Associate General Counsel

Position Title: 

Associate General Counsel

Join our team of heroes!

Are you seeking daily adventure while advancing your career? Look no further.

The Associate General Counsel (“AGC”) serves as a key member of the OGC and provides strategicandoperationallegalsupportacrosstheorganization.Thisrolereportsdirectlyto the General Counsel and has broad responsibility for legal, regulatory, risk management, and compliance matters.

The AGC partners closely with executive leadership, operations, People & Culture, Medical Services, Quality, IT, and Business Development teams to ensure legal compliance while supportingtheorganization’smissiontosafelycollect,process,anddistributebloodandrelated products.

Theidealcandidatehasatleastfour(4)yearsofrelevantlegalexperienceinhealthcare,life sciences, biotechnology, medical device, pharmaceutical, or other regulated industries.

ExperiencewithM&Aand/orIPtransactionsis preferred.

Tips to thrive in our culture:

• Embody our Core Values of Commitment, Integrity, and Respect

• Work to actively create experiences that inspire others to save lives, each and every day.

• Embrace doing it right, making connections, and creating desired experiences.

• Comply with all organizational policies and standards, including safety rules, and be willing to report actual and potential violations to the appropriate supervisor or manager.

In this role, you will:

Regulatory & Healthcare Compliance (30%)

· Provide legal guidance regarding federal and state healthcare laws and regulations, includingFDAregulationsapplicabletobiologicsandbloodestablishments;HIPAAprivacy and security requirements; and CLIA and laboratory regulatory frameworks.

· Adviseonqualitysystems,inspections,andregulatory audits.

· PartnerwithQualityandexecutiveleadershiptoassessandmitigate regulatory risk.

· Supportinternalinvestigationsandcorrectiveaction initiatives.

Corporate & Governance (10%)

· AssisttheGeneralCounselwithboardandcommitteematters,includinggovernance documentation.

· Draftandreviewcorporatepoliciesand procedures.

· Supportmergers,affiliations,jointventures,andstrategic partnerships.

Contracts & Transactions (20%)

· Draft, review, and negotiate contracts, including hospital agreements, vendor and supplier contracts,clinicaltrialandresearchagreements,andITanddatamanagementagreements.

· Adviseoncontractriskallocation,indemnification,insurance,andlimitationofliability provisions.

Risk Management (10%)

· Identifyenterpriselegalrisksandhelpdevelopmitigation strategies.

· Overseeclaimsmanagementandcoordinatewithoutsidecounselonlitigation matters.

· Adviseoninsurancecoverageandrisktransfer strategies.

· Assistinbusinesscontinuityandcrisisresponse planning.

Intellectual Property (Preferred) (10%)

· Supportpatentstrategyrelatedtolaboratoryinnovations,devices,biologicsprocesses,or proprietary technologies.

· CoordinatewithoutsideIPcounselonpatentprosecutionandportfolio management.

· Adviseontradesecretprotection,licensingagreements,technologytransfer,andfreedom-to-operate analyses.

· Supportresearchanddevelopmentinitiativesfromalegal perspective.

Employment & Workforce Matters (10%)

· AdvisePeople&Cultureonemploymentlawcompliance,investigations,anddisciplinary matters.

· Assistwithworkforceriskmanagementinaregulatedhealthcare-related environment.

Data, Technology & AI (10%)

· Adviseondatagovernance,cybersecurity,andhealthdata use.

· SupportcompliancewithevolvingAIanddigitalhealthregulatory considerations.

· ReviewsoftwarelicensingandSaaS agreements.

We need someone who has:

Required

· JurisDoctor(J.D.)fromanaccreditedlaw school.

· ActiveTexaslawlicenseingood standing.

· Minimum four (4) years of relevant legal experience.

· Strongcontractdraftingandnegotiation skills.

· Experienceworkingdirectlywithbusinessleadersandcross-functional teams.

Preferred

· Experiencein healthcare, bloodbanking,biologics,laboratorymedicine,regulatedbiologic manufacturing, life sciences, biotechnology, pharmaceutical, medical device, or other regulated healthcare-related environments.

· RobustM&Aand/orintellectualpropertyexperience,particularly patents.

· In-houselegal experience.

· Experiencesupportingnonprofitormission-driven organizations.

· Experiencemanagingoutside counsel.

Competencies

· Strategicthinkerwithstrongbusiness acumen.

· Abilitytotranslatecomplexregulatoryrequirementsintopractical guidance.

· Strongriskassessmentandjudgment skills.

· Excellentwrittenandverbal communication.

· Highintegrityand discretion.

· Abilitytomanagemultipleprojectsandprioritiesinadynamic environment.

· Collaborativeleadership style.

Physical Demands:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Work Environment:

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Onsite role at GCB headquarters. Occasional travel to other business locations

Who We Are:

Since 1975, Gulf Coast Blood has been one of the nation’s largest community blood centers, serving 170 hospitals across 26 counties. Headquartered in Houston, we support the world’s largest medical complex—the Texas Medical Center—while operating 18 donor centers and hosting more than 7,000 mobile blood drives each year. As an FDA-accredited nonprofit, we provide high-quality human cellular material for both scientific and therapeutic use.

Some Jobs Change Lives. Others Save Them. 

Think you have what it takes to save lives with us? We want to hear from you.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER STATEMENT

Gulf Coast Blood is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer. Qualified applicants for positions are considered without regard to race/ethnicity, color, religion, national origin, age, pregnancy, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, transgender status, military status, protected veteran status, disability status, genetic testing results, or any other basis or characteristic prohibited by applicable law, statute, regulation or Executive Order.