Lead Counsel, External Innovation

Role DescriptionThe Lead Counsel will act as lead legal counsel and primary strategic business partner for the External Innovation (EI) team at Zoetis. The position will provide primary legal support for early-stage research and development transactions in the animal health field, including:drafting, negotiating and advising on various types of agreements (e.g., confidentiality, material transfer, evaluation and option, license, research and development collaboration and research services agreements);supporting and advising on various types of EI transactions, domestic and cross-border, at all stages, from inception through execution and post-execution, including supporting and advising on (i) potential deal terms / structure and related matters at or prior to the term sheet stage, (ii) due diligence and agreement negotiations and (iii) post-signing contractual matters (e.g., contractual questions, amendments, notices, terminations);managing legal support requests from, and providing strategic legal advice to multiple business clients in multiple jurisdictions on various research and development transactional and related matters, including frequent touchpoints over email and virtual/in-person meetings and partnering on transaction negotiations;preparing, updating and managing legal agreement templates, playbooks and internal contract databases; coordinating with internal legal and non-legal specialists; implementing and ensuring compliance with internal policies and procedures; and supporting various other project-based assignments and business transaction-related matters; andsupporting the development and deployment of AI-enabled workflows and legal technology tools to enhance efficiency and consistency in EI transaction execution. This position will: serve as the dedicated legal resource for the EI teamsupport a high volume of transactions and related matters, with tight deadlines, for the 10+ business clients on the EI team in multiple jurisdictions; act as co-lead on deal teams with EI lead / business client, collaborating with multiple colleagues in legal and non-legal functions across the organization and in multiple jurisdictions, including regional legal counsels and legal and non-legal subject matter experts in Veterinary Medicine Research and Development, Regulatory, Intellectual Property, Compliance, Tax/Finance and other functions.The Lead Counsel is expected to: operate independently on all EI matters with limited oversight from the Senior Counsel, Business Transactions, External Innovation and Integrationhave demonstrated experience independently drafting and negotiating complex R&D-related agreements directly with sophisticated domestic and international counterparties, including biotechnology companies, academic institutions, and government-funded entitiesserve as a trusted strategic partner to the EI team, providing proactive legal guidance on deal strategy, risk assessment, and transaction structuring.ResponsibilitiesAct as lead legal counsel and strategic advisor, independently and with limited oversight, for the EI teamSupport a high volume of transactions and related matters for 10+ business clients in multiple jurisdictionsDraft, negotiate and advise on various types of agreements at all stagesProvide strategic legal advice on early-stage R&D transactions and related mattersSupport post-signing contract management and alliance management matters, including monitoring obligations, processing amendments, and coordinating terminations Act as co-lead (with EI lead / business client), collaborating with internal legal and non-legal specialists Prepare, update and manage legal templates, playbooks and contract databasesManage and maintain active deal tracker, including deadlines and action items, and provide updates to business clients and legal leadershipImplement and ensure compliance with internal policies and procedures, including Zoetis' Anti-Bribery and Anti-Corruption (ABAC) policy, policies relating to veterinary medicine regulations, and corporate approvalsSupport various other project-based assignments and business transaction-related mattersSupport development and deployment of AI-enabled workflows Education and ExperienceJ.D. from an accredited law school, with demonstrated academic achievementCurrent bar membership in good standing in at least one U.S. State or the District of Columbia, including with respect to continuing legal education6+ years of legal experience requiredAm Law 100 firm experience in a transactional group is strongly preferredIn-house counsel experience supporting transactions and/or R&D is strongly preferredTransaction experience required, including demonstrated ability to, independently and with limited oversight:review, analyze, draft and negotiate a high-volume and variety of agreements;prepare and negotiate term sheets and translate business/technical terms into legal agreements;conduct legal due diligence, and manage non-legal due diligence;lead cross-functional deal teams, including legal and non-legal functions; andprovide strategic legal advice to business clients on research and development related mattersExperience advising on transactions involving non-U.S. counterparties and/or biotechnology companies, academic institutions, and government-funded entities is strongly preferredIntellectual