Managing Counsel

Managing Counsel

Syneos Health® is a leading fully-integrated life sciences services organization built to accelerate customer success. We partner with innovators at every point across the drug development and commercialization continuum, helping them navigate complexity, anticipate change and accelerate progress.

Every day we perform better because of how we work together, as one team, each the best at what we do. We bring together talented experts across a broad spectrum of business critical corporate functions. Every role plays an essential part in enabling our customers to achieve their goals. Our teams are agile, collaborative, and committed to delivering—for each other, for our customers, and ultimately for the people who rely on the services we support.
Discover what your 25,000 future colleagues already know:

Why Syneos Health
• We are passionate about developing our people, through career development and progression; supportive and engaged line management; technical and therapeutic area training; peer recognition and total rewards program.
• We are committed to building an inclusive culture – where you can authentically be yourself. Central to this is our purpose – Driven to Deliver – which captures the passion of our colleagues to show up each day and shape solutions that have the ability to dramatically impact someone’s life.
• We are continuously building the company we all want to work for and our customers want to work with. Why? Because we know that when we bring together smart colleagues from across the world, we can shape the future of healthcare, driving impact for customers and defining the pace of patient progress.

Job Responsibilities

Core Responsibilities

• Serve as a trusted legal advisor to assigned business leaders, functions or teams, providing timely, practical and risk-aware counsel.
• Lead day-to-day legal support within the assigned scope, including issue spotting, legal analysis, risk assessment, problem solving and escalation of significant matters when appropriate.
• Partner effectively with internal stakeholders across Legal, Human Resources, Compliance, Finance, Procurement, Privacy, Risk, Operations and business teams to support sound decision-making and execution.
• Draft, review, interpret, negotiate or otherwise advise on agreements, policies, communications, processes and other materials relevant to the assigned area of responsibility.
• Translate complex legal issues into clear, actionable guidance for business and functional stakeholders, with advice tailored to the practical realities of the organization.
• Support strategic initiatives, operational changes, projects, transactions or other business priorities within the assigned remit, exercising sound judgment in balancing legal risk and business objectives.
• Develop and improve templates, playbooks, policies, training materials and working practices to promote consistency, efficiency and scalable risk management.
• Demonstrate fluency in AI tools relevant to legal work and direct AI transformation to promote responsible adoption across the Legal team to improve quality, efficiency and ways of working.
• Manage outside counsel or other advisors, where applicable, and help ensure effective use of legal resources and budget.
• Build strong relationships, influence effectively, share knowledge across the Legal function and, where appropriate, mentor junior colleagues or lead cross-functional workstreams.
• Where applicable, manage, coach and develop direct reports, including setting clear expectations providing timely feedback, supporting professional growth and fostering a high-performing accountable team culture.
• Uphold the highest standards of integrity, ethics, and professionalism and support a culture of accountability and compliant business conduct.

Qualifications

• Juris Doctor, LL.B. or equivalent law degree, with admission to practice and good standing in at least one relevant jurisdiction.
• Significant post-qualification legal experience gained in-house and/or in private practice.
• Demonstrated expertise in at least one relevant legal discipline, together with the ability to operate as a practical business partner in a matrixed environment.
• Strong judgment and the ability to assess legal risk in a balanced, commercially sensible way.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to tailor advice to different audiences and levels of seniority.
• Ability to build credibility quickly, influence without formal authority, and work effectively across diverse teams and geographies.
• Strong organizational skills and the ability to manage multiple priorities with a high degree of independence.
• Experience in life sciences, biopharmaceuticals, healthcare, clinical research, professional services or another highly regulated and/or global environment preferred.
• Demonstrated discretion, resilience, and sound decision-making in sensitive, complex or ambiguous matters, together with a commitment to collaboration, continuous improvement, and high-quality work.
• Experience leveraging available AI tools to streamline contract review and assist the business enhancing efficiency and accuracy.
• Implemented AI-driven solutions to automate routine processes, resulting in improved workflow and reduced turnaround times.
• Utilized AI-powered analytics to identify potential risks and optimize contracting and compliance strategies, supporting proactive decision-making.
• Acts with integrity, accountability and sound professional judgment.
• Brings a calm, solutions-oriented approach to complex or sensitive matters.
• Partners effectively across functions, builds trust and follows through with strong execution.
• Contributes positively to team culture through collaboration, inclusivity and knowledge sharing.

