Head of Legal & Compliance, U.S.

Head of Legal & Compliance, U.S. Location: U.S. (Remote) Reports to: President, U.S. The Opportunity Korn Ferry is conducting an exclusive search on behalf of a privately held European pharmaceutical company to hire a Head of Legal & Compliance, U.S. This is a critical leadership role supporting the company’s rapidly scaling U.S. business and advising the U.S. executive team during an exciting growth phase. This role offers a rare opportunity to build and shape the legal and compliance function for the U.S. organization while partnering closely with global leadership. You will act as a trusted advisor to the President and U.S. leadership team, providing practical, business-oriented counsel across a wide range of legal and risk matters. Why This Role This opportunity offers the best of both worlds: a well-established European healthcare company with nearly a century of history, strong scientific credibility, and long-term private ownership, paired with a fast-growing, entrepreneurial U.S. business that is early in its scale-up journey. The U.S. organization is lean, ambitious, and hungry - offering meaningful visibility, influence, and the chance to grow with the company. As the business expands, both the scope of the role and the total compensation are expected to grow accordingly. While there is no long-term incentive plan in place today, this is viewed as a foundational leadership hire.

Key Responsibilities

Legal Leadership

• Serve as the principal legal advisor to the U.S. President and leadership team on commercial, operational, and corporate matters
• Draft, review, and negotiate a broad range of agreements, including commercial, supplier, distribution, consulting, services, and confidentiality agreements
• Provide pragmatic risk assessments to support business decision-making in a growth environment
• Manage external counsel and legal spend efficiently
• Monitor U.S. legal developments relevant to the business and advise leadership accordingly

Compliance & Governance Oversight

• Oversee and operationalize the U.S. compliance framework in alignment with global standards
• Ensure appropriate policies, training, and governance structures are in place as the organization scales
• Partner closely with Finance, HR, Medical, Quality, and global Legal & Compliance colleagues
• Support investigations, issue-spotting, and remediation as needed
• Act as a steward of ethical conduct and sound governance within the U.S. organization

Executive Partnership

• Serve as a key member of the U.S. leadership team
• Translate legal and compliance considerations into clear, actionable guidance for senior executives
• Bring a solution-oriented mindset appropriate for a lean, high-growth environment

The Ideal Candidate Required

• Juris Doctor (J.D.) from an accredited U.S. law school and active bar membership in at least one U.S. jurisdiction
• Minimum of 8–10 years of post-qualification legal experience gained through a combination of in-house and/or leading law firm practice
• Strong experience drafting, negotiating, and advising on a wide range of commercial and corporate agreements
• Demonstrated ability to serve as a trusted advisor to senior executives, including C-suite or business unit leadership
• Comfort operating independently in a lean, fast-growing organization with sound judgment and ownership mindset
• Experience in the pharmaceutical industry

Preferred

• Experience working in small to mid-cap pharmaceutical organizations with a marketed (commercial stage) product
• Experience working within or alongside multinational or European-headquartered organizations

Compensation

• Base salary range: $175,000 - $205,000.00
• Annual bonus opportunity
• No long-term incentive currently, with the expectation that compensation will evolve as the company scales
• Offers a comprehensive benefits package, paid time off, annual bonus(es), 401K, healthcare

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Korn Ferry shall provide equal employment opportunity to all qualified candidates, and will refer candidates without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, disability, veteran status or any other legally protected basis. Artificial Intelligence tools may be used in connection with the recruitment process for this position. Apply To This Job