Senior Counsel, Operations Legal

About the role

The Sr. Counsel, Legal Operations will empower business innovation through strategic legal guidance. As a Senior Counsel at AbbVie, you will partner closely with cross-functional teams to shape decisions that bring great possibilities to patients ethically and effectively. This role builds on foundational experience, enabling you to navigate regulatory complexity, assess risk, and influence business outcomes, all while developing leadership capabilities for long-term career growth. The role will support Operations, construction and engineering and real estate stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Serve as a key legal advisor to cross-functional business teams, providing proactive counsel on commercial, regulatory, or operational issues
• Interpret and apply U.S. laws and global regulations relevant to the pharmaceutical or healthcare environment
• Review and advise on contracts, business activities, and strategic initiatives to ensure legal compliance and alignment with company objectives
• Support the development and implementation of legal policies, compliance programs, and training efforts
• Collaborate with internal and external partners to manage risk, resolve disputes, and influence outcomes
• Provide clear, timely guidance on evolving legal questions in a business-first manner
• May lead or contribute to legal projects that span geographies, business units, or functions
• Draft, review, negotiate, and manage a wide range of construction-related agreements, including design-build agreements, general contractor agreements, construction management agreements, architect and engineering agreements, subcontractor and consultant agreements, and EPC and infrastructure contracts, as applicable
• Draft, review, and negotiate purchase and sale agreements, ground leases, commercial leases, easements, licenses, and access agreements, development agreements, and property management agreements

Requirements

• Juris Doctor (J.D.) from an accredited law school
• Active license to practice law in job location
• Minimum of 5+ years of relevant experience practicing in-house at a pharmaceutical company, practicing as a member of a nationally recognized law firm in a life sciences or healthcare practice, or practicing as an attorney for a government agency, or any combination of the above

Preferred

• Exposure to biopharma, healthcare, or life sciences compliance topics
• Demonstrate ability to advise business clients and assess legal risk in real time
• Experience handling complex matters with a degree of autonomy and cross-functional collaboration
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to translate legal complexity into business clarity

Pay, Benefits, and Schedule

Compensation range: $160,500 - $305,000 USD
Full-time
Hybrid