Disclaimer

Tasks, duties, and responsibilities as listed in this job description are not exhaustive. The Company, at its sole discretion and with no prior notice, may assign other tasks, duties, and job responsibilities. Equivalent experience, skills, and/or education will also be considered so qualifications of incumbents may differ from those listed in the Job Description. The Company, at its sole discretion, will determine what constitutes as equivalent to the qualifications described above. Further, nothing contained herein should be construed to create an employment contract. Occasionally, required skills/experiences for jobs are expressed in brief terms. Any language contained herein is intended to fully comply with all obligations imposed by the legislation of each country in which it operates, including the implementation of the EU Equality Directive, in relation to the recruitment and employment of its employees. The Company is committed to compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, including the provision of reasonable accommodations, when appropriate, to assist employees or applicants to perform the essential functions of the job.

US ONLY
Years of experience required
15+ years of relevant professional experience.

Physical Requirements:

Position requires: ability to occasionally move about inside the office to access
filing cabinets, office equipment, etc. and to move between office locations; ability to maintain a stationary position for prolonged periods of time; ability to occasionally manipulate (e.g., lift, carry, move) office items and packages of light to medium weights of 10-35 pounds; ability to constantly operate a computer
and other office productivity equipment (e.g., scanner, phone, printer, copier); ability to perceive and assess written materials for prolonged periods of time; and ability to frequently communicate with colleagues on the phone, by email, and in-person.

Work Environment: This job operates in a professional office environment. This role routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers, phones, photocopiers, and filing cabinets. The noise level in the work environment is low. This is a largely sedentary role.

At  Syneos Health, we believe in providing an environment and culture in which Our People can thrive, develop and advance. We reward and recognize our people by providing valuable benefits and a quality-of-life balance. The benefits for this position may include a company car or car allowance, Health benefits to include Medical, Dental and Vision, Company match 401k, eligibility to participate in Employee Stock Purchase Plan, Eligibility to earn commissions/bonus based on company and individual performance, and flexible paid time off (PTO) and sick time. Because certain states and municipalities have regulated paid sick time requirements, eligibility for paid sick time may vary depending on where you work. Syneos complies with all applicable federal, state, and municipal paid sick time requirements.

Salary Range:

The base salary range represents the anticipated low and high of the Syneos Health range for this position. Actual salary will vary based on various factors such as the candidate’s qualifications, skills, competencies, and proficiency for the role.

Get to know Syneos Health

Over the past 5 years, we have worked with 94% of all Novel FDA Approved Drugs, 95% of EMA Authorized Products and over 200 Studies across 73,000 Sites and 675,000+ Trial patients.

No matter what your role is, you’ll take the initiative and challenge the status quo with us in a highly competitive and ever-changing environment. Learn more about Syneos Health.

Additional Information

Tasks, duties, and responsibilities as listed in this job description are not exhaustive. The Company, at its sole discretion and with no prior notice, may assign other tasks, duties, and job responsibilities. Equivalent experience, skills, and/or education will also be considered so qualifications of incumbents may differ from those listed in the Job Description. The Company, at its sole discretion, will determine what constitutes as equivalent to the qualifications described above. Further, nothing contained herein should be construed to create an employment contract. Occasionally, required skills/experiences for jobs are expressed in brief terms. Any language contained herein is intended to fully comply with all obligations imposed by the legislation of each country in which it operates, including the implementation of the EU Equality Directive, in relation to the recruitment and employment of its employees. The Company is committed to compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, including the provision of reasonable accommodations, when appropriate, to assist employees or applicants to perform the essential functions of the job.

Summary

The Managing Counsel is a senior member of the Legal team and serves as a trusted advisor to assigned business leaders, functions, geographies and/or practice areas. The role provides practical, strategic, and business-focused legal advice, helping the organization make sound decisions, manage risk appropriately, and execute effectively. The precise scope of a Managing Counsel role will be determined by business need and may vary by legal specialty, geography, client group or functional assignment. This profile is intended to provide a flexible, senior-level framework that emphasizes leadership, judgment and practical legal partnership across a range of Managing Counsel roles.