Does it excite you to negotiate large international deals? And do you have experience with complex contract negotiations and M&A within life sciences? If this sounds like you, and you are ready to take on a broad area of responsibilities, then you could be our new colleague.
Your new position
We are currently looking for a Senior Legal Counsel to join our Legal Partnerships and Licensing legal team and continue our efforts to enable the business to bring life-changing treatments to patients worldwide.
You will play a critical role in the Partnerships and Licensing team, guiding research and development initiatives, and driving business development efforts to ensure the company's growth and compliance with industry and market regulations. In this role you will report to our Senior Director of Partnerships & Licensing.
You will be at the forefront of shaping our legal approach to cutting-edge science. As a trusted advisor across the organization, you will work closely with Medical, R&D and Business Development teams to navigate complex legal landscapes, enable innovation, and support strategic growth. Your contributions will be key to advancing our mission of bringing transformative treatments to patients and we can offer exciting responsibilities:
- Provide expert legal guidance across the organization with a focus on business development, medical, AI and R&D.
- Draft, review, and negotiate complex agreements, including those related to partnerships, alliances, licensing, collaborations, AI and M&A.
- Facilitate and manage strategic partnerships with external collaborators to advance innovation.
- Identify and assess new business opportunities, including strategic partnerships, mergers, and acquisitions, contributing to the company’s growth agenda.
- Participate in and support legal projects involving template updates, ESG initiatives, guidance notes and compliance initiatives.
Your profile
To thrive in this role, you will bring a blend of legal expertise and strategic insight. You are energized by shaping complex negotiations and collaborating across functions to enable innovation in a dynamic biotech environment. Furthermore, you are likely to bring many of the following:
- Law or commercial law degree; admission to practice law in a relevant jurisdiction is preferred.
- Minimum of 5 years of experience in a legal role in private practice or in-house within the biotech or pharmaceutical industry.
- Solid understanding of and experience with biotech industry regulations, research and clinical development challenges, and complex contract negotiations including IP, licensing and M&A.
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
- Ability to work collaboratively in a changing and dynamic environment with a solid sense of ownership and proactiveness
- Professional proficiency in English language and an ability to work with English language contracts.
Let’s bond and be bold
We have a unique culture, characterized by excellent teamwork and strong engagement across the organization. And we want you to help us strengthen this culture.
Making bonds is at the core of everything we do. From discovering and developing the best new peptide drugs for patients, to engaging with our partners or connecting with each other. We bond through curiosity and playfulness as a team, allowing ourselves to challenge common thinking and drive future innovation. Join us and let’s bond and be bold.
Interested in bonding with us? Then please apply via the link no later than 21 January 2026, or as soon as possible. The applications will be reviewed as they come in. While a cover letter is not required, please include a few sentences in your CV explaining your motivation for applying.
For further information, please contact Senior Director, Christina Rønne Jensen, email: crjensen@zealandpharma.com, phone: +45 50603760.
We are committed to an inclusive recruitment process and welcome applications from all job applicants.
About Zealand Pharma A/S
Zealand Pharma A/S (Nasdaq: ZEAL) is a biotechnology company focused on the discovery and development of peptide-based medicines. More than 10 drug candidates invented by Zealand Pharma have advanced into clinical development, of which two have reached the market and three candidates are in late-stage development. The company has development partnerships with a number of pharma companies as well as commercial partnerships for its marketed products. Zealand Pharma was founded in 1998 and is headquartered in Copenhagen, Denmark, with a team in the U.S. For more information about Zealand Pharma’s business and activities, please visit www.zealandpharma.com.
