Description

Associate Director/ Director Corporate Counsel

About Spero Therapeutics

Spero Therapeutics, headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on identifying and developing novel treatments for rare diseases and MDR bacterial infections with high unmet need.

We are seeking a highly collaborative and enthusiastic Associate Director/Director Corporate Counsel to partner and provide strategic, tactical and operational legal guidance. You will advise on a wide range of legal matters, including general corporate matters, contracts, clinical operations, securities, transactions, and employment law.

The ideal candidate thrives as a proactive and strategic corporate generalist, who can manage a variety of workstreams and operate as an integral part of the legal team while providing pragmatic solutions to internal and external stakeholders.

 You will play a key role partnering with the clinical operations organization, managing the internal contracting function, craft company disclosures and prepare and review SEC filings, collaborating on the preparation of materials for the Board of Directors, and providing legal support for financings and related transactions. 

 This role reports to, and partners closely with, the Vice President, Head of Legal to provide cross functional support to both internal and external stakeholders. 

 Key Responsibilities

 Support for Clinical Operations:

o   Provide business partnership to the clinical operations organization as a legal subject matter expert on contract interpretation, related legal best practices, Sunshine Act reporting, GDPR, HIPAA, etc.

Contracts: 

o   Draft, review, and negotiate end to end, a variety of contracts and other legal documents (including MSAs, CTAs, Consulting Agreements, etc.)

SEC filings:

o   Assist with drafting and reviewing SEC filings, including 10Ks, 10Qs, 8Ks, the annual proxy, and Form 3 and 4s in collaboration with internal and external accounting and legal teams.

Transactions:

o   Support corporate transactions, including mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, investments, joint ventures, financings, and strategic alliances.

Governance:

o   Collaborate and assist with the preparation of Board and Committee materials, including agendas and slide deck presentations.

Compliance:

o   Prepare, as needed, new compliance policies; advise and apply existing policies; manage employee training on such policies.

o   Partner with finance and legal colleagues to ensure effective prevention, detection, and remediation of violations of law, regulations, and internal policies.

o   Partner with the Finance department to maintain Spero’s equity programs; review and advise on 10b-5-1 trading plans.

G

eneral:

o   Collaborate with various business owners and legal colleagues to develop process improvements.

o   Research legal matters relevant to the business as needed.

o   Partner closely with outside counsel, provide timely, pragmatic, and strategic advice on a wide variety of matters including general corporate, finance, intellectual property, compliance, employment, litigation, and human resources matters and more, as needs arise.

o   Stay ahead of applicable laws, regulations, and industry-specific guidance.

o   Execute other projects as the need arises as part of a small legal team.

Requirements

•       Juris Doctor (JD) from ABA-accredited law school with the ability to practice in Massachusetts.
•       Minimum 7 years of combination legal experience within law firm and biotech/pharmaceutical legal department.
•       Familiarity with securities laws and public company corporate governance rules and policies.
•       Ability to translate legal theory into applied business success.
•       Execute strong negotiation abilities and strong business acumen.
•       Customer-centric and solutions-oriented approach in supporting internal clients while protecting the best interest of the company.
•       Experience developing, driving, and implementing legal solutions.
•       Ability to maintain strict confidentiality of sensitive information.
•       Team player capable of participating and leading cross-functional project teams to meet key milestones.
•       Understanding of commercial and financial implications of business strategies.
•       Project and process management capabilities and experience.
•       Strong oral, written communication and interpersonal skills with effective presentation style.
•       Strong drafting and analytical skills.
•       Strong organizational skills and attention to detail with a proven ability to handle multiple tasks efficiently and effectively.