Senior Director and Counsel, Employment & Public Affairs
Alameda, CA 
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Posted 11 days ago
Job Description

COMPANY DESCRIPTION:

Every Exelixis employee is united in an ambitious cause: to launch innovative medicines that give patients, and their families hope for the future. In this pursuit, we know our employees are our most valuable asset. After operating in the challenging biotech sector for 25 years, we have a proven track record of resiliency in the face of adversity. The success of our lead product has provided a solid commercial foundation allowing us to reinvigorate our research efforts and grow our team in areas such as Drug Discovery, Clinical Development and Commercial.

As we expand our global partnerships and further reinvest in R&D to help us discover the next breakthrough for difficult-to-treat cancers, we're seeking to add talented, dedicated employees to power our mission.

Cancer is our cause. Make it yours, too.

SUMMARY/JOB PURPOSE:

Exelixis is seeking a seasoned Senior Director and Counsel, Employment and Public Affairs to join the Legal Department's General & Administrative (G&A) Legal group, reporting to the Vice President of Legal Affairs and Operations, but with a dotted line reporting relationship to the Executive Vice President & General Counsel. The responsibilities of this newly established position focus on legal issues distinctly related to the company's Human Resources and Public Affairs organizations. These include, without exception, labor and employment policies, employee relations issues, oversight of litigation and dispute management, and transactional support for the HR and Public Affairs functions. The successful candidate will be an integral member of the Legal Department, working closely with colleagues and management in their department, with the company's executive team, as well as independently in a dynamic, collegial environment. She and her team will manage, maintain and further develop a team supporting general vendor agreements, consulting contracts, and employment law matters, in addition to other General & Administrative functions, as needed.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

  • Advise and counsel executive and senior management and the company's HR team concerning the satisfactory conduct, oversight and resolution of internal investigations, audits, pre-dispute conflicts, employment law claims, arbitrations, and labor relation matters.

  • Collaborate closely with stakeholders to evolve scalable employment policies and programs, such as within the company's employee handbook and through its benefit offerings.

  • Work closely with, and act as a liaison with, outside counsel to ensure that the company's senior legal leadership obtains appropriate specialized support and manages risk effectively.

  • Lead legal professionals (contract managers and administrators) providing general legal and contracting support to the company's Human Resources and Public Affairs teams.

  • Draft, revise, negotiate, and manage a wide range of contracts in support of day-to-day operations of the company, including various employment staffing agreements (recruiting, temp staffing, executive search), employee benefit or activity agreements, services and consulting agreements, and task orders/statements of work, and amendments.

  • Lead the ongoing development of contracting playbooks and templates in your areas of support in collaboration with other G&A Contracts Counsel.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES:

  • Supervises staff, including hiring, scheduling and assigning work, reviewing performance, and

recommends salary increases, promotions, transfers, demotions, or terminations.

EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE/KNOWLEDGE & SKILLS:

Education:

  • BS/BA degree.

  • JD degree is required and must be admitted to practice, preferably in California.

Experience:

  • Minimum of 8 years of experience as counsel in a law firm and in-house legal environment, preferably supporting life sciences companies.

  • Experienced in employment disputes.

  • Client counseling experience is required, and employment litigation experience is preferred.

Knowledge/Skills:

  • Possesses executive presence and ability to interact comfortably and appropriately with executives and senior management.

  • Has clear and concise verbal and written communication skills, as well as excellent interpersonal skills.

  • Has broad and deep knowledge of contractual terms and solutions to contractual issues across a wide variety of subject matter areas.

  • Has a track record of progressively responsible professional experience.

  • Can proactively develop and propose creative solutions for complex problems and implement organizational or team objectives in a professional and timely manner.

  • Has experience with change management, including participating on task forces or steering committees, building consensus, and communicating change successfully.

  • Is a collegial team player with demonstrated drive and initiative.

  • Has a collaborative client-service mindset and works independently with clients to meet their needs.

  • Communicates effectively with outside vendors/partners and serve as a liaison between outside counsel and key internal stakeholders to help drive matters and issues to resolution.

  • Takes ownership of and responsibility for work product (including executing tasks independently and timely) and re-prioritizes work/deliverables as necessary.

  • Is creative and strategic in providing practical advice that balances risks with business objectives.

  • Demonstrates mature judgment and possesses a high sense of integrity and professionalism.

  • Is detail-oriented, has excellent organizational skills, and can manage multiple transactions and projects simultaneously, sometimes under tight deadlines.

  • Possesses a sense of humor and perspective.

  • Has strong computer skills in document preparation and data presentation (Word, PowerPoint, Excel).

WORKING CONDITIONS:

  • Environment: primarily working indoors, performing desk work.

  • Infrequent travel may be required.

#LI-HG1

If you like wild growth and working with happy, enthusiastic over-achievers, you'll enjoy your career with us!

Our compensation reflects the cost of labor across severalU.S. geographic markets, and we pay differently based on those defined markets. The base pay range for this positionis $243,000 - $344,000 annually. The base pay range may take into account the candidate's geographic region, which will adjust the pay depending on the specific work location. The base pay offered will take into account the candidate's geographic region, job-related knowledge, skills, experience and internal equity, among other factors.

In addition to the base salary, as part of our Total Rewards program, Exelixis offers comprehensive employee benefits package, including a 401k plan with generous company contributions, group medical, dental and vision coverage, life and disability insurance, and flexible spending accounts. Employees are also eligible for a discretionary annual bonus program, or if field sales staff, a sales-based incentive plan. Exelixis also offers employees the opportunity to purchase company stock, and receive long-term incentives, 15 accrued vacation days in their first year, 17 paid holidays including a company-wide winter shutdown in December, and up to 10 sick days throughout the calendar year.

DISCLAIMER
The preceding job description has been designed to indicate the general nature and level of work performed by employees within this classification. It is not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities and qualifications required of employees assigned to the job.

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and do not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, sex, age, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, status as a veteran, and basis of disability or any other federal, state or local protected class.

 

Job Summary
Company
Start Date
As soon as possible
Employment Term and Type
Regular, Full Time
Required Education
Bachelor's Degree
Required Experience
8+ years
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