Senior Legal Counsel, Europe

Cytokinetics; Ireland; Hybrid; EUR 144,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Cytokinetics, a leading cardiovascular biopharmaceutical company, seeks a Senior Legal Counsel, Europe, based in Dublin with hybrid work. You will draft, negotiate and manage commercial agreements, support EU affiliates, and guide privacy/compliance issues.

You will collaborate with global teams to enhance contract processes and ensure regulatory alignment across Europe. You will advise on EU competition law, data protection, and structuring distribution channels while supporting the Irish

Qualifications

• Law degree from a recognised university.
• Qualified to practice in Ireland or another EU/EEA jurisdiction with eligibility to requalify.
• Admission in an additional European jurisdiction is desirable.
• 10+ years of experience in life sciences, healthcare, or related industries.
• Experience with privacy and data protection; GDPR familiarity is desirable.
• Strong negotiation, drafting, and analytical skills with business acumen.
• Comfortable using AI tools to improve legal support.
• Fluent English; another European language is valued.
• Self-motivated, highly organized, able to manage multiple priorities.
• Strong interpersonal, diplomatic, adaptable.

Responsibilities

• Own drafting, negotiation, and management of a wide range of commercial agreements (NDAs, MSAs, SOWs, HCP/HCO, vendor, event, distribution, data protection terms).
• Collaborate on EU contract templates, playbooks and clause libraries across the business.
• Ensure contract terms align with legal, compliance, and policy standards.
• Collaborate with partners to craft practical, risk-appropriate solutions.
• Provide day-to-day legal support to European partners and Irish entities.
• Lead the legal workstream for distributing channels in European markets.
• Support Irish entity on local matters and regulatory coordination.

Skills

Contract drafting

Contract negotiation

Legal analysis

Regulatory compliance

Privacy & GDPR

EU competition law

English fluency

Education

Law degree (LLB/LLM) or equivalent

Tools

AI tools

Job description

Cytokineticsis a specialty cardiovascular biopharmaceutical company, building on its over 25 years of pioneering scientific innovations in muscle biology, and advancing a pipeline of potential new medicines for patients suffering from diseases of cardiac muscle dysfunction.

The Senior Legal Counsel, Europe will be responsible for general legal support of Cytokinetics’ European affiliates, with particular emphasis on the drafting, review and negotiation of commercial agreements. The successful candidate will partner with leaders of the European affiliates, including the Irish site team, supporting the Commercial, Medical Affairs, Market Access functions.

The role is based in Dublin, Ireland, and reports to the Head of Legal and Compliance, Europe, who is based at the Company’s regional headquarters in Zug, Switzerland. This role will work closely with each of the Legal and Compliance team in Europe, as well as with the US-based legal team.

Key Responsibilities

Contract Drafting, Negotiation & Management

• Own the drafting, negotiation, and management of a wide range of commercial agreements, including non-disclosure agreements (NDAs), master services agreements (MSAs) and associated statements of work (SOWs), HCP/HCO agreements, vendor and supplier agreements, event and meeting agreements, distribution and wholesaler agreements, and data protection–related contract terms (in collaboration with Privacy Counsel).
• Collaborate and coordinate with other Cytokinetics legal professionals on projects connected to the maintenance and AI-driven evolution and improvement of the company’s contract generation and management systems, including by developing and maintaining necessary EU-specific contract templates, playbooks and clause libraries
• Ensure contract terms and processes are aligned with Cytokinetics’ legal, compliance, and operational standards and company policies.
• Collaborate with business partners to understand objectives and craft practical, risk-appropriate solutions.

Legal Support & Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Provide day-to-day legal support, advice and counsel to European business partners, helping to facilitate contracting, interpret company policies and institute best practices to manage risks and improve efficiency and compliance.
• Lead the legal workstream for establishing and structuring distribution channels in European markets, including distributor and wholesaler appointment, route-to-market design, and the associated commercial terms.
• Support the Cytokinetics Irish entity and Dublin site leaders on local Irish matters, as required

Compliance & Risk Management

• Advise on EU and national competition law issues arising in commercial arrangements, including vertical agreements and distribution, pricing and discounting, exclusivity and territorial restrictions, and information exchange.
• Identify, assess, elevate, and advise on legal risks appropriately, ensuring our contracts and operations comply with applicable EU/EEA and UK, requirements, including country-specific requirements in the markets supported.
• Partner with Head of Legal and Compliance, Compliance Officer, Regulatory, Finance and Procurement teams when contract matters intersect with finance, regulatory or compliance considerations.
• Support the Cytokinetics Irish entity on local matters, including company secretarial support as needed, local regulatory coordination, and liaison with Irish outside counsel.

Qualifications

• Law degree (LLB, LLM, or equivalent) from a recognised university.
• Qualified to practice as a solicitor or barrister in Ireland, or in another EU/EEA jurisdiction with eligibility to requalify in Ireland. Admission in an additional European jurisdiction is desirable.
• 10+ years of experience in life sciences, healthcare, or related industries with a strong preference for candidates who have experience in the biotech or pharmaceutical industry with direct experience across multiple European jurisdictions.
• Proven ability to proactively identify, analyse, and manage complex legal issues, including EU and national competition law, with strategic, business-oriented solutions.
• Experience with privacy and data protection matters; familiarity with the GDPR and national implementing legislation is highly desirable.
• Strong negotiation, drafting, and analytical skills, with sound judgment and business acumen to weigh legal risk against business objectives and develop practical, innovative solutions.
• Comfortable using AI tools to improve legal support and drive time and cost efficiencies.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills. Fluency in English is required, and fluency in another European language is highly valued.
• Self-motivated and highly organized, able to anticipate business needs, work independently, and manage multiple time-sensitive priorities accurately in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong interpersonal skills, with diplomacy, flexibility, and cultural adaptability. Able to work effectively with stakeholders at all levels, inside and outside the company.
• Hands-on and collaborative, willing to take on a broad range of responsibilities and to mentor and guide peers.

#LI-HYBRID

Pay Range:

The salary range for this role in Dublin, Ireland is €144,000-€180,000 gross annually. Final compensation will depend on skills, experience, and internal equity considerations.

In line with Ireland equal pay regulations, we apply objective, gender-neutral criteria to determine compensation. We actively monitor pay equity through our annual Gender Equality Index and are committed to maintaining fair and transparent pay practices.

In compliance with Ireland pay transparency legislation, compensation for this role is based on objective criteria and is aligned with our company-wide salary register. We are committed to ensuring equal pay for work of equal value.

Our employees come from different backgrounds, and we celebrate those differences. We are looking for the best candidates for our open roles, but do not expect applicants to meet every qualification in order to be considered. If you are excited about what you could accomplish at Cytokinetics and believe you can add value to our team, we would love to hear from you.

Please review our General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) policy PRIOR to applying.

Please visit our website at: www.cytokinetics.com

Cytokinetics is an Equal Opportunity Employer