Vice President/Deputy General Counsel

Summary

Join a high-growth pharmaceutical company as their Vice President/Deputy General Counsel, reporting directly to the General Counsel. As the legal department’s second-in-command, you will transform legal operations, manage five Associate General Counsels, and serve as a senior legal voice in critical decisions. This role requires a strong litigation background and experience in highly regulated industries, particularly FDA and healthcare. You will lead the legal team, build scalable systems, and provide strategic business advisory services. The ideal candidate will demonstrate strong judgment, integrity, and a commitment to the company’s mission. This position offers a competitive salary, bonus, and equity.

Requirements

• J.D. degree and bar membership in at least one U.S. state (Texas in-house exception eligibility required)
• 12+ years of legal experience, including substantial litigation background and proven success in building legal strategy and infrastructure from the ground up
• Deep experience in a highly regulated field; FDA and healthcare regulatory experience strongly preferred
• Experience handling transactional issues such as commercial agreements, labor & employment, and other business-critical legal matters
• Demonstrated track record managing and developing legal teams, with experience recruiting, coaching, and retaining top legal talent
• Strong judgment and decision-making under ambiguity, with high integrity, accountability, and commitment to the company’s mission

Responsibilities

• Leading strategy and decision-making on complex, high-stakes litigation with predictive analytics and enhanced case assessment
• Providing regulatory guidance on FDA, pharmacy board, and enforcement matters, including building proactive regulatory relationships
• Managing risk across business lines through comprehensive monitoring systems, compliance simulations, and readiness drills
• Managing and mentoring the legal team—including five direct-report AGCs—while building a high-performance, values-driven culture focused on ownership and continuous improvement
• Building scalable systems for contract lifecycle management, legal intake, and automation-enhanced workflows that reduce business friction and enable self-service models where appropriate
• Overseeing legal department budgeting and outside counsel management with measurable ROI expectations
• Acting as trusted counsel to the General Counsel and executive leadership, translating complex legal issues into business-focused solutions
• Supporting commercial, labor & employment, and transactional matters through efficient, streamlined legal processes
• Collaborating cross-functionally to anticipate legal needs and create tech-enabled, forward-thinking solutions that reduce risk while unlocking value

Preferred Qualifications

Familiarity with AI, automation tools, or legal tech platforms to improve decision-making, speed, and compliance preferred

Benefits

• The current targeted base salary for this position ranges from $260,000 to $290,000 and includes an annual target bonus and equity
• Actual compensation will depend on a candidate’s qualifications and directly relevant experience
• This role can be performed remotely with travel to Houston headquarters or company facilities in New Jersey as needed