Assistant General Counsel – US Farm Animal Commercial Strategy

Elanco; Indianapolis (IN); Hybrid; USD 140,000 - 210,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Relocation packages

Two weeklong shutdowns

8-week parental leave

9 Employee Resource Groups

Annual bonus

Flexible work arrangements

401K matching up to 6%

Job summary

Elanco, a global leader in animal health, seeks an Assistant General Counsel for US Farm Animal Commercial Strategy to partner with the business and drive growth while shaping legal frameworks for sustainability and EKS.

As a key contributor, you will draft complex contracts, navigate regulatory matters, and pioneer AI-enabled legal workflows to empower the commercial teams across portfolios, with a hybrid Indianapolis-based location.

Qualifications

• JD from an accredited law school and state bar admission (Indiana license desirable).
• 5–8 years in corporate law or major law firm supporting Commercial/Business Development.
• Deep understanding of contract law and regulatory frameworks in life sciences/agriculture.

Responsibilities

• Act as the primary legal architect for US Farm Animal commercial strategy, handling contracts and negotiations.
• Lead legal strategy for sustainability portfolio and Elanco Knowledge Solutions, including data privacy and digital contracting.
• Drive cost-avoidance by insourcing high-value legal work and developing playbooks for business autonomy.
• Collaborate with Legal and Compliance SMEs to simplify engagement for the US Farm Animal team.

Skills

Commercial law

Contract drafting

Regulatory compliance

Legal strategy

Education

Juris Doctor (JD) degree

Active admission to U.S. state bar

Job description

At Elanco (NYSE: ELAN) – it all starts with animals!

As a global leader in animal health, we are dedicated to innovation and delivering products and services to prevent and treat disease in farm animals and pets. At Elanco, we are driven by our vision of Food and Companionship Enriching Life and our purpose – all to Go Beyond for Animals, Customers, Society and Our People.

At Elanco, we pride ourselves on fostering a diverse and inclusive work environment. We believe that diversity is the driving force behind innovation, creativity, and overall business success. Here, you’ll be part of a company that values and champions new ways of thinking, work with dynamic individuals, and acquire new skills and experiences that will propel your career to new heights.

Making animals’ lives better makes life better – join our team today!

Your Role: Assistant General Counsel – US Farm Animal Commercial Strategy

As a key strategic individual contributor within the Elanco Legal & Compliance team, you will provide high-impact legal partnership to our US Farm Animal business. In this role, you will be responsible for driving growth and commercial excellence across species portfolios while spearheading legal frameworks for Elanco’s sustainability portfolio and Elanco Knowledge Solutions (EKS).

Your Responsibilities:

• Act as the primary legal architect for the US Farm Animal commercial strategy, delivering proactive and strategic business-oriented counseling and managing complex commercial transactions, contract drafting and negotiation, antitrust risk assessments, and development of product launch strategies.
• Drive the legal strategy for the US Farm Animal sustainability portfolio and Elanco Knowledge Solutions (EKS), navigating data privacy, digital contracting, and new value-added service models.
• Deliver measurable cost-avoidance by systematically insourcing high-value legal work, focusing on commercial contracts and portfolio positioning.
• Lead the legal evolution of the sustainability portfolio, providing proactive guidance on environmental claims, carbon-neutral initiatives, and evolving ESG regulations.
• Pioneer the use of AI and legal technology to automate routine workflows, allowing the legal team to focus on high-stakes strategic framing, and develop playbooks empowering the commercial team to act with autonomy.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with Legal and Compliance subject matter experts on behalf of the US Farm Animal team, to simplify the engagement for and with the business.

What You Need to Succeed (minimum qualifications):

• Education: Juris Doctor (JD) degree from an accredited law school and active admission to at least one U.S. state bar (with the ability to become licensed in Indiana).
• Experience: A minimum of 5–8 years of experience in corporate law or a major law firm, specifically supporting Commercial or Business Development functions.
• Deep understanding of contract law and regulatory frameworks relevant to a global life sciences or agricultural business.

What will give you a competitive edge (preferred qualifications):

• Experience in the animal health, pharmaceutical, or agricultural industries.
• Familiarity with AI utilization in a legal setting, data-driven legal operations, and data privacy issues.
• Proven skills in leading fast-paced commercial and business development deals with a pragmatic, business-oriented approach.

Additional Information:

Travel: 10-15%

Location: Global Elanco Headquarters - Indianapolis, IN - Hybrid Work Environment

Don't meet every single requirement? Studies have shown underrecognized groups are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification. At Elanco we are dedicated to building a diverse and inclusive work environment. If you think you might be a good fit for a role but don't necessarily meet every requirement, we encourage you to apply. You may be the right candidate for this role or other roles!

Elanco Benefits and Perks:

We offer a comprehensive benefits package focusing on financial, physical, and mental well-being while encouraging our employees to pursue our purpose!

Some highlights include:

• Multiple relocation packages
• Two weeklong shutdowns (mid-summer and year-end) in the US (in addition to PTO)
• 8-week parental leave
• 9 Employee Resource Groups
• Annual bonus offering
• Flexible work arrangements
• Up to 6% 401K matching

Elanco is an EEO/Affirmative Action Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, protected veteran status, disability or any other legally protected status

Elanco may use automated tools, including AI, to support parts of our recruitment process, such as reviewing applications against job‑related criteria and/or transferrable skills. These tools help ensure a consistent, structured evaluation, but they do not make hiring decisions. All decisions involve a human reviewer. For more information on how we handle personal data, please see our Elanco Workforce Privacy Notice.