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We are seeking a results- and action-oriented individual who is experienced, accomplished and strategically-minded to join our department as Chief of Staff and Legal Operations Lead.

The Chief of Staff and Legal Operations Lead is a dynamic partner and advisor who will initiate and execute department initiatives with energy and enthusiasm and enable and optimize the General Counsel’s and senior staff’s effectiveness with internal and external stakeholders. As Chief of Staff and Legal Operations Lead, the individual in this role will play a pivotal role in supporting the head of the legal department and senior legal staff by providing strategic advice, ensuring effective coordination and communication, and driving operational excellence. The Chief of Staff and Legal Operations is a functional ambassador and will interact with executive leadership regarding matters of significant importance to the function and the company and will be responsible for influencing outcomes.

This role requires exceptional leadership qualities, discretion, strong legal acumen (relevant legal education and/or a law degree is required) and proven experience in managing complex legal operations in a dynamic, fast-paced environment. The person in this role will participates with other senior leaders in establishing the strategy and direction of functional objectives and operational plans with significant impact on department or functional area results. Thus, the role requires a combination of enterprise mindset, resourcefulness, emotional intelligence, directness, agility and strong project management, communication and storytelling with data skills and a high degree of personal and professional integrity. The role requires the ability to handle confidential or sensitive information with the utmost discretion and an unquestionable ability to exercise sound judgement.

The individual in this role will be responsible for driving operational excellence, optimizing processes, and implementing innovative strategies within our legal department. With an exceptional legal background and strong leadership skills, the individual in this role will play a pivotal role in aligning legal operations with our organizational goals. Prior people-management experience is required. This role have several direct reports and be responsible for supervision, management and talent development of those employees.

This role can be located in Otsuka’s Rockville, MD (preferred), or Princeton, NJ offices. No matter where the role is located, up to 25% travel within the US is required based upon business needs.

At Otsuka our mission is to create new products for better health worldwide. Our purpose is to defy limitation so others can too.

Otsuka is committed to diversity and inclusion in the workplace. Individuals seeking employment at Otsuka are considered without regards to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identification, national origin, age, marital status, ancestry, physical or mental disability, veteran status, or genetic information, among other protected bases.

To that end, the Legal Affairs department at Otsuka is seeking qualification as a Mansfield Rule 3.0 Certified Law Department as part of the Diversity Lab’s Mansfield Rule initiative, which measures and seeks to increase diversity within law departments. Providing your data during the application process helps us with achieving that goal and with meeting reporting/record-keeping obligations under federal and state law and other legal requirements. Providing your data is entirely voluntary and will not be considered in the hiring process or thereafter. Any information that you do provide will be treated confidentially.

Specific Role Responsibilities:

• Communicating with Words and Data

– Support General Counsel and senior staff communications plan with internal and external stakeholders

– Communicate with executive leadership regarding matters of significant importance to the department and influence outcomes Identify data points and leverage data storytelling to inform decision-making and drive effective strategies

– Identify relevant data sources within the department and gather and analyze key metrics and performance indicators.

– Develop compelling narratives using data-driven insights to communicate legal trends, risk and opportunities

– Create visually appealing and concise reports, presentations, and dashboards that effectively communicate legal data and facilitate in department’s operations

• Strategic Planning and Advice:
• Participate with other senior leaders in establishing the strategy and direction of functional objectives and operational plans with significant impact on department or functional area results
• Develop and execute a comprehensive legal operations strategy, aligning it with the overall vision and objectives of the organization.
• Work collaboratively with the General Counsel and other stakeholders to define and prioritize legal department initiatives and projects.
• Identify emerging trends and industry best practices in legal operations, integrating them into the strategy to continuous improvement.
• Process Optimization and Efficiency:
• Directly responsible for making improvements to optimize processes, systems or programs to enhance performance of the department or functional area Assess existing legal department processes and workflows, identifying areas for improvement and implementing streamlined solutions.
• Design and implement efficient systems for legal operations, including project management tools, contract management systems, and matter management systems.
• Leverage technology and automation to optimize legal processes, improve accuracy, and enhance overall efficiency.
• Financial Management and Budgeting:
• Collaborate with finance and budgeting teams to develop and manage the legal department's budget effectively.
• Implement financial metrics and performance indicators to monitor legal department expenses and optimize allocation of resources.
• Identify opportunities for cost savings and budget optimization without compromising legal service quality.
• Vendor and External Resource Management:
• Oversee relationships with external legal service providers, ensuring effective vendor management, contract negotiation, and performance evaluation.
• Assess and select best-fit vendors, implementing cost-effective external legal resources while maintaining service quality.
• Explore alternative fee arrangements and outsourcing strategies to optimize efficiency and cost savings.
• Team Leadership and Development:
• Provide strong leadership and mentorship to the legal operations team, fostering a culture of excellence, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
• Set performance goals, conduct evaluations, and provide feedback to team members regularly.
• Identify training and development opportunities to enhance skills and capabilities within the legal operations team.
• Responsible for developing short- and long-term workforce plans for area of responsibility to ensure availability of talent to achieve business objectives
• Stakeholder Relationship Management:
• Build and maintain strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders, including outside counsel, vendors, and regulatory bodies.
• Act as a point of contact for inquiries, escalations, and requests from stakeholders.

