Senior Director, Senior Corporate Counsel

Title: Senior Director, Senior Corporate Counsel

Location: Brisbane, CA

About Us:

Vera Therapeutics (Nasdaq: VERA), is a late clinical-stage biotechnology company focused on developing treatments for serious immunological diseases. Vera’s mission is to advance treatments that target the source of immunologic diseases in order to change the standard of care for patients. Vera’s lead product candidate is atacicept, a fully humanized fusion protein self-administered at home as a subcutaneous weekly injection that blocks both B-cell Activating Factor (BAFF) and A Proliferation Inducing Ligand (APRIL), which stimulate B cells to produce autoantibodies contributing to certain autoimmune diseases, including IgA nephropathy. Vera is also considering evaluating the role of atacicept in other immunologic disorders. Additionally, Vera is developing VT-109, a novel, next-generation dual BAFF/APRIL inhibitor in preclinical development, and MAU868, a monoclonal antibody designed to neutralize infection with BK virus, a polyomavirus that can have devastating consequences in certain settings such as kidney transplant. For more information, please visit: www.veratx.com.

Our values are the cornerstone of our culture. Our values inspire us every day and guide everything we do—from how we hire great people, to advancing our mission together, to achieving our ultimate goal to improve medical treatment for patients suffering from immunological diseases.

Position Summary:

Vera is seeking a seasoned and highly motivated transactional attorney to serve as Senior Director, Senior Corporate Counsel and will report to the SVP, Corporate Law and Strategic Operations. The Senior Director, Senior Corporate Counsel will be pivotal in driving the success of the contracts team, with a focus on clinical operations, research and development, outsourcing, IT and quality and will work collaboratively with key stakeholders across the organization.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead the negotiating and drafting of a variety of business contracts, including vendor agreements, IT/software licensing, data privacy agreements, service agreements, clinical trial agreements, confidentiality agreements, consulting agreements, material transfer agreements.
• Provide high quality, timely and practical legal advice and guidance, identify, and help resolve critical legal and business issues arising from regulatory, research and development, IT and clinical activities.
• Foster and develop strong relationships with internal company stakeholders in legal, clinical operations, clinical development, research and development, IT, outsourcing and quality.
• Support the review and negotiation of IT-related agreements, including SaaS contracts, data processing agreements, cybersecurity policies.
• Identify legal risks related to business operations and develop strategies to mitigate exposure while supporting business objectives.
• Create, support and update library of template contracts, policies, and playbooks.
• Assist in the creation and implementation of company policies related to business operations and legal risk management.
• Develop training materials on contracting topics for Vera employees and conduct associated company trainings.
• Contribute to legal due diligence activities arising from contract reviews.
• Work cross-functionally with Compliance, HR, IT, Finance, and Operations teams to align legal strategies with business goals.
• Provide support on key legal initiatives and high-priority projects as needed.

Qualifications:

• Juris Doctorate from an accredited law school.
• Must be a member in good standing of the California State Bar or otherwise qualified for admission to practice law in California as registered in-house counsel.
• At least 8+ years of relevant experience as an attorney in a law firm and/or in-house legal department in the life sciences industry (biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, medical device, healthcare or related fields). More experienced candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.
• Contract drafting and negotiation experience is required.
• Self-motivated, innovative, strategic, detail-oriented and able to consistently provide high quality and timely work product and manage multiple projects.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills and stakeholder management.
• Demonstrated ability and track record to act as a team player and build trusted cross-functional and external relationships.
• Strong commitment to compliance and ethics.
• Superior intellect and judgment, with the ability to think critically, set priorities, make clear and well-reasoned decisions and provide practical legal advice.
• Outstanding service mentality (proactive and responsive).
• A proven self-starter and results-oriented attorney with ability to work independently and with attention to detail.
• High enthusiasm and energy and “roll up your sleeves” attitude.
• Knowledge and experience advising clients on laws and regulations governing the biotechnology industry is a plus.
• Excellent organizational skills and able to work with a team to meet critical deadlines.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, strategic mindset with strong business acumen.
• Excellent training and presentation skills, strong ability to strategically educate and support fellow employees.
• Demonstrated success in a fast-paced, high-performing, fluid, and collaborative culture.
• Motivated by the goal of restoring health and allowing patients to live better, longer lives.

Vera Therapeutics Inc. is an equal-opportunity employer.

Vera Therapeutics is committed to fair and equitable compensation practices and we strive to provide employees with total compensation packages that are market competitive. For this role, the anticipated start base pay range is $280K+. The exact base pay offered for this role will depend on various factors, including but not limited to the candidate’s geography, qualifications, skills, and experience.

At Vera, base pay is only one part of your total compensation package. The successful candidate will be eligible for an annual performance incentive bonus, new hire equity, and ongoing performance-based equity. Vera Therapeutics also offers various benefits offerings, including, but not limited to, medical, dental, and vision insurance, 401k match, flexible time off, and a number of paid holidays.

Notice to Recruiters/Staffing Agencies

Recruiters and staffing agencies should not contact Vera Therapeutics through this page. All recruitment vendors (search firms, recruitment agencies, and staffing companies) are prohibited from contacting our hiring manager(s), executive team members, or employees.

We require that all recruiters and staffing agencies have a fully executed, formal written agreement on file.

Vera Therapeutics’ receipt or acceptance of an unsolicited resume submitted by a vendor organization to this website or employee does not constitute an actual or implied contract between Vera Therapeutics and such organization and will be considered unsolicited and Vera Therapeutics will not be responsible for related fees.

Fraud Alert

To all candidates: your personal information and online safety are a top priority for us. At Vera Therapeutics, recruiters only direct candidates to apply through our official career page at https://veratx.com/careers/.

Recruiters will always contact you using the domain of veratx.com. We will never request payments, ask for financial account information or sensitive information like social security numbers. If you are unsure if a message is from Vera Therapeutics, please email human resources.