Convergent Research General Counsel

About the role

Convergent Research is a non-profit science studio best known for pioneering the Focused Research Organization (FRO) model. We architect pivotal infrastructure that removes bottlenecks to breakthrough scientific research. FROs are a new operating model for science that ensures rapid iteration cycles and high-throughput learning. Convergent secures funding and provides an operational backbone for counterfactual R&D, creating space for scientists to do what they do best.

Responsibilities

• Own the legal function at the enterprise level, set the IP and risk strategy, manage a growing team, and be a first call for complex decisions.
• Manage a small but growing legal function that includes an FRO General Counsel and a part-time contracts counsel handling day-to-day contract work across the portfolio.
• Own Convergent's relationships with a roster of specialized outside counsel.
• Develop the templates, process documentation, and institutional knowledge that let Convergent's legal function scale without scaling headcount linearly.
• Establish working relationships with each FRO CEO and a shared understanding of what they can expect from the legal function and when to call.
• Review and rationalize Convergent's outside counsel relationships, negotiating portfolio-wide rate structures where possible.
• Build clarity with the FRO Legal Counsel and Operations Manager (Compliance) on roles, escalation paths, and priorities.

Requirements

An opportunity to change the world and work with some of the most talented scientists, operators, and thinkers in the R&D ecosystem

• Competitive salary with up to a 6% 401k match, equitably benchmarked based on experience and adjusted for location
• Excellent medical insurance options: 10–20 plans to choose from across major national and local carriers. Employee and family premiums for most plans are fully covered by the Company contribution.
• Excellent dental and vision insurance. Employee and family premiums for most plans are fully covered by the Company contribution.
• Company-paid life insurance, AD&D, long- and short-term disability insurance, as well as voluntary supplemental insurance options
• 19 holidays (including the week off between Christmas Eve and New Year's Day)
• 3 weeks PTO with tenure increases, with separate allotments for sick and parental leave
• Generous fertility benefits and childcare reimbursement
• Education and professional development benefits
• Wellness allowance for fitness and wellness activities
• Quarterly offsite team retreats and additional opportunities to meet your teammates in person
• Support for fully remote work

Qualifications

• Strategic thinker with a builder's instinct
• Experienced corporate attorney with a J.D. and active bar membership in at least one U.S. state, with 10+ years of practice
• Proactive on risk—not reactive to it
• A skilled resource manager
• Clear and decisive
• A people-leader and relationship-builder

Skills

• Strategic thinking
• Corporate law expertise
• Risk management
• Resource management
• Communication skills
• Leadership and relationship-building

Benefits

• Medical insurance options
• Dental and vision insurance
• Life insurance, AD&D, long- and short-term disability insurance
• Fertility benefits and childcare reimbursement
• Education and professional development benefits
• Wellness allowance
• Quarterly offsite team retreats
• Support for fully remote work