Senior Corporate Counsel

About Us

The Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy (PICI) is radically changing the way cancer research is done. Founded in 2016 through a $250 million gift from Silicon Valley entrepreneur and philanthropist Sean Parker, the San Francisco-based nonprofit is an unprecedented collaboration between the country’s leading immunotherapy researchers and cancer centers, including Stanford Medicine, the University of California, Los Angeles, the University of California, San Francisco, the University of Pennsylvania, the Gladstone Institute and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. PICI also supports top researchers at other cancer research institutions, including Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, City of Hope, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Institute for Systems Biology and Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

By forging alliances with academic, industry and nonprofit partners, PICI makes big bets on bold research to fulfill its mission: to accelerate the development of breakthrough immune therapies to turn all cancers into curable diseases.

Help us create a world that doesn’t fear cancer. Join us. www.parkerici.org

Overview of the Role

The Senior Corporate Counsel will work closely with members of the Legal team and other PICI employees to provide legal services, including to review and negotiate the terms of various agreements including licenses and collaboration agreements, and to advise management and Board members regarding PICI’s charitable and investment activities.

Reporting Structure and Team

The Senior Corporate Counsel reports to the Chief Legal Officer and is a key member of the Legal team.

FLSA Status: Exempt

Essential Job Functions

• Perform a wide variety of legal services including reviewing, preparing, and negotiating agreements with Affiliated Research Institutions, commercial vendors, and non-profit/for-profit collaborators, with an emphasis on supporting the organization’s activities.
• Collaborate with teams consisting of PICI personnel and outside advisors (including outside counsel) on PICI’s ventures and investment matters.
• Counsel management and the Board on the legal rules that apply to PICI’s philanthropic activities and investments at the federal and state levels, with a particular emphasis on the laws governing public charities, including medical research organizations, and program and mission related investments.
• Work with the Chief Legal Officer to provide advice about all aspects of corporate governance, including acting as a liaison to the Board, advising on agendas and bylaws, drafting resolutions and consents, ensuring appropriate documentation regarding executive compensation, and implementing systems to track and organize conflict of interest and other disclosures.
• Work closely with the business development and operations teams to support the organization’s business objectives, optimize contract terms, minimize risk, and provide general legal guidance.
• Coordinate with the development team to support the organization’s fundraising, by advising on the laws applicable to fundraising events, corporate and individual giving, and other donor cultivation efforts.
• Anticipate and mitigate legal issues and advise PICI on various legal issues, risks, insurance policies, and other risk mitigation strategies.
• Prepare and/or review policies, guidelines, correspondence, and other documents.

Knowledge, Skills, and Experience

Minimum Qualifications

• JD from an accredited law school and bar membership, with a minimum of eight (8) years of relevant law firm or in-house legal experience.
• A license to practice law in California is preferred. If not admitted in California, candidate must be eligible to register as In-House Counsel with the State Bar of California.
• Substantial experience negotiating contracts with research institutes, academic medical centers, biotechnology or pharmaceutical companies, including primary and independent responsibility for drafting and negotiating complex contracts and licensing and interacting with internal stakeholders.
• Experience with general corporate counseling, mergers and acquisitions, venture capital, and other investment transactions is desirable.
• Experience with laws applicable to 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organizations is required, and experience with laws applicable to public charities, philanthropic investments, and fund/asset management experience is preferred.

Required Competencies

• Excellent communication skills and credibility to effectively interact and influence management at all levels.
• Strong client relations and project management skills, with the ability to balance competing priorities and demands in a fast-paced environment and work successfully both independently and within a team.
• A high-level of intellectual, professional and interpersonal agility and flexibility, combined with strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Team oriented and able to work collaboratively and effectively with business clients and other legal department members.

Compensation & Benefits

• Salary: $275k - $305k per year based on experience and qualifications
• Health, dental, and vision insurance
• 403(b) with company match

Additional Information

• Must be authorized to work in the United States; we do not sponsor work visas
• Local candidates preferred
• No relocation assistance will be provided