Legal Director BeNeLux Pharma Europe

Are you energized by a high-profile legal role that allows you to shape policies and procedures to positively impact the business? If so, this Legal Director BeNeLux Pharma Europerole could be an exciting opportunity to explore.

The business in BeNeLux works in a highly regulated environment. The rules and regulations of the countries need to be combined with internal GSK policy requirements, in order to provide adequate legal advice. This requires a firm understanding of the legal rules, but also an analytical mind to translate this all in understandable advice for the business.

As this role covers two main countries and multiple work streams, a solid knowledge and experience are required to be able to promptly spot potential legal issues and obtain appropriate external advice, in specific areas where the Legal Director will not have direct knowledge of the more specific rules.

Accountability and Role

The Legal Director for the Pharma Europe BeNeLux commercial business will be reporting into the Legal Director Europe Mid-Sized Markets Benelux and Nordic Cluster.

Business impact: the Legal Director is accountable for counseling the business on legal issues, and supporting the business in managing legal risk. He/she will have full accountability for legal support to the BeNeLux Pharma and ViiV commercial businesses, regarding to all possible departments and work streams.

The Legal Director further manages a paralegal in Belgium.

Responsibilities

• Counsel the business (all local operating companies and above-country teams) on legal, policy, compliance and transactional issues, integrating legal knowledge with a sound business understanding

• Draft, develop, prepare and execute contracts and other legal documents of legal/strategic/financial/regulatory importance.

• Review business, scientific, commercial, and sales/marketing documents/communications and advise on appropriate strategy/language to manage legal risk while maximizing business benefit.

• Anticipate and proactively support the management of legal risks facing the pharmaceutical business in BeNeLux.

• Recommend policies and practices on issues presenting potential legal risk arising from pharmaceutical healthcare activities, and support their development and implementation.

• Review and interpret pending or new legislation or regulatory rules impacting the pharmaceutical business and advise the business management on appropriate compliance measures.

• Liaise with other groups within the GSK Legal organisation (such as other lawyers in the Pharma Europe Legal Operations team and lawyers in other parts of GSK Legal Function and other departments (e.g. Compliance, Corporate Risk and Insurance Management, Tax, Finance, Procurement etc.) in coordinating advice that integrates the full range of considerations.

• Educate client groups within the pharmaceutical healthcare business on legal issues and new developments impacting the businesses.

• Manage the support of external legal counsel in BeNeLux on legal matters that require specific legal advice.

• Proactively manage external legal spend.

• Spent adequate time in Belgium and the Netherlands in order to support the business. This means some travel is required as well as spending a few days a month away from home.

The Legal Director is expected to operate independently, with minimum supervision, although with firm support from the above-country Legal team where necessary.

Problem Solving & Innovation

Given the number of countries and work streams supported, each with a different legal difficulty level, this role requires excellent analytical skills to identify the issues, sound judgment and the ability to understand the particular legal and regulatory environment.

The person in this role must assess business and legal risks in a range of business operations, and evaluate solutions taking account of the Company’s approach to risk as well as local legal and regulatory requirements and business needs. This role needs to take account of the impact of decisions beyond the particular issue in question.

With a changing external environment, this role must be able to apply legal and regulatory principles to new circumstances in a pragmatic way while ensuring compliance with legal requirements.

This role must be able to work autonomously, with support from above-country lawyers in the Pharma Europe team

Nature of Interaction

This role requires very good interpersonal skills.

The Legal Director needs to be able to work closely together with all functions within GSK in the different countries, including the General Manager, HR, Finance, Compliance, as well as Corporate Support Functions. This involves working with different types of people and across all levels of the GSK organizations. The lawyer needs to be very flexible and capable of changing priorities if the business requires this.

This role may be involved in the negotiation of significant contracts with third parties – both major government customers and suppliers in a number of countries.

Required Level of Education/Experience

University law degree (Bar Exam)

Law degree is required under local legislation in order to be able to hold a position as in-house lawyer

Legal expertise should at least cover: contract law, tort, competition law and tender/procurement law, pharmaceutical law

At least 8-10 years of legal experience either gained in one of the legal firms or inhouse.

Fluency in French, Dutch and English required

• Li-GSK

Our values and expectationsare at the heart of everything we do and form an important part of our culture.

These include Patient focus, Transparency, Respect, Integrity along with Courage, Accountability, Development, and Teamwork.As GSK focuses on our values and expectations and a culture of innovation, performance, and trust, the successful candidate will demonstrate the following capabilities:

• Agile and distributed decision-making – using evidence and applying judgement to balance pace, rigour and risk
• Managing individual and team performance.
• Committed to delivering high quality results, overcoming challenges, focusing on what matters, execution.
• Implementing change initiatives and leading change.
• Sustaining energy and well-being, building resilience in teams.
• Continuously looking for opportunities to learn, build skills and share learning both internally and externally.
• Developing people and building a talent pipeline.
• Translating strategy into action - a compelling narrative, motivating others, setting objectives and delegation.
• Building strong relationships and collaboration, managing trusted stakeholder relationships internally and externally.
• Budgeting and forecasting, commercial and financial acumen.

If you have a disability and require assistance during the course of the selection process, you will have the opportunity to let us know what specific assistance you require in order to make suitable arrangements.

Our goal is to be one of the world’s most innovative, best performing and trusted healthcare companies. We believe that we all bring something unique to GSK and when we combine our knowledge, experiences and styles together, the impact is incredible. Come join our adventure at GSK where you will be inspired to do your best work for our patients and consumers. A place where you can be you, feel good and keep growing.

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