Associate General Counsel, Legal (US)

Worldwide Clinical Trials; New York (NY); Remote; USD 201,000 - 399,000; Full time

Job summary

Worldwide Clinical Trials is seeking an Associate General Counsel, Legal to lead complex legal, regulatory, and compliance matters across a global clinical research environment. You will partner with the General Counsel and senior leaders to provide practical, risk-based guidance that balances business objectives with ethics and participant protection.

This remote role involves drafting and negotiating sponsor-facing agreements, supporting mergers and strategic partnerships, and collaborating

Qualifications

• JD required with active license and good standing.
• 8–12+ years of progressively responsible legal experience in a CRO, pharma, biotech, medical device, healthcare, or life sciences environment.
• Proven experience supporting complex clinical research services and sponsor contracting.
• Strong expertise in master services agreements, statements of work, change orders, and data protection agreements.

Responsibilities

• Advise the General Counsel and senior leadership on complex legal, regulatory, commercial, operational, and reputational risk matters.
• Lead strategic legal subject-matter areas and deliver practical guidance that supports business objectives, risk tolerance, and global operations.
• Oversee drafting, negotiation, and execution of complex clinical research and sponsor-facing agreements.
• Partner with Business Development, Finance, Clinical Operations, and other stakeholders to streamline contracting processes.
• Collaborate with Quality, Data Privacy, Information Security, Regulatory, and Compliance teams on GxP, privacy, data integrity, and regulatory obligations.
• Support enterprise risk management activities, investigations, compliance initiatives, governance programs, and escalation of significant legal risks.
• Provide legal support for mergers, acquisitions, partnerships, and disputes.
• Lead, mentor, and develop legal professionals with a focus on process improvement and knowledge management.

Skills

Leadership

Regulatory compliance

Contract negotiation

Risk management

In-house experience

Education

Juris Doctor

Tools

Microsoft 365

Job description

Who we are

We’re a global, midsize CRO that pushes boundaries, innovates and invents because the path to a cure for the world’s most persistent diseases is not paved by those who play it safe. It is built by those who take pioneering, creative approaches and implement them with quality and excellence.

We are Worldwide Clinical Trials, and we are a global team of over 3,500+ experts, bright thinkers, dreamers and doers and, together, we are changing the way the world experiences CROs - in the best possible way.

Our mission is to work with passion and purpose every day to improve lives and we are looking for others who value this same pursuit.

Why Worldwide

We believe everyone plays an important role in making a world of difference for patients and their caregivers. From our hands-on, accessible leaders, to our cohesive and supportive teams, we are committed to enabling professionals from all backgrounds and experiences to succeed. We prioritize cultivating a diverse and inclusive environment that continues to promote collaboration and creativity. We are proud to be a workplace where people thrive by being themselves and are inspired to do their best work every day. Join us!

Make an Impact as an Associate General Counsel, Legal at Worldwide

As an Associate General Counsel, Legal, you will play a critical leadership role in helping Worldwide navigate complex legal, regulatory, commercial, and compliance matters across a global clinical research environment. Your expertise will directly support the delivery of clinical development services while protecting research participants, strengthening sponsor relationships, and enabling responsible business growth.

Working closely with the General Counsel and senior leaders, you'll provide practical, risk‑based guidance that balances business objectives with legal and ethical obligations. You'll influence enterprise‑wide decisions, lead key legal subject‑matter areas, and help shape the future of a scalable, high‑performing legal function.

This is an opportunity to partner with teams across Clinical Operations, Business Development, Finance, Human Resources, Quality, Technology, Compliance, and Data Privacy to drive business outcomes, reduce risk, and support innovation across a global organization.

Where You'll Work

This is a remote role open to candidates based in United States. You will collaborate with global teams across multiple time zones.

What You'll Do

• Advise the General Counsel and senior leadership on complex legal, regulatory, commercial, operational, and reputational risk matters.
• Lead strategic legal subject‑matter areas and deliver practical guidance that supports business objectives, risk tolerance, and global operations.
• Oversee the drafting, negotiation, and execution of complex clinical research and sponsor‑facing agreements while balancing risk and commercial outcomes.
• Partner with Business Development, Finance, Clinical Operations, and other stakeholders to streamline contracting processes and accelerate business performance.
• Collaborate with Quality, Data Privacy, Information Security, Regulatory, and Compliance teams to address GxP, privacy, data integrity, and regulatory obligations.
• Support enterprise risk management activities, investigations, compliance initiatives, governance programs, and escalation of significant legal risks.
• Provide legal support for mergers, acquisitions, strategic partnerships, corporate governance matters, disputes, and other key business initiatives.
• Lead, mentor, and develop legal professionals while advancing operational excellence through processes, metrics, technology, automation, and knowledge management.

What You'll Bring

• Juris Doctor from an accredited law school (or equivalent legal qualification appropriate to the jurisdiction), active license to practice law, and membership in good standing in at least one applicable jurisdiction.
• 8-12+ years of progressively responsible legal experience, including significant in‑house leadership experience within a CRO, pharmaceutical, biotechnology, medical device, healthcare, or other highly regulated life sciences environment.
• Demonstrated experience supporting complex clinical research services, sponsor contracting, regulated operations, and global legal or compliance matters.
• Strong expertise in commercial contracting, including master services agreements, statements of work, change orders, clinical research agreements, data protection agreements, and related sponsor‑facing arrangements.
• Working knowledge of global clinical research regulations, GxP requirements, data privacy and security obligations, healthcare compliance, and research‑related contracting.
• Proven leadership, coaching, delegation, and change‑management capabilities within a global, matrixed organization.
• Excellent legal judgment, business acumen, executive‑level communication skills, and the ability to manage multiple high‑priority matters while delivering practical, risk‑calibrated solutions.
• Proficiency in English and strong competency with Microsoft 365, legal technology platforms, workflow automation tools, analytics, and responsible AI solutions.

At Worldwide Clinical Trials, we are committed to fostering an inclusive and equitable workplace by providing transparent compensation.

The salary range for this position is annually (For hourly paid positions, the stated salary range reflects hourly rates):

United States of America - $200,500.00 - $398,500.00

The salary range provided is intended to give candidates an understanding of potential earnings. Compensation will fall within the provided range, and it not a guarantee of exact salary. The final salary will be determined based on relevant experience, performance, education, and internal equity. In addition to base salary, we offer a competitive benefits package depending on location. We ensure pay equity and transparency and comply with all applicable labor laws. Salary information will be discussed during the interview process, and we encourage candidates to inquire about compensation at any stage.

We love knowing that someone is going to have a better life because of the work we do.

To view our other roles, check out our careers page at Discover a world of difference at Worldwide! For more information on Worldwide, visit www.Worldwide.com or connect with us on LinkedIn.