Senior Director, Legal Counsel

Cytokinetics is a late-stage, specialty cardiovascular biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering, developing and commercializing first-in-class muscle activators and next-in-class muscle inhibitors as potential treatments for debilitating diseases in which cardiac muscle performance is compromised. As a leader in muscle biology and the mechanics of muscle performance, the company is developing small molecule drug candidates specifically engineered to impact myocardial muscle function and contractility.

Responsibilities

• This role is expected to have critical understanding of complex contracts and strong knowledge of key provisions of such agreements such as indemnities, limitations of liability, intellectual property, warranties and covenants, regulatory, termination and other critical contract negotiation issues.

• Agreements will include indentures, lease agreements, clinical trial agreements, pharmaceutical license agreements, master service agreements, software license agreements and supply and wholesaler arrangements.

• Lead certain general corporate contracts – drafting, negotiating and reviewing certain corporate contracts, as needed and knowledge of contract-related systems.

• Independently provide leadership on cross-functional teams, identify legal issues, provide legal options and analysis of possible legal solutions, and give recommendations for addressing critical issues so that business and legal objectives are met.

• May also provide support and advice to G&A departments and investor relations.

• Manage outside counsel effectively and efficiently, and consistent with applicable budgets. Work creatively with outside counsel to minimize fees and costs.

Qualifications

• JD degree

• Admitted to at least one state bar. Admitted to California bar or admitted as Registered In-House Counsel in California is a plus

• Minimum of 10 years of experience as in-house counsel in a biotechnology, pharma or healthcare company or a combination of in-house at large public company and/or nationally recognized law firm specializing in the area of interest

• Strong working knowledge of U.S. securities laws and NASDAQ requirements. Experience with securities filings of public companies in the life science industry or strong experience in completing public Merger and Acquisition activities

• Detailed-oriented with a high level of intellectual, professional and interpersonal agility and flexibility, combined with strong analytical and problem-solving skills

• A sophisticated existing understanding of financial regulations

• An ability to operate independently

• Excellent communication skills, both oral and written

• Intellectual curiosity and a willingness to take responsibility for novel and emerging areas of regulation

• Well-organized and hardworking, with the ability to manage numerous projects simultaneously under deadline pressure

• Excellent analytical skills, with a strong ability to draft and review legal documents, analyze legal advice and apply legal advice to business needs

• Ability to form strong working relationships with all levels of management, employees, and partners while maintaining firm adherence to proper legal standards

• Team-oriented, sound judgment, self-motivation and willingness to take initiative

Pay Range:

Our employees come from different backgrounds, and we celebrate those differences. We are looking for the best candidates for our open roles, but do not expect applicants to meet every qualification in order to be considered. If you are excited about what you could accomplish at Cytokinetics and believe you can add value to our team, we would love to hear from you.

Please review our General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) policy PRIOR to applying.  

Our passion is anchored in robust scientific thinking, grounded in integrity and critical thinking. We keep the patient front and center in all we do – all actions and decisions are in service of the patient and their caregivers. We champion integrity, ethics, doing the right thing, and being our best selves.

Fraud Warning: How to Identify Impersonated Cytokinetics Job Postings and Offers

Recently, there have been fraudulent employment offers being sent to candidates on behalf of Cytokinetics. Please be advised that all legitimate offers from Cytokinetics will come directly from our official email domain (Cytokinetics.com) and will only be made after completing a formal interview process.

Here are some ways to check for authenticity:

• We do not conduct job interviews through non-standard text messaging applications

• We will never request personal information such as banking details until after an official offer has been accepted and verified

• We will never request that you purchase equipment or other items when interviewing or hiring

• If you are unsure about the authenticity of an offer, or if you receive any suspicious communication, please contact us directly at talentacquisition@cytokinetics.com

Please visit our website at: www.cytokinetics.com

Cytokinetics is an Equal Opportunity Employer