Vice President, Head of Legal

About Superluminal Medicines

Superluminal Medicines is a generative biology and chemistry company revolutionizing the speed and accuracy of how small molecule medicines are created. We aim to develop candidate-ready compounds with unprecedented speed using a combination of deep biology, computational and medicinal chemistry, machine learning, and proprietary big data infrastructure. We are expanding the team of talented individuals who seek to build the future of small molecule drug discovery with creativity and innovation.

About the Role

We are seeking a VP, Head of Legal to provide strategic and practical legal counsel across Superluminal as the company continues to grow. Reporting to the CFO this individual will partner closely with the executive leadership team and Board of Directors and will provide strategic and practical legal counsel across corporate, intellectual property, employment, governance, compliance and other legal matters. This is a highly visible, hands-on leadership role with the opportunity to establish and scale the company’s legal capabilities. The VP, Head of Legal will work closely with internal stakeholders and external counsel to provide thoughtful, business-oriented advice, manage legal risk, and support the company’s strategic priorities. This individual will help determine where legal capabilities should be managed internally versus through external counsel and will build the legal function over time as the company's needs evolve.

The successful candidate will bring strong technical legal expertise, sound business judgment, and excellent communication skills. They will be comfortable operating in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment, moving between strategic matters and detailed execution, and balancing thoughtful risk management with the need to move quickly including the ability to communicate complex legal matters clearly to both legal and non-legal audiences.

The role is particularly well suited to an experienced in-house life sciences attorney who has supported companies through significant growth, financings, strategic transactions, and evolving corporate governance requirements, and who is excited by the opportunity to help build the legal infrastructure for the next phase of the company. 

Key Responsibilities

Corporate Governance & Corporate Matters

• Serve as a senior legal advisor to the CEO, executive leadership team, and Board of Directors.
• Lead corporate governance matters, including Board and committee support, corporate records, resolutions, minutes, and governance policies.
• Establish and maintain effective governance practices and processes as the company grows.
• Advise on corporate structure, capitalization, equity matters, securities and other corporate matters in partnership with Finance and external advisors.
• Support significant corporate milestones, financings, strategic initiatives, and other corporate transactions.
• Partner with Finance and executive leadership on legal considerations related to material events, corporate communications and disclosures.
• Monitor developments in applicable laws and regulations and advise leadership on their implications for the company as the business evolves.

Corporate & Commercial Legal

• Advise the business on a broad range of commercial, operational and other legal matters
• Provide legal leadership and support for the negotiation of material commercial agreements, including strategic collaborations, licensing arrangements, research agreements and other significant contracts, in partnership with the Contract Management function and relevant business stakeholders.
• Provide legal guidance on contract terms, risk allocation, negotiation strategy and approval of material agreements.
• Partner with Business Development, Operations, Finance and other functions to provide practical legal guidance that enables the business while appropriately managing risk.
• Develop legal templates, playbooks and guidance that enable the organization to address recurring legal matters efficiently.
• Partner with Contract Management to establish appropriate escalation points and ensure legal review of material or higher-risk agreements.

Intellectual Property & Life Sciences Matters

• Partner closely with scientific, clinical and business development teams on intellectual property and related legal matters.
• Partner with Clinical, Regulatory and other scientific teams on legal matters associated with the transition to clinical development, research activities, vendors, investigators, collaborations and other development activities.
• Work with external IP counsel to protect and manage the company’s intellectual property portfolio.
• Support licensing, collaboration, partnering, and other transactions involving intellectual property and scientific assets.
• Advise on confidentiality, data ownership, publications, research collaborations and related matters.
• Partner with internal teams and external counsel to identify and appropriately manage legal risks related to the company's intellectual property and scientific assets.

Build and Scale the Legal Function

• Establish the company’s legal operating model, including determining which capabilities should be managed internally versus through external counsel.
• Develop a roadmap for expanding the legal function as the company’s needs evolve.
• Establish scalable processes for corporate records, Board materials, legal entity management, legal spend, and outside counsel management.
• Develop legal policies, processes, templates, and approval authorities appropriate for the company's size and complexity.
• Select, manage, and develop external legal partners.
• Establish appropriate legal technology and knowledge-management infrastructure.
• Build an internal legal team over time as business needs warrant.

Employment & People Matters

• Partner with the Head of HR and executive leadership on employment-related legal matters.
• Provide guidance on employment agreements, executive arrangements, employee relations, workforce changes, policies, and other employment matters.
• Partner with external employment counsel as appropriate.
• Help ensure employment practices and policies evolve appropriately as the organization grows.

Legal, Compliance & Risk Management

• Develop and evolve appropriate legal and compliance policies and processes as the company’s business and regulatory activities evolve.
• Partner with internal functions and external advisors, including Clinical, Regulatory and Quality resources, on legal and regulatory risk management.
• Develop and maintain appropriate policies, training and controls as the company scales.
• Advise leadership on securities law, insider trading, materiality, disclosure and other legal considerations relevant to corporate communications and transactions.
• Partner with Finance and other functions on disclosure, document retention and related legal and internal control processes.
• Identify emerging legal and compliance risks and provide practical recommendations to the executive team.
• Support insurance, risk management and other corporate risk matters in partnership with Finance and Operations.

Transactions & Strategic Initiatives

• Lead or support legal work associated with financings, strategic partnerships, licensing transactions, acquisitions, divestitures, and other significant corporate transactions.
• Lead or support legal diligence processes and coordinate internal stakeholders and external advisors.
• Manage relationships with outside counsel and other legal advisors supporting significant transactions and strategic initiatives.
• Provide clear, commercially oriented recommendations to senior leadership on transaction structure, legal risk, and execution.
• Support complex and time-sensitive strategic initiatives, balancing legal and business considerations.

Minimum Qualifications

• Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from an accredited law school.
• Active license to practice law and member in good standing of at least one U.S. state bar (or the District of Columbia) 
• 10-15+ years of relevant legal experience, with significant experience supporting life sciences, biotechnology, or pharmaceutical companies.
• Experience with In-house legal leadership, ideally within a growth-stage life sciences company.
• Experience across corporate, commercial and general legal matters, with the ability to serve as a strategic legal partner to the business.
• Experience with corporate governance, commercial transactions, securities and other strategic legal matters.
• Experience advising CEOs, CFOs, executive teams and Boards of Directors.
• Experience managing outside counsel and establishing or scaling legal processes and infrastructure.
• Experience supporting significant corporate milestones, financings, strategic transactions and evolving governance requirements.
• Experience navigating complex securities, disclosure, and corporate governance matters in a private or public company environment strongly preferred.
• Experience working with external legal and business advisors on complex corporate transactions and strategic matters.
• Experience with intellectual property, licensing, collaborations and research-related agreements in a life sciences environment. 

Pay Range
$315,000 - $357,000

The annual base salary range listed above represents the lowest and highest amounts we reasonably and in good faith expect to pay for this position at the time of posting. An individual’s starting base salary within this range will be based on relevant experience, job-related skills, and education relevant to the role. In addition to base salary, this position offers bonus and equity opportunities, as well as benefits.