Vice President, Corporate Transactions

Tessera Therapeutics; Somerville (MA); On-site; USD 269,000 - 345,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity grants

Annual incentive bonus

Comprehensive benefits

Job summary

Tessera Therapeutics is seeking a strategic General Counsel to lead the company’s legal function and partner with senior management on securities, governance, and complex transactions. You will translate legal requirements into practical business solutions and guide cross-functional teams to ensure compliant, ethical decision-making.

As a key member of the Legal Leadership team, you will oversee corporate matters, capital markets activities, external communications, contracting, and governance

Qualifications

• J.D. from an accredited law school.
• Licensed to practice law in one or more U.S. states.
• Experience drafting and negotiating licensing, M&A and complex contracting arrangements.

Responsibilities

• Partner with senior management to provide solution-oriented legal advice and risk assessments.
• Lead due diligence and draft/negotiate transaction documents for strategic matters.
• Oversee general corporate law functions including governance, contracting, reporting, and real estate matters.
• Advise HR and Finance on equity incentive programs and related matters.
• Manage outside counsel and the Legal department budget.

Skills

Contract drafting

Negotiation

Strategic leadership

Regulatory compliance

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

J.D. from an accredited law school

Job description

Your experience includes…

• J.D. from a fully accredited law school.
• 15+ years of industry-related experience with 5+ years in-house experience at a biopharmaceutical company with rare diseases business strongly preferred.
• Good standing and licensed to practice law in one or more U.S. states.
• Experience in drafting and negotiating licensing, M&A and complex contracting arrangements.
• Sound judgment, mission driven, high integrity, and dedication to ethical conduct.
• Excellent analytical, written, and verbal communication skills.
• Strong contract drafting and negotiation skills.
• Strong project management skills and ability to multi-task while still meeting high quality and timeliness standards.
• A roll-up-your-sleeves, player-coach with the ability to work collaboratively with a pragmatic approach and a positive attitude in a results-driven, highly accountable environment.

It’s a bonus if you have…

• Strong people leader experience effectively recruiting, leading, and retaining teams and inspiring others to maximize engagement and performance.
• Experience in the preparation and review of SEC filings and compliance with SEC requirements
• Experience advising on investor relations matters, including review of earnings announcements, earnings scripts, press releases, investor presentations, investor communications, and other communications.
• Ability tomanagecorporate governance and corporate secretarialdutiesfor meetings of the company’s Board of Directors and its committees.
• Experience supporting capital markets transactions, including equity offerings.
• Knowledge of Internal Audit with SOX compliance matters.
• Ability to manage outside counsel effectively and efficiently and adhere to a budget.

You are interested in…

• Acting as a business partner to senior management and internal constituencies (such as Business Development, Finance, Human Resources and R&D), providing solution-oriented legal advice, risk assessments and interpretations of sophisticated agreements.
• Collaborating on strategic transactions, including capital markets and business development activities; leading legal due diligence activities; and drafting, reviewing and negotiating transaction-related documents.
• Overseeing general corporate law functions, including with respect to reporting and compliance, corporate governance, contracting, transactions and real estate.
• Advising the Human Resources and Finance teams with respect to a variety of matters, including the company’s equity incentive programs.
• Partnering with cross-functional teams to develop communication strategies and reviewing communication materials, including press releases, scripts, and investor relations presentations.
• Working closely with the General Counsel, Human Resources, Finance, and others on matters related to the Board of Directors and its committees, including drafting resolutions and minutes, and attend meetings according to business needs.
• Overseeing cross-functional efforts to develop and implement policies and procedures and train employees contracting requirements, and other matters.
• Managing outside counsel and the relevant portions of the Legal department’s budget.
• Maintaining a solid understanding of applicable laws, regulations, and enforcement actions to identify emerging risks, keep management advised, and implement policies and training programs, as needed .

About you:

You are a strategic and business-oriented legal leader who thrives in a fast-paced, innovative environment. You have deep experience advising public companies on securities law, corporate governance, and complex corporate transactions, and you are skilled at translating legal requirements into practical business solutions. You are a trusted partner who can navigate ambiguity, exercise sound judgment, and provide clear, pragmatic guidance to senior leaders and cross-functional stakeholders.

As a key member of the Legal Leadership team, you will lead and support a broad range of corporate matters, including SEC and Nasdaq compliance, capital markets activities, business development transactions, external communications, contracting, and governance initiatives. You enjoy working across functions, influencing strategic decisions, and helping drive the continued growth and success of a publicly traded biotechnology company.

Tessera leaders are empathetic and transparent coaches with a strong sense of integrity. They are committed to the growth and development of their teams, the organization and themselves.

Leadership Structure:

All inquiries regarding the posted position should be directed to the Talent Partner (see below). Interested individuals must apply directly to be considered for the opening.

Meet our Leadership Team and Board of Directors

Meet your Talent Partner:

Ben Hoogheem – Senior Director, Head of Talent Management

As Head of Talent Management at Tessera Therapeutics, Ben leads Tessera’s talent strategy across talent acquisition, performance management, and talent mobility.

Ben began his career as an in vivo Pharmacologist, which gave him a lasting appreciation for the rigor, creativity, and collaboration that drive scientific discovery. That foundation continues to shape how he helps build organizations designed to enable science thrive.

Ben is focused on aligning exceptional people with bold science – creating the structure, clarity, and culture that empower teams to scale effectively and achieve meaningful impact.

Compensation:

The stated base salary range represents Tessera’s good-faith estimate for this role. Actual compensation will be determined based on a number of factors, including but not limited to individual qualifications, years of relevant experience, internal compensation alignment, and external market data.

Tessera offers a competitive package of base and incentive compensation as well as a comprehensive benefits program designed to support the health, wellness, and financial security of our employees and their families. Benefits currently include group medical, vision, and dental coverage; group life and disability insurance; a 401(k) plan with company contribution; tuition reimbursement; and more.

This position is also eligible for an annual incentive bonus and equity grants as part of Tessera’s total rewards program.

Per Year Salary Range: $269,000 – $345,000

Company Summary:

Tessera Therapeutics is pioneering Gene Writing™— a new biotechnology designed to offer scientists and clinicians the ability to write small and large therapeutic messages into the genome, thereby curing diseases at their source. Gene Writing holds the potential to become a new category in genetic medicine, building upon recent breakthroughs in gene therapy and gene editing while eliminating important limitations in their reach, utilization, and efficacy.

More about Tessera Therapeutics:

Tessera is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, marital status, genetics, protected veteran status, citizenship status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic identified by federal, state, or local laws where we operate. Tessera provides reasonable accommodations to qualified applicants and employees with disabilities. To begin an interactive dialogue with Tessera regarding a reasonable accommodation in connection with the hiring process and/or to perform the essential functions of the position for which the applicant has applied, please contact the recruiter or [e-mail]

Recruitment & Staffing Agencies:

Tessera Therapeutics does not accept unsolicited resumes from any source other than candidates. The submission of unsolicited resumes by recruitment or staffing agencies to Tessera Therapeutics or its employees is strictly prohibited unless contacted directly by Tessera Therapeutics’ internal Talent Acquisition team. Any resume submitted by an agency in the absence of a signed agreement will automatically become the property of Tessera Therapeutics, and Tessera Therapeutics will not owe any referral or other fees with respect thereto.