Associate Director/ Director, Corporate Counsel

Company: Vigil Neuroscience, Inc.
Location: Cambridge
Posted on: January 26, 2023

Job Description:

Vigil Neuroscience is the world's first microglia-focused therapeutics company. Our purpose is clear: to treat rare and common neurodegenerative diseases by restoring the vigilance of the microglia, the sentinel cells of the brain's immune system. We are utilizing the tools of modern neuroscience drug development across multiple therapeutic modalities to rapidly deliver precision-based therapies to improve the lives of patients and their families.Vigil is seeking an experienced and energetic Corporate Counsel to join our growing Legal team. Reporting to the General Counsel, the successful candidate will thrive in a fast-paced environment and will be a pragmatic, creative, and business-focused attorney with significant experience across multiple disciplines including securities, agreement drafting and negotiations and corporate governance. They will collaborate both with internal, cross-functional team members as well as interface with outside counsel and a broad range of global vendors. This is a unique opportunity to work closely with the General Counsel to grow with the Company and develop a variety of legal and business skills.Key Responsibilities:The Associate Director, Director, Corporate Counsel will be responsible for a broad scope of varying activities to support the Legal Department and corporate goals. Primary responsibilities for this position are to:

• Manage day-to-day securities work in conjunction with outside counsel and internal stakeholders with direct oversight of public company SEC filings (e.g., 10-Q, 10-K, Proxy, etc.) and advise the business of securities and public disclosure requirements.
• Review and comment on corporate communications and related public disclosures, as needed, to ensure consistency with securities laws.
• Directly draft, review, negotiate, and as applicable manage outside counsel, on a wide variety of agreements across many company departments including general R&D agreements (including Clinical Trial, Sponsored Research, Material Transfer, Licensing / Strategic Partnership, Manufacturing), and operations, corporate, and commercial agreements (including Master Service, Vendor, Consulting, Confidentiality), and other types of agreements, as needed.
• Counsel internal teams on the management of contract matters, including structure, interpretation, compliance, enforcement, risk tolerance / assessment, legal and regulatory compliance, as well as contract modifications, amendments and renewals, in a manner that manages and mitigates legal, regulatory, and compliance risks while staying fully abreast of new laws, legal precedents, and trends.
• Participate in and where applicable, drive the development, implementation, and optimization of contracting and / or other legal policies, procedures, and programs, partnering closely with the General Counsel.
• Support business development efforts, including due diligence and potentially negotiating complex in-license, out-license, and other collaboration agreements, as well as any current and future alliance management.
• Support the General Counsel, as needed, on corporate governance matters, including Board agendas, minutes, resolutions/consents, and related activities.
• Review marketing, social media, and other externally facing materials and disclosures.
• Ensure Vigil's contractual arrangements comply with applicable FDA, HHS/OIG, FCPA, HIPAA, GDPR and SEC requirements and other applicable laws, rules, and regulations and stay abreast of relevant industry-wide developments.Candidate Profile:
  • JD from an ABA accredited law school and admitted to the Massachusetts Bar or the ability to register with the Massachusetts Bar as in-house counsel.
  • BA/BS; graduate degree in life sciences or related field is a plus.
  • At least 3-5 years of experience practicing at a major law firm; corporate in-house experience at a life sciences company is a plus.
  • Significant knowledge of US securities law and experience in advising public companies of their reporting requirements and the execution of such requirements.
  • Sound knowledge of contract law and meaningful experience in drafting and negotiating agreements in the life sciences industry, advising clients on both business and legal issues
  • Prior experience with public company corporate governance matters.
  • Team-focused and cross-functional, collaborative work style an absolute must.
  • Ability to manage significant workflow and deliver results within the company by identifying, prioritizing, and responding to urgent situations while effectively gauging and managing expectations.
  • Proven ability to think creatively, propose, vet, and implement solutions to challenging problems, and skillfully resolve legal and business issues.
  • Skill and will to coordinate activities with several internal and external stakeholders across multiple disciplines including global partners and/or vendors.
  • Exercise big-picture and sound judgment while amplifying Vigil's high-energy, fast-paced environment.
  • Ability to work independently and as a member of a team.
  • Exceptional and demonstrated skills in written and oral communication.

Keywords: Vigil Neuroscience, Inc., Cambridge , Associate Director/ Director, Corporate Counsel, Legal , Cambridge, Massachusetts