property transactional experience strongly preferredPharmaceutical (human or animal health) R&D transactional experience strongly preferredFamiliarity with animal health / veterinary medicine regulatory matters (e.g., USDA, FDA-CVM) is a plusPatent law and/or non-legal scientific / technical background in R&D or adjacent disciplines is a plusTechnical Skill RequirementsStrong project management, communication and interpersonal skillsSound and practical business judgment and decision-making skillsAbility to work independently, with limited oversight, in a fast-paced environment while handling multiple projects for multiple clients simultaneouslyStrong transactional legal drafting and negotiation skills, including with or without precedents or templatesFamiliarity with contract management systems and legal technology platforms, including experience developing or deploying AI-enabled workflows in a legal or transactional context, is a plusPhysical Position RequirementsWork with global teams located in multiple time zonesHybrid working environment, with approximately 50% of time (2-3 workdays per week) required on-site at the company's headquarters office in Parsippany, NJ The U.S. base salary range for this full-time position is $185,000 to $240,000. Our salary ranges are determined by role, level, and location. The range displayed on each job posting reflects the base pay target range for new hire salaries for the position. Within the range, individual pay is determined by work location and additional factors, including job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training.This position is also eligible for short-term incentive compensation.This position is also eligible for long-term incentives.In addition to compensation, Zoetis offers a comprehensive benefits package that supports the physical, emotional and financial wellbeing of our colleagues and their families including healthcare and insurance benefits beginning on day one, a 401K plan with a match and profit-sharing contribution from Zoetis, and 4 weeks of vacation.Visit zoetisbenefits.com to learn more.Full timeRegularColleagueAny unsolicited resumes sent to Zoetis from a third party, such as an Agency recruiter, including unsolicited resumes sent to a Zoetis mailing address, fax machine or email address, directly to Zoetis employees, or to Zoetis resume database will be considered Zoetis property. Zoetis will NOT pay a fee for any placement resulting from the receipt of an unsolicited resume.Zoetis will consider any candidate for whom an Agency has submitted an unsolicited resume to have been referred by the Agency free of any charges or fees. This includes any Agency that is an approved/engaged vendor but does not have the appropriate approvals to be engaged on a search.Notice: Zoetis Recruiters will contact candidates via email from an address ending in @zoetis.com and may also initially connect with candidates through LinkedIn, including LinkedIn InMail. Zoetis does not use Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo, or other web-based/generic email domains to communicate about job opportunities, interviews, or offers of employment. If you receive a recruitment-related email message claiming to be from Zoetis that does not come from @zoetis.com, please treat it as suspicious. For your security, do not reply, click links, open attachments, share personal or financial information, or send money in response to unexpected or questionable recruitment communications.Zoetis is committed to equal opportunity in the terms and conditions of employment for all employees and job applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age, gender identity or gender expression, national origin, disability or veteran status or any other protected classification. Disabled individuals are given an equal opportunity to use our online application system. We offer reasonable accommodations as an alternative if requested by an individual with a disability. Please contact Zoetis Colleague Services at View email address on click.appcast.io to request an accommodation. Zoetis also complies with all applicable national, state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment as well as employment eligibility verification requirements of the Immigration and Nationality Act. All applicants must possess or obtain authorization to work in the US for Zoetis. Zoetis retains sole and exclusive discretion to pursue sponsorship for the acquisition or maintenance of nonimmigrant status and employment eligibility, considering factors such as availability of qualified US workers. Individuals requiring sponsorship must disclose this fact. Please note that Zoetis seeks information related to job applications from candidates for jobs in the U.S. solely via the following: (1) our company website at site, or (2) via email to/from addresses using only the Zoetis domain of “@zoetis.com”. In addition, Zoetis does not use Google Hangout for any recruitment related activities. Any solicitation or request for information related to job applications with Zoetis via any other means and/or utilizing email addresses with any other domain should be disregarded. In addition, Zoetis will never ask candidates to make any type of personal financial investment related to gaining employment with Zoetis.SummaryLocation: ParsippanyType: Full time