Assistant General Counsel I, Research Contracts - Early Drug Development

About Us

The people of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) are united by a singular mission: ending cancer for life. Our specialized care teams provide personalized, compassionate, expert care to patients of all ages. Informed by basic research done at our Sloan Kettering Institute, scientists across MSK collaborate to conduct innovative translational and clinical research that is driving a revolution in our understanding of cancer as a disease and improving the ability to prevent, diagnose, and treat it. MSK is dedicated to training the next generation of scientists and clinicians, who go on to pursueour missionat MSK and around the globe.

Assistant General Counsel I, Early Drug Development , Research Contracts Team Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) strives to be at the pinnacle of cancer treatment and research, and that includes MSK’s recently‑launched Early Drug Development (EDD) service, which provides an industry‑leading path for the initiation of early‑phase clinical trials across disease types and molecular targets. MSK’s Office of General Counsel is seeking an experienced, enterprising attorney to join its Research Contracting team primarily supporting the EDD service. In this role, you will negotiate contracts to provide MSK patients access to some of the most promising new therapies, provide expert counsel to our world‑class physician‑investigators and staff, further fuel the growth of the EDD program, and aid MSK legal in advancing MSK’s mission of ending cancer for life.

Role Overview

Independently draft, review, and negotiate agreements related to clinical research, as well as preclinical and translational research for the Early Drug Development service. Develop strong working relationships with the Early Drug Development research team and clinicians. Maintain and update relevant contract systems and databases, including providing timely updates to internal and external stakeholders. Participate in the development and implementation of MSK contract guidance documents, workflows, policies, SOPs, and tools for tracking and managing agreements with other members of the Research Contracts team. Collaborate closely with other members of MSK legal to share and address new legal, regulatory and operational issues impacting the Institution. Apply legal and business judgment to proposed deals, relationships, and other issues requiring legal attention. Contribute to and/or work independently on special legal projects and initiatives, as needed and as assigned by and under the guidance of the Assistant General Counsel II and other members of the Legal Leadership Team.

Key Qualifications

• Juris Doctor with active bar membership in good standing.
• Approximately 4-6 years experience drafting, reviewing and negotiating research contracts (e.g., CTAs, MTAs, DTAs, SRAs, CRAs, Multicenter agreements, Consortium Agreements, License Agreements), and other research‑related agreements preferably for an academic or non‑profit institution.
• Demonstrated knowledge of contract law, intellectual property issues, privacy, data use and export issues, and other considerations in healthcare and research transactions.
• Law firm experience strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated interest in science, research, or healthcare.

Core Skills

• Outstanding written and verbal communication skills.
• Excellent drafting and negotiating skills with a sharp attention to detail.
• Adeptness at building partnerships and working collaboratively across teams to meet shared objectives.
• Exceptional professionalism and client service skills, including discretion, diplomacy, and sound legal and business judgment.
• Strong project management and prioritization skills, comfortable working in a fast‑paced environment notable for a high volume of contract requests and deadlines.

Additional Information

• Location: Hybrid with Mondays and Tuesdays on‑site at 633 Third Avenue, in NYC.
• Schedule: Monday – Friday, 9 am – 5 pm.
• Reporting to the Assistant General Counsel II and Associate General Counsel.

Helpful Links

Compensation Philosophy Benefits Pay Range: $152,400.00 – $251,600.00 FSLA Status: Exempt Closing: At MSK, we believe in fair, competitive pay that reflects your job, experience, and skills.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

At MSK, we believe in fair, competitive pay that reflects your job, experience, and skills. MSK is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer committed to diversity and inclusion in all aspects of recruiting and employment. All qualified individuals are encouraged to apply and will receive consideration without regard to race, color, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, age, religion, creed, disability, veteran status or any other factor which cannot lawfully be used as a basis for an employment decision. Federal law requires employers to provide reasonable accommodation to qualified individuals with disabilities. Please tell us if you require a reasonable accommodation to apply for a job or to perform your job. Examples of reasonable accommodation include making a change to the application process or work procedures, providing documents in an alternate format, using a sign language interpreter, or using specialized equipment.

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