Ensure effective communication and alignment between the legal department and other departments.

Senior Director Responsibilities

• Legal: Manage the provision of a significant legal service specialty.
• Solutions Analysis: Identify and evaluate complex, expertise-led solutions against a range of criteria to find the ones that best meet business needs.
• Internal Client Relationship Management: Manage relationships with internal clients and act as a business partner to them, building high levels of professional credibility and mutual trust, and managing the deployment of appropriate internal and/or external resources to support in delivering business strategy and plans.
• Performance Management: Develop and propose own performance objectives. Manage and report on team performance; set appropriate performance objectives for direct reports or project / account team members and hold them accountable for achieving these, taking appropriate corrective action where necessary to ensure the achievement of team / personal objectives.
• Recommendations: Recommend changes to policies, processes, standards and practices that would improve operational support.
• Information and Business Advice: Provide specialist advice on the interpretation and application of policies and procedures, resolving queries and issues and referring very complex or contentious issues to others.

Competencies

Accountability for Results - Stay focused on key strategic objectives, be accountable for high standards of performance, and take an active role in leading change.

Strategic Thinking & Problem Solving - Make decisions considering the long-term impact to customers, patients, employees, and the business.

Patient & Customer Centricity - Maintain an ongoing focus on the needs of our customers and/or key stakeholders.

Impactful Communication - Communicate with logic, clarity, and respect. Influence at all levels to achieve the best results for Otsuka.

Respectful Collaboration - Seek and value others’ perspectives and strive for diverse partnerships to enhance work toward common goals.

Empowered Development - Play an active role in professional development as a business imperative.

Come discover more about Otsuka and our benefit offerings; https://www.otsuka-us.com/careers-join-otsuka.

Disclaimer:

This job description is intended to describe the general nature and level of the work being performed by the people assigned to this position. It is not intended to include every job duty and responsibility specific to the position. Otsuka reserves the right to amend and change responsibilities to meet business and organizational needs as necessary.

Otsuka is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply and will be given consideration for employment without regard to race, color, sex, gender identity or gender expression, sexual orientation, age, disability, religion, national origin, veteran status, marital status, or any other legally protected characteristic.

If you are a qualified individual with a disability or a disabled veteran, you may request a reasonable accommodation, if you are unable or limited in your ability to apply to this job opening as a result of your disability. You can request reasonable accommodations by contacting Accommodation Request.

Statement Regarding Job Recruiting Fraud Scams

At Otsuka we take security and protection of your personal information very seriously. Please be aware individuals may approach you and falsely present themselves as our employees or representatives. They may use this false pretense to try to gain access to your personal information or acquire money from you by offering fictitious employment opportunities purportedly on our behalf.

Please understand, Otsuka will never ask for financial information of any kind or for payment of money during the job application process. We do not require any financial, credit card or bank account information and/or any payment of any kind to be considered for employment. We will also not offer you money to buy equipment, software, or for any other purpose during the job application process. If you are being asked to pay or offered money for equipment fees or some other application processing fee, even if claimed you will be reimbursed, this is not Otsuka. These claims are fraudulent and you are strongly advised to exercise caution when you receive such an offer of employment.

Otsuka will also never ask you to download a third-party application in order to communicate about a legitimate job opportunity. Scammers may also send offers or claims from a fake email address or from Yahoo, Gmail, Hotmail, etc, and not from an official Otsuka email address. Please take extra caution while examining such an email address, as the scammers may misspell an official Otsuka email address and use a slightly modified version duplicating letters.

To ensure that you are communicating about a legitimate job opportunity at Otsuka, please only deal directly with Otsuka through its official Otsuka Career website https://vhr-otsuka.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/External.

Otsuka will not be held liable or responsible for any claims, losses, damages or expenses resulting from job recruiting scams. If you suspect a position is fraudulent, please contact Otsuka’s call center at: 800-363-5670. If you believe you are the victim of fraud resulting from a job recruiting scam, please contact the FBI through the Internet Crime Complaint Center at: https://www.ic3.gov, or your local authorities.

Otsuka America Pharmaceutical Inc., Otsuka Pharmaceutical Development & Commercialization, Inc., and ODH, Inc. (“Otsuka”) does not accept unsolicited assistance from search firms for employment opportunities. All CVs/resumes submitted by search firms to any Otsuka employee directly or through Otsuka’s application portal without a valid written search agreement in place for the position will be considered Otsuka’s sole property. No fee will be paid if a candidate is hired by Otsuka as a result of an agency referral where no pre-existing agreement is in place. Where agency agreements are in place, introductions are position specific. Please, no phone calls or emails.