Senior Director, Legal Counsel

Deciphera Pharmaceuticals
Waltham, MA

We are seeking a Senior Director Legal Counsel to serve as a senior leader providing strategic advice in drafting negotiating and interpreting general and sophisticated corporate agreements across all functions including Research & Discovery Commercial Licensing and Distribution Supply Chain Tech Ops Clinical IT and Facilities. The primary responsibilities of the Senior Director Legal Counsel will be overseeing the Contracts Team and outside counsel and supporting the General Counsel in a variety of high-impact strategic legal projects and initiatives.

We are seeking a dynamic and collaborative life sciences attorney who wants to contribute to the growth of a thriving fast-paced global organization. This role also includes collaboration with our European colleagues and Japanese parent company requiring strong cross-cultural communication skills and the ability to manage strategic initiatives spanning multiple countries and affiliates.

Key Responsibilities:

Contracting Oversight and Negotiation (50%)

  • Develop mentor and motivate highly-skilled Contracts Team and support career paths of team members
  • Serve as key legal advisor to business teams including overseeing negotiation of routine and sophisticated contracts in the context of cross functional and geographically and culturally diverse teams
  • Serve as lead negotiator on a range of critical and complex agreements

Drive Contracting Best Practices (20%)

  • Build maintain and enhance efficient contracts operations and infrastructure and drive continuous improvement
  • Cultivate collaborative partnerships with stakeholders and Contracts Team to effectively communicate challenges and opportunities and deliver solutions

Legal Strategy and Leadership (30%)

  • Provide legal support across the organization on a variety of matters including legal aspects of development strategy regulatory activities and HR processes and quickly and effectively identify complex legal and compliance issues and provide advice that integrates legal risk management with the companys business objectives
  • Proactively manage cross-border communication on legal operations and strategic projects and cultivate collaborative relationships with Japanese counterparts
  • Maintain a positive team culture grounded in Decipheras core values of PATHS
  • Manage and complete any additional projects or legal matters as needed

Other duties and responsibilities as assigned

Qualifications :

Required Qualifications

  • PhD or equivalent plus 10 years of experience or Bachelors or Masters plus 15 years of experience.
  • Ability to manage coach and mentor high-functioning team members
  • Significant experience drafting and negotiation sophisticated life sciences contracts
  • Strong understanding of the drug development and commercialization lifecycle
  • License to practice Law in Massachusetts
  • Excellent interpersonal and client relations skills
  • Ability to work in a fast-paced environment leveraging internal and external resources to meet simultaneous deadlines/demands
  • Willingness to pitch-in and help on legal projects across the organization
  • Excellent research writing counselling and communication skills and a positive client service orientation
  • Ability to work independently as a team member and across the organization
  • Accountability sound judgment and the ability to take ownership of an issue and provide concise and timely advice

Preferred Capabilities

  • Experience being part of an international company a plus
  • Significant experience with global clinical trials and sophisticated technical operations
  • Prior experience participating on cross-functional cross-border program teams
  • Prior experience advising on non-contract matters such as HR or FDA regulatory issues

Additional Information :

Deciphera is committed to fair and equitable compensation practices. The base salary pay range for this role is $224200 - $308330. Actual compensation packages will depend on various factors including but not limited to depth of experience education skillset overall performance and/or location.

Deciphera believes in providing a competitive compensation and benefits package to all employees. Our base salary is just one component of Decipheras competitive total rewards strategy that also includes annual performance bonus a long-term incentive plan full range of benefits and other incentive compensation plans (if applicable)

Benefits:

  • Competitive salary and annual bonus.
  • Comprehensive benefits package including medical dental vision insurance 401(k) retirement plan with company match and more.
  • Generous parental leave and family planning benefits.
  • Outstanding culture and opportunities for personal and professional growth.

Apply Now:  Join us in our mission to improve the lives of people with cancer. Apply today to become a part of our dynamic team!

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY INFORMATION

Deciphera is committed to equal employment opportunity and values diversity. To ensure that we comply with reporting requirements we invite you complete the confidential survey at the end of this application. Providing this information is optional. It will not be accessible or used in the hiring process and has no effect on your opportunity for employment. This information will also be treated confidentially.  We are committed to make all hiring decisions and other employment decisions on a non-discriminatory basis.

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY INFORMATION

Deciphera is committed to equal employment opportunity and values diversity. To ensure that we comply with reporting requirements we invite you complete the confidential survey at the end of this application. Providing this information is optional. It will not be accessible or used in the hiring process and has no effect on your opportunity for employment. This information will also be treated confidentially.  We are committed to make all hiring decisions and other employment decisions on a non-discriminatory basis.

Remote Work :

No

Employment Type :

Full-time

Posted 2025-11-26

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