Legal Counsel

ROLE OVERVIEW:

As the Company's sole in-house lawyer you will take ownership of the legal function and act as a trusted advisor to management and the Board across legal, governance and compliance matters.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

The position will report to the Head of Operations and work in collaboration with all other functions. You will handle all legal, governance and compliance matters and maintain appropriate internal policies, templates and training. Primary responsibilities will include but are not limited to the following:

Legal advisory & strategic partnering

• Providing pragmatic, risk-based legal advice to support the business and protect and serve the best interests of the Company.
• Advising management and Board on legal and compliance implications of major strategies, decisions and transactions, including their application to the Company's contracts, risks and processes.
• Anticipating legal and regulatory risks and proposing practical mitigation strategies.
• Managing external legal support as required.

Governance & compliance

• Ensuring compliance with the Company's governing documents and legislation (e.g. Companies Act, PDPA, employment legislation).
• Supporting on Board and shareholder matters, including Board resolutions and approvals.
• Liaising with the Company's external company secretary.
• Acting as legal liaison with the Company's two shareholders.
• Conducting compliance oversight, training and programme support.

Project implementation

• Drafting and reviewing a wide range of agreements (including confidentiality agreements, service agreements, employment contracts, consultancy agreements, partnership/collaboration agreements, development/licencing agreements, amendment agreements, term sheets and memorandum of understanding).
• Providing day-to-day advice on a wide range of legal matters (including intellectual property, data protection, regulatory requirements and statutory filings, terminations, assignments and employment issues).
• Handling corporate legal matters, including drafting and reviewing corporate documentation and providing legal support for corporate expansion, restructuring, reorganisation and rationalisation of corporate business in collaboration with Finance and management.

Policies, templates & training

• Developing and maintaining agreement templates, legal guidance, policies and business standards to streamline recurring business activities and reduce legal exposure.

QUALIFICATIONS, EXPERIENCE, COMPETENCIES AND SKILLS:

. Admitted to practice law in Singapore (or common law jurisdiction with relevant experience)

. At least 6 years post-qualification experience (ideally with a mix of law firm and in-house exposure)

. Ideally previous experience in an international pharma/biotech company, or strong interest in the pharma/biotech fields

. Fluent in English (both oral and written)

. High level of integrity and sound judgement

. Strong commercial acumen and practical problem-solving ability

. Ability to prioritise and manage a wide scope of responsibilities autonomously

. Excellent interpersonal, stakeholder management, communication and negotiation skills