Associate Counsel

Empower Associates, LLC; San Diego (CA); Hybrid; USD 130,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k) match

Medical and dental coverage

Health savings account

Job summary

Empower Associates, LLC in San Diego, CA, is seeking an Associate Contracts Counsel with ~3 years post-qualification experience for a high-visibility, in-house role. You will own the commercial contracting pipeline, negotiate with global teams, and work directly with the General Counsel in a lean, fast-growing environment.

You will bring IT licensing, SaaS, AI, and data privacy expertise to a global tech-firm serving life sciences, with a hybrid schedule and cross-border coordination across NA,

Qualifications

• Approximately 3 years of post-qualification experience in-house or at a reputable firm.
• Strong background drafting and negotiating IT/software contracts, AI solutions.
• Ability to operate independently with minimal legal support and close negotiations.
• Willingness to coordinate cross-border calls across NA, Europe, Asia.
• Experience in pharma or health-tech is highly preferred.
• Excellent written and verbal English communication.

Responsibilities

• Draft, review, and negotiate a broad range of commercial agreements for global operations.
• Lead negotiation of technology and IT agreements, including software licensing, SaaS, and integrations.
• Serve as trusted legal partner to stakeholders across NA, Europe, and Asia.
• Partner with GC to build playbooks, templates, and scalable processes.
• Manage workload independently, escalating only high-risk matters.

Skills

IT contracts

Software licensing

SaaS

AI solutions

Data privacy

Cross-border negotiation

Tools

Contract management tools

e-signature platforms

Job description

About the Role

Are you a technology-fluent associate ready to leave law firm billable hours behind and build a long-term in-house career?

Our client, a global technology company serving the life-sciences sector, is hiring an ambitious Associate Contracts Counsel (approximately 3 years of post-qualification experience) for a high-visibility, fast-growth role. Reporting directly to the General Counsel, who is based in Europe, you will be the second attorney in a lean global legal team, working closely with the company’s North San Diego County executive team while taking full ownership of the commercial contracting pipeline.

This position suits a self-driven attorney who already speaks the language of technology: you know IT licensing, AI frameworks, and global data privacy, and you want to apply and deepen that expertise in-house.

What Makes This Role Different

• End-to-end ownership: The legal team runs lean. You will negotiate directly with Fortune 500 pharmaceutical legal teams and executive leadership while managing the contract repository, e-filing, and day-to-day administration without assistant support.
• Day-one subject matter expert: You bring the IT/technology, SaaS, AI, and data privacy expertise from the start.
• Career acceleration: Direct mentorship from the General Counsel, global deal experience, and a foundation to grow into a senior legal leadership role.

Responsibilities

• Draft, review, and negotiate a broad range of commercial agreements supporting global marketplace operations
• Lead negotiation of complex technology and IT agreements, including software licensing, SaaS, system integrations, procurement system integrations, and emerging AI technologies
• Serve as a trusted legal business partner to internal stakeholders across North America, Europe, and Asia, delivering practical, commercially minded advice
• Partner with the General Counsel to build and refine legal playbooks, contract templates, and scalable processes for a growing global business
• Manage your own workload independently, escalating only high-risk strategic matters to the General Counsel

Qualifications

• Approximately 3 years of post-qualification experience, in-house or at a reputable law firm
• Demonstrable, strong background drafting and negotiating IT and technology contracts, specifically software, integrations, procurement system integrations, and AI solutions
• Highly organized and comfortable operating without a large legal support team; able to drive negotiations to close on your own
• Willingness to keep a flexible schedule to accommodate cross-border calls and negotiations across North America, Europe, and Asia
• Experience in the pharmaceutical, life-sciences, or health-tech sectors is highly preferred
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to turn complex legal concepts into actionable business guidance; fluent in English
• Based in, or willing to relocate to, North San Diego County, with the ability to work in the office 3 days per week alongside local executive leadership

Working Model and Location

• Location: North San Diego County, California
• Hybrid schedule: 3 days per week in the office, 2 days remote
• Global alignment: Comfortable working in a hybrid environment while keeping a flexible schedule for cross-border calls with the Europe-based General Counsel and global stakeholders

Compensation and Benefits

• Base salary: $130,000-$160,000
• 401(k) with company match
• Full medical and dental coverage
• Health savings account (HSA)

Why Join

• Direct impact: Shape the commercial legal framework of a global marketplace
• Mentorship: Work directly with an experienced General Counsel
• Innovation: Be at the forefront of digital transformation in the pharmaceutical industry

Empower JobID 2762