Associate General Counsel

The Wistar Institute is a world leader in early-stage discovery science in the areas of cancer, immunology, and infectious disease. Wistar is committed to accelerating research advances from bench to bedside through brilliant science and distinctive approaches to collaboration among scientific investigators and academic and industry partners. Wistar’s dynamic environment supports the advancement of discoveries that will change the future of human health.

Wistar has a current opening for an Associate General Counsel to join its Legal department. Reporting to Wistar's Vice President, General Counsel, Secretary & Government Relations. The Associate General Counsel will assist in managing Wistar's legal affairs; identifying, assessing, and managing legal, regulatory, and reputation risk; and providing legal advice and assistance to all departments at Wistar, including the Business Development, Procurement and other teams, in connection with transactions and contracts.  

Duties and responsibilities include:

• Advises Wistar's staff regarding the broad range of legal issues affecting Wistar including issues relating to intellectual property; data sharing, privacy, licensing; technology transfer; government grants and contracts; government reporting, sponsored research; start-ups; clinical trials; information technology; procurement, compliance; real estate and export controls.  
• Provides advice and assistance in drafting, reviewing, and negotiating contractual arrangements including confidentiality, data use, licensing and option, intellectual property management, and clinical trial agreements; government grants and contracts; research collaboration, consulting, loan, goods and services, operating, and design/construction agreements; and equity documents.
• Provides advice in structuring complex transactions with industry, government, and other institutions.
• Provides advice to various functional areas, including Business Development, Procurement, Finance, Communication and others.
• Maintains knowledge of legal and regulatory issues and developments of importance to Wistar through participation in continuing legal education and membership in bar and professional associations. 

Juris Doctor degree from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association required. Must be a member of good standing of the state bar of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania or another state bar.

A minimum of seven years of experience in a law firm or in the legal department of a for-profit or nonprofit institution (such as a university, hospital, or biomedical research institute) is preferred.  Ideally, the candidate will have worked in the life sciences, biomedical, pharmaceutical, or academic research sectors, with a practice focused on transactional or intellectual property matters or both. Broad experience with handling and advising on a wide range of legal matters, negotiating and drafting agreements and structuring transactions is highly desired.

The ideal candidate will have: excellent judgment and excellent analytical, organizational, and oral and written communication abilities; be effective in identifying, assessing, and managing legal, regulatory, and reputation risk, and be an effective problem solver; good at handling and prioritizing multiple and varied matters and dealing with multiple stakeholders; strong skills in negotiating and structuring transactions, drafting agreements, and protecting intellectual property; committed to the highest ethical and professional standards.  

The Wistar Institute is located in the University City area of Philadelphia, in the heart of the University of Pennsylvania Campus. Wistar provides resources to its faculty and staff that enable them to conduct cutting edge collaborative research and provides for outstanding intellectual environments and state-of-the-art facilities.

We offer a competitive salary and excellent benefits package.

For more information about The Wistar Institute visit our website at www.wistar.org.

It is the policy of the Institute to provide equal employment opportunities to all individuals regardless of race, citizenship, ethnicity, color, creed, religion, marital status, national origin, ancestry, sex, age, veteran status, mental or physical disability (including HIV and AIDS), pregnancy, caregiver status, domestic or sexual violence victim status, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, or on the basis of genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law, with respect to all terms and conditions of employment.