Deputy Director, Legal (IP and Transactions)

The Foundation

We are the largest nonprofit fighting poverty, disease, and inequity around the world. Founded on a simple premise: people everywhere, regardless of identity or circumstances, should have the chance to live healthy, productive lives. We believe our employees should reflect the rich diversity of the global populations we aim to serve. We provide an exceptional benefits package to employees and their families which include comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage with no premiums, generous paid time off, paid family leave, foundation-paid retirement contribution, regional holidays, and opportunities to engage in several employee communities. As a workplace, we’re committed to creating an environment for you to thrive both personally and professionally.

The Team

"Guidance, Solutions, Integrity" describes the Legal division’s approach to providing responsive legal guidance supporting pursuit of the foundation’s mission and implementation of the foundation's programmatic and operational strategies. The Legal team delivers comprehensive legal services by providing efficient and reliable legal guidance, managing legal risk, and supporting the development of solutions to achieve the mission of the foundation and its affiliated entities.

The Legal team partners with our colleagues across the foundation and its affiliated entities to enable mission-driven work by maintaining an efficient, well-run global organization where employees can thrive and make their best contributions. Doing this well requires effective collaboration, strong alignment, and thoughtful planning across both operational and programmatic teams – as well as shared accountability for mitigating risk and optimizing the foundation’s operational resources.

Applications will be accepted until 5:00pm PST on July 2, 2025.

Your Role

The individual we are seeking will be responsible for providing strategic legal support for grants, contracts, complex collaborations and other investment vehicles. You will serve as a critical partner to program teams funding the development and introduction of innovations for global health including AI applications, with a particular emphasis on transactions that support research, product development, manufacturing, and global access. This is an exciting opportunity to apply your legal skills to some of the world’s most pressing challenges. You will be part of a dynamic legal team supporting high-impact work that improves lives across the globe.

What You’ll Do

• Manage relationships with foundation program strategy teams, understand their goals, provide guidance, coordinate legal resources, and offer strategic advice based on the foundation's risk tolerance, priorities, and objectives.

• Structure, draft, negotiate and provide guidance on contracts, grants, license agreements, investments, global partnerships, and other complex transactions.

• Advise on intellectual property strategy, due diligence, licensing, and global access to ensure innovations and products reach low-resource settings.

• Develop legal and intellectual property management strategies to help shape and evolve the foundation’s approach to achieving charitable impact and managing risk.

• Provide support in other legal matters or foundation legal policies and issues as needed and serve as an active member of the legal team.

• Collaborate with other members of the legal team and foundation personnel as appropriate.

• Manage outside counsel as needed.

• Keep current on new and emerging laws and policy developments impacting business transactions, intellectual property, technology, data, AI, global health, and private foundations.

• Support training and education on legal and compliance issues.

• Some travel may be required.

Your Experience

• Juris Doctor degree and current bar membership in good standing are required.

• A minimum of 10 years of relevant legal practice experience, with substantial experience in complex technology, licensing, and intellectual property transactions and collaborations, with demonstrated success in serving as the lead attorney as part of a multidisciplinary team in high-stakes, technology-driven deals.

• Substantial law firm, preferred.

• Experienced in supporting clients in the scientific or technology sector and advising on new or emerging legal issues like artificial intelligence in a complex, dynamic environment.

• Proficient in cultivating relationships, earning respect, gaining trust, and managing ambiguity.

• Highly skilled in advising on legal risk, influencing senior leaders, and collaborating across functions.

• Extensive understanding of life sciences (e.g., biotech, pharma or health-related nonprofit), medical research, technology product development, or global health and related business development and licensing activities.

• Knowledge of U.S. and international laws on biopharma product development, technology develop or data privacy.

• Outstanding drafting and negotiating abilities.

• Strong business sense and client focus.

• Ability to work with flexibility, efficiency, enthusiasm, and diplomacy both individually and collaboratively as part of a team effort and effortlessly transition between leading and supporting roles as required.

• Capability to adapt engagement to collaborate with personnel at all levels, ranging from senior executives to technical specialists.

• Quickly grasp and embrace new and rapidly evolving subject areas, demonstrating intellectual curiosity and an excitement to engage proactively and confidently with unfamiliar topics. 

• Strong interpersonal skills, maturity, sound judgment, and ability to communicate in a clear and compelling manner with internal and external audiences.

• Self-motivated and with a strong sense of ownership and urgency; able to independently drive work forward and deliver high-quality results in a fast-paced environment where individuals manage their own portfolios and priorities.

• Passion for the mission of the foundation.

• Highest standards of ethics and integrity.

• Sense of balance, humor, and perspective.

Must be able to legally work in the country where this position is located without visa sponsorship.

The salary range for this role is $261,700.00 - $405,700.00 USD. We recognize high-wage market differences in Seattle and Washington D.C., where our offices are located. The range for this role in these locations is $ 285,300.00 - 442,100.00USD. As a mission-driven organization, we strive to balance competitive pay with our mission. New hires salaries are typically between the range minimum and the salary range midpoint. Actual placement in the range will depend on a candidate’s job-related skills, experience, and expertise, as evaluated during the interview process.

Hiring Requirements

As part of our standard hiring process for new employees, employment will be contingent upon successful completion of a background check.

Candidate Accommodations

If you require assistance due to a disability in the application or recruitment process, please submit a request here.

Inclusion Statement

We are dedicated to the belief that all lives have equal value. We strive for a global and cultural workplace that supports ever greater diversity, equity, and inclusion — of voices, ideas, and approaches — and we support this diversity through all our employment practices.

All applicants and employees who are drawn to serve our mission will enjoy equality of opportunity and fair treatment without regard to race, color, age, religion, pregnancy, sex, sexual orientation, disability, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, genetic information, veteran status, marital status, and prior protected activity.