Director, Manufacturing Legal Counsel
$227,300–$270,000 year
On-site · Sanford, North Carolina, United States
Job Summary
Director, Manufacturing Legal Counsel will serve as the embedded attorney for Kyowa Kirin’s Sanford, NC manufacturing site, focusing on contracting and transactional support, regulatory and HR guidance, and site leadership collaboration. Responsible for managing Sanford-related agreements through the contract lifecycle, drafting and negotiating manufacturing, construction, equipment, and supply contracts, providing practical legal guidance on pharmaceutical manufacturing laws (including FDC Act), supporting HR on employment matters, and partnering with cross-functional teams to align on legal risk and compliance as the site scales from build-out to steady-state operations. The role requires operating as a trusted advisor to site leadership, coordinating with Legal, Compliance, Quality, and external counsel as needed, and navigating a fast-paced start-up/greenfield manufacturing environment. This position reports to a Senior Director/Senior Corporate Counsel with a dotted-line to the VP of Manufacturing.
Required Qualifications
- BA/BS required
- Juris Doctorate degree from Accredited Law School is required
- Admission in good standing to at least one U.S. state bar; eligibility for North Carolina in-house registration required
- 4–8 years of legal experience, preferably including contracting and legal support for manufacturing, construction, or operations in a regulated industry
- Law firm experience required; in-house experience a plus
- Experience drafting and negotiating contracts such as master services agreements, statements of work, confidentiality agreements, consulting agreements, master purchase agreements, supply agreements, quality/technical agreements, and other pharmaceutical-related and/or manufacturing-related agreements
- Experience using contracting management systems (e.g., intake, workflow, approvals, and execution) is a plus
- Must understand contract law and have effective communication and negotiation skills
- Experience in pharmaceutical manufacturing operations and related regulatory environment a plus
- Foundational understanding of employment law or HR functions a plus
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