Senior Commercial Legal Counsel

Ortolan Group; Basildon; Hybrid; GBP 100,000 - 125,000; Full time

Job summary

A dynamic pharmaceutical company is seeking a Senior Commercial Legal Counsel for a 12-month maternity cover. The role involves negotiating and drafting various commercial contracts and providing strategic legal advice across operations, supply chain, and product development. Ideal candidates should have 5-8 years of experience, strong negotiation skills, and be qualified in a major jurisdiction. This hybrid position is based in Basildon, Essex, offering a competitive salary and benefits.

Benefits

Health & wellbeing program

Employee recognition awards

Social events

Pension scheme

Qualifications

• 5 to 8 years PQE in commercial legal matters, ideally in pharmaceuticals.
• Experience in negotiating and drafting commercial contracts.
• Strong negotiation skills and strategic thinking.

Responsibilities

• Negotiate and draft a range of commercial contracts.
• Provide legal advice to internal teams.
• Oversee a centralized legal contracts database.

Skills

Detail-oriented

Commercially astute

Strong negotiation skills

Excellent written and verbal communication

Strong IT skills

Ability to develop professional relationships

Education

Qualified lawyer in the UK or Commonwealth jurisdiction

Educated to degree level

Tools

MS Excel

MS Word

MS PowerPoint

MS Outlook

Job description

Senior Commercial Legal Counsel (Maternity cover - 12-month fixed term contract)

Basildon, Essex (hybrid role: 3 days office, 2 days home per week)

Salary: Competitive + Benefits + Bonus

If you are a detail-oriented and commercially astute legal professional, experienced in handling complex commercial contracts and providing strategic, business-focused legal advice, then we want to hear from you.

Join us to help improve peoples' lives and make healthcare better for everyone!

Why Pharmanovia?

Pharmanovia is a dynamic, fast-growing international pharmaceutical company with a portfolio of over 20 brands across more than 160 markets. Our mission is to improve patient health globally through the revitalisation of niche, tried-and-trusted medicines.

Our core behaviours are:

• We act decisively but we never compromise on quality.
• We keep our promises and do as we say.
• We value our heritage and foster an entrepreneurial spirit.
• We reinvest in our future - in our products, our brands and our people.
• We give back to our communities.

Since its inception in 2013, Pharmanovia has grown consistently year on year, focusing on delivering high-quality branded prescription medicines to patients, prescribers, and healthcare providers across the world. Our growth has enabled the company to reinvest in its products, brands, people, and to give back to its communities. A people business with a strong, supportive culture that encourages innovation and entrepreneurial spirit, our team comprises over 300 employees and 29 nationalities, operating from offices in the UK, Denmark, Netherlands, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, Germany, U.A.E., India, Australia and Singapore.

We are an agile, committed, and innovative global specialty pharma business and a preferred partner for innovator pharma companies, instigating a paradigm shift in the life cycle management of iconic medicines. We seek to extensively engage with clinical communities to communicate product improvements and prioritise environmental, social, and governance considerations across the business and workforce.

Pharmanovia's therapeutic areas include Cardiovascular, Oncology, Endocrinology and Neurology.

About the role:

We are seeking a senior-level commercial lawyer to join our fast-paced, entrepreneurial Commercial Legal Team on an interim basis, covering a period of 12 months maternity leave within the team.

This is a broad role providing commercially focused advice and support on a diverse range of legal issues to business colleagues in the various functions within Pharmanovia, including Commercial Operations, Supply Chain, In-licensing and Product Development, Regulatory Affairs, and across many geographies.

You will report directly into the AVP Legal & IP and, from time to time, will also work closely with the General Counsel. The role will involve providing first-line support to internal teams, with regular exposure to senior stakeholders within the business.

Main responsibilities & duties:

Negotiating, drafting and supporting on a broad range of commercial contracts, including:

• Product Commercialisation contracts (e.g. distribution agreements, logistics services agreements; product warehousing agreements)
• Supply Chain - e.g. product supply agreements; toll manufacturing agreements
• Product Development and Product in-licensing agreements
• General Service Agreements
• Regulatory Agreements
• Confidentiality / non-disclosure agreements
• Amendments to existing legal contacts
• Advising internal stakeholders on the content of other legal documents, such as powers of attorney
• Providing legal advice and guidance to the wider business on ad hoc legal issues and business projects
• Oversee the maintenance of a centralised legal contracts database
• Providing support to other team members, as required
• Performing other duties, as required or assigned

About you:

Candidates with around 5 to 8 years PQE and commercial legal experience, ideally gained within a pharmaceutical company, life sciences business, or similar commercial background, are likely to have the skills to be successful in this role. We are also looking for:

• Qualified lawyer in the UK or major Commonwealth jurisdiction (e.g. Australia, New Zealand) or a major EU jurisdiction
• Strong academic background, educated to degree level (or equivalent)
• Excellent standard of written and verbal communicationli>
• Excellent IT skills and knowledge of MS packages including Excel, Outlook, Word and PowerPoint
• Commercial contracts experience - reviewing, drafting and negotiating, with robust drafting capability and high attention to detail
• Worked on or supporting more senior legal colleagues on complex commercial matter, including product acquisitions/divestments and M&A activities
• Strong negotiation skills and ability to be strategic
• Demonstrated capability for legal research
• Knowledge of trademark law, trade law and sanctions is beneficial
• Ability to develop and maintain professional relationships with internal and external clientsli>
• Highly organised and structured approach to work, with the ability to self-motivate and work independently
• Adaptability in a fast-moving, sometimes fast-changing business environment
• Flexibility with working hours when required

What we offer:

We offer a competitive salary plus bonus and rewards package including holiday, health & wellbeing program, employee recognition awards, social events, pension scheme and hybrid working.

By applying for this role, your details will be sent to Ortolan People, who are acting as consultants for the hiring company. Ortolan People are engaged to provide recruitment support in processing applications. We will endeavour to respond to all applicants within three working days. Occasionally for roles with a very high volume of applicants, this may not be possible.