ years of supervisory experience leading teams.

• Prior leadership experience in a global biopharmaceutical legal department.

• Deep understanding of drug development, clinical trials, manufacturing, regulatory affairs, and pharmacovigilance from a legal perspective.

• Strong expertise in research-related transactions, R&D contracting, compliance, and alliance management.

• Proven ability to manage complex legal issues independently and lead a legal team in a dynamic, global environment.

• Practical, solution-oriented mindset with excellent business judgment and communication skills.

Preferred:

• Familiarity with digital health technologies, decentralized clinical trials, and AI/ML applications in drug development.

• Experience managing legal issues related to consortia, academic collaborations, and public/private partnerships.

Physical Demands and Work Environment:

Physical Activities: On a continuous basis, sit at desk for a long period of time; intermittently answer telephone and write or use a keyboard to communicate through written means. Some walking and lifting up to 25 lbs. may be required. The noise level in the work environment is typically low to moderate. The physical demands described above are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions and responsibilities of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions and responsibilities.

Travel:

You may be required to travel for up to 10% of your time.

Equal Opportunity Employer:

Crinetics is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. We provide equal employment opportunities to all employees and employment applicants without regard to unlawful considerations of sex, sexual orientation, gender (including gender identity and/or expression), pregnancy, race, color, creed, national or ethnic origin, citizenship status, religion or similar philosophical beliefs, disability, marital and civil union status, age, genetic information, veteran status or any personal attribute or characteristic that is protected by applicable local, state or federal laws.

Total Compensation:

The final salary offered to a successful candidate will be dependent on several factors that may include but are not limited to the type and length of experience and education. Crinetics Pharmaceuticals is a multi-state employer, and this salary range may not reflect positions that work in other states. Your recruiter can share more about the specific salary range during the hiring process.

Salary Range

In addition to your base pay, our total rewards program consists of a discretionary annual target bonus, stock options, ESPP, and 401k match. We also provide top-notch health insurance plans for employees (and their families) to include medical, dental, vision and basic life insurance, 20 days of PTO, 10 paid holidays, and a winter company shutdown.