Vice President, Legal Operations

The Opportunity

The Vice President, Legal Operations is a strategic leader responsible for overseeing the company's legal operations, contracting function, strategic transactions, and legal support for corporate growth initiatives. Reporting to the Chief Legal Officer, this role serves as a trusted advisor to executive leadership, partnering closely with finance, business development, and functional leaders to enable business objectives while effectively managing legal and operational risk.

In a dynamic biotechnology environment, the Vice President, Legal Operations will provide practical, business-focused legal guidance across a broad range of operational processes and systems, with an initial focus on strengthening and scaling the Company’s contracting operations.  The Vice President, Legal Operations will also support strategic transactions and initiatives, including potential partnering agreements, licensing transactions, and targeted acquisitions, as well as other organizational transformation efforts. The ideal candidate combines strong legal expertise with operational excellence, exceptional business acumen, and experience supporting change management and organizational growth.

Responsibilities

• Lead and oversee the company's contracting function, including developing scalable contracting processes, templates, policies, and governance frameworks to improve efficiency and manage risk.
• Serve as the lead legal advisor for strategic transactions, including strategically structuring and negotiating transactions, leading due diligence to assess risk and mitigation strategies, and supporting post-transaction integration efforts.
• Develop a vision for a best-in-class, future-fit legal and compliance function that appropriately leverages technology, including artificial intelligence.
• Establish legal operations best practices across the Legal and Compliance department, including matter management, budgeting, use of systems and technology, and outside counsel oversight.
• Partner with executive leadership to support organizational growth, transformation initiatives, and strategic business changes, including driving stakeholder alignment and change adoption across multiple functions.
• Build and maintain strong relationships across the organization as a trusted advisor and collaborative business partner, as well as interact with the Board of Directors to provide periodic updates on strategic matters.
• Help build and mentor a high-performing team and foster a culture of collaboration, accountability, and continuous improvement.
• Actively engage as a member of the Legal and Compliance leadership team to steer the department and ensure efficient, risk-based, fit-for-purpose, business-oriented support of all functions of the organization.

Required Qualifications

• Juris Doctor (JD) from an accredited law school and active bar membership in good standing.
• Minimum 12 years of relevant healthcare compliance experience in the biotechnology, pharmaceutical, medical device, and/or life sciences industry, with demonstrated legal operations experience as well as demonstrated experience designing, implementing, and/or enhancing organizational contracting processes.
• Experience operating in a dynamic, small but fast-growing biotechnology environment; proven track record in effecting organizational change.
• Experience in structuring, drafting and negotiating licensing, M&A and other complex strategic transactions.
• Excellent leadership and interpersonal skills, a problem-solving mindset, and ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously and drive execution.
• Ability to work effectively across functions and at all levels in the organization and with external parties.
• Strong oral and written communication and presentation skills.
• Direct leadership and team management experience with proven ability to organize, manage, develop, and lead legal teams in a dynamic environment.

Preferred Requirements

• Experience in the preparation and review of SEC filings and compliance with SEC requirements; experience supporting capital markets transactions, including equity offerings; knowledge of Internal Audit with SOX compliance matters.

Work Location and Conditions

• At Amylyx, we proudly support remote work opportunities within the United States. However, due to business considerations related to health insurance coverage and state tax regulations, we are unable to hire employees who reside and/or work in certain states. Currently, we are not considering applicants from Alaska, Arizona, Hawaii, Michigan and Tennessee.
• You will be expected to travel to our corporate location in Cambridge, MA several times a year and attend other company-related events as necessary and requested.
• You must have access to work in setting which enables meeting all requirements of the role (including privacy, reliable internet access, phone, ability to video conference, etc.) at your remote location.