Senior Counsel - Contracting, R&D & Strategy

About Servier Pharmaceuticals

Servier in the U.S. is a Boston-based, commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company launched by Servier Group in 2018. As a privately held organization, Servier is uniquely positioned to advance cutting-edge science, tackle underserved therapeutic areas and make patients the focus of every strategic decision.  

Role Summary

The Senior Counsel, Contracting, R&D, and Strategy serves as a senior legal leader within the organization, directly supporting the US Head of Legal and driving critical legal operations that enable business growth and strategic execution. This role leads the development and implementation of contracting frameworks, oversees legal support for R&D operations, and provides strategic legal guidance on business development (BD) initiatives and legal department operations. The Senior Counsel will manage a team of legal professionals and outside counsel, and act as a key advisor and decision-maker in the negotiation and execution of complex agreements, while aligning legal services with broader business goals.

This role requires a high level of accountability, strategic vision, and the ability to influence and collaborate across multiple functions, including R&D, Commercial, BD, Compliance, and Legal.

Primary Responsibilities

Contracting

• Lead the technical lifecycle of high-value and complex agreements, including MSAs, CTAs, Research and Development contracts, Distribution, 3PL, and certain strategic commercial agreements.
• Oversee legal negotiation strategy and serve as lead negotiator on critical agreements.
• Lead the team establishing and maintaining a streamlined, scalable contracting process and policy infrastructure in coordination with Legal Operations.
• Implement and oversee the use of contract templates, playbooks, and a Contract Lifecycle Management (CLM) system to drive efficiency and mitigate risk.
• Accountable for contracting performance and metrics to the US Head of Legal; drive continuous improvement through data-informed insights.
• Educate and influence internal stakeholders on contracting best practices and risk mitigation strategies.

Legal Team Leadership and Department Operations

• Manage, mentor, and develop a high-performing team of legal professionals responsible for contracting and operational legal support. Partner with cross-functional teams (e.g., Procurement, Finance, Compliance, Privacy) to optimize legal processes and systems.
• Lead cross-functional initiatives that support legal department scalability and operational excellence.

R&D

• Act as the primary legal partner for US-based R&D activities, providing expert legal guidance, negotiation strategy, and risk assessment across clinical development and research programs.
• Deliver proactive legal solutions to accelerate R&D efforts while ensuring compliance and minimizing legal exposure.

Business Development and Alliance Management

• Provide support to global BD initiatives as needed, including due diligence and integration planning for licensing, M&A, and other BD transactions.

Education and Required Skills

• JD or LLM from an accredited US law school
• Admitted to practice in a recognized US jurisdiction and registered with the MA Board of Bar Overseers as Massachusetts In-House Counsel if not admitted in MA
• Fluent in English, conversant in French a plus
• 8-10 years experience in structuring, drafting, negotiating and executing a wide variety of cross-functional, complex contracts in the biopharmaceutical industry, e.g., R&D, clinical operations, medical affairs, commercial, marketing, market access, etc.
• Demonstrated leadership experience with a proven ability to manage teams, lead complex negotiations, and influence cross-functional stakeholders.
• Previous tenure at a top-tier law firm, practicing in the life sciences, pharmaceutical, biotech, digital health, and/or healthcare practice areas a plus
• Demonstrated ability in contracting, including proven track record of assessing risk, developing legal/contracting strategies to minimize and manage risk and persuading opposing party to accept such terms
• Strong business acumen with the ability to align legal strategy to business needs.
• Exceptional communication skills with the ability to navigate across global teams and organizational levels.  Ability to seamlessly work across business functions and cultures with teams located in multiple time zones and to act independently in a fast-paced environment
• Willingness and proven ability to learn and expand legal practice to topics outside current expertise in order to meet the needs of a young and rapidly growing company

Travel and Location

• Boston based
• Hybrid role with expectation to be in office 2-3 days per week
• Minimal travel as required

Servier’s Commitment

We’re an organization, committed to modeling diversity, equity, and inclusion for the entire industry, and to maintaining an inclusive environment with equitable treatment for all. We are interested in growing our team with passionate, committed, and innovative individuals. We encourage all to apply to our open roles and are always willing to consider skills and experiences outside of what is listed in the job description.