Senior Director, Assistant General Counsel

Today, Lonza is a global leader in life sciences operating across five continents. While we work in science, there's no magic formula to how we do it.

Our greatest scientific solution is talented people working together, devising ideas that help businesses to help people.

In exchange, we let our people own their careers. Their ideas, big and small, genuinely improve the world. And that's the kind of work we want to be part of.

In this role, the Senior Director, Assistant General Counsel will provide legal review, advice, and support on a broad range of legal matters including strategic transactional documents, commercial contracting, licensing, quality and operations, and general corporate matters across Lonza's Cell & Gene Division, working closely with all business functions and senior management within the Cell & Gene Division and actively supporting the team in achieving business objectives.

In addition, you will actively and efficiently manage the company's U.S. litigation caseload, including supervising outside counsel, setting reserves and keeping costs consistent with budgets and business objectives.

You will have significant responsibility for a diverse range of commercial, legal, litigation, and compliance matters, including high profile, complex matters with company-wide impact.

The Assistant General Counsel will be a key contributor to the Lonza Legal team, supporting the legal team members responsible for the Cell and Gene Division and litigation.

You will be a member of the North American Legal Leadership Team and report to the General Counsel, North America.

The role will be based in our Morristown, NJ office with an o nsite presence in line with Lonza's Hybrid Work Policy

Key responsibilities :

• Lead Cell & Gene legal team in North America, currently comprised of three attorneys.
• Drive the drafting and negotiation of complex commercial agreements in support of the Cell and Gene Division, including, for example, manufacturing services agreements and related statements of work, process development and other services agreements, pharmaceutical quality agreements, and others.
• Provide high-quality, comprehensive, and timely legal review, advice, and support on a broad range of legal matters including commercial contracting, licensing, pharmaceutical quality, regulatory, operations, marketing and promotional items, strategic transactions, and general corporate matters for Lonza's Cell & Gene Division, as well as dispute resolution and litigation across businesses and functions.
• You will manage the company's responses to its external auditors concerning U.S. legal proceedings and provide semi-annual reports to the Office of the General Counsel as to the status of U.S. legal proceedings.
• Work closely with all Cell and Gene business functions and senior management.
• Actively assist the company in achieving its business objectives.
• Supervise outside counsel and related budgets, as needed.
• Identify areas of company risk and make proposals for and lead implementation of mitigation strategies.
• Demonstrate strategic value and competence in applying legal skills to daily in-house corporate, business, compliance, dispute resolution / litigation, and other matters.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Key requirements :

12 to 15 years' experience and practical skills in commercial transactional / contracting and litigation matters, ideally possessing in-house experience.

Life sciences, pharmaceutical, and / or FDA compliance experience are advantageous.

• High degree of professional ethics and integrity.
• Excellent judgment and ability to operate in a fast-paced, small legal department on a broad range of commercial and legal matters with a primary focus on negotiating complex contractual arrangements with customers and vendors, typically in connection with services and goods, as well as managing litigation.
• Ability to act independently and as part of a team. Leadership experience an advantage.
• Ability to provide solution-oriented, practical guidance in working with business management.
• Outstanding verbal and written communication skills and ability to communicate clearly with colleagues, outside counsel, business partners, and other stakeholders.
• Excellent analytical skills and people skills are essential.
• Ability to prioritize responsibilities, to work efficiently, to manage, and to conclude, in a timely manner, agreements, projects, disputes, and issues.
• Willingness to travel and work extended hours, as needed.
• A law school graduate with admission and membership in good standing to the bar of at least one state and maintenance of New Jersey in-house counsel license (if required).

Every day, Lonza's products and services have a positive impact on millions of people. For us, this is not only a great privilege, but also a great responsibility.

How we achieve our business results is just as important as the achievements themselves. At Lonza, we respect and protect our people and our environment.

Any success we achieve is no success at all if not achieved ethically.

People come to Lonza for the challenge and creativity of solving complex problems and developing new ideas in life sciences.

In return, we offer the satisfaction that comes with improving lives all around the world. The satisfaction that comes with making a meaningful difference.

Lonza is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, status as a qualified individual with disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.