Senior Counsel Legal, R&D and Supply Chain

Nearly 37 million Americans are currently affected by Chronic Kidney Disease. At Akebia we take that number very seriously and every day we come to work with the purpose of bettering the lives of each person impacted by kidney disease and the renal community that serves them. Our tenacious, passionate employees challenge the status quo and work to develop unique therapeutics that have the potential to set new standards of care for people living with kidney disease. This position is based in our Cambridge, MA office; our offices will relocate to Waltham, MA later this year. We follow a flexible, “magnet not mandate” approach to in-office work, encouraging collaboration and onsite engagement while supporting hybrid flexibility based on role and business needs.

About the role

Akebia is looking for a Senior Counsel (Sr. Director) Legal, R&D and Supply Chain to join its fast-paced and collaborative legal and compliance team. The individual in this role will report to the SVP, Legal & Chief Compliance Officer and serve as the business partner and contracting lead for research and development, manufacturing, and supply chain functions. This role offers the opportunity to work closely with leaders across the company in executing the company's R&D strategy, providing strategic insights and negotiation support on contracting, and leading discussions with senior stakeholders to drive towards risk-appropriate agreements and strategies.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the strategic business partner for and provide solution-oriented legal advice to designated business areas, such as Research & Development, Manufacturing, and Supply Chain, including senior leaders.
• Draft, negotiate, review, and interpret a broad range of agreements, including supply agreements, quality agreements, clinical trial agreements, and license agreements.
• Liaise with internal teams and collaboration partners to ensure alignment around shared business initiatives and resolve disputes.
• Manage and mentor direct report(s) and other members of the legal team.
• Serve on program teams for clinical stage assets and participate in research and development and supply strategic planning.
• Review research and development related decks and disclosures for investors, including securities filings.
• Adopt a business-oriented and creative approach to problem-solving.
• Coordinate with the procurement team and other cross-functional partners on updates to contracting processes and policies.
• Stay abreast of industry law changes and inform the business accordingly.
• Build strong relationships across functions and work collaboratively to tackle complex issues.
• Work with and manage the successful delivery of services by outside counsel as needed.

Requirements

• J.D. from an accredited law school and admitted to practice in good standing in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
• At least 10 years’ experience working with life science companies, with a mix of large law firm and in-house experience.
• Experience working with research and development teams and executing collaborations and other strategic transactions.
• Experience in drafting and negotiating a range of agreements, such as license agreements, clinical trial agreements, supply agreements, master service agreements, and consulting agreements.
• Experience and comfort with making pragmatic risk-based recommendations to research and development and manufacturing teams regarding contract terms and strategies.

Skills

• Business-focused and solution-oriented.
• Excellent problem-solving and analytical skills.
• Ability to cultivate strong stakeholder relationships and communicate complex concepts in actionable ways for cross-functional teams.
• Self-motivated and able to perform independently with minimal supervision.
• Excellent document drafting and proofreading skills, with high attention to detail.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong organizational and project management skills, with the ability to work in a fast-paced, innovative, and collaborative environment.
• Management skills and experience working within a team.

Pay

Base compensation for this role will depend on qualifications, skills, competencies, and experience. The targeted base salary range is $248,305 - $306,730 USD. Base pay is one component of the company’s total rewards package; regular employees are also eligible for the corporate bonus program or the incentive compensation program (if applicable), as well as equity. Additional benefits include health care, vision, dental, retirement, and PTO.