Legal Counsel

Purpose Statement

• Provides day-to-day, hands-on legal and compliance support to the business under the direction of the Legal & Compliance Enabler, helping ensure that business activities are conducted in accordance with applicable laws, regulations, Roche Group requirements, and internal policies.
• Acts as an accessible first point of contact for routine legal and compliance matters, translating legal requirements into practical guidance and supporting timely business execution.
• Executes core legal and compliance processes, including contract review, legal documentation, corporate housekeeping, compliance reviews, training support, monitoring, reporting, and maintenance of records and trackers.
• Identifies legal and compliance risks in assigned matters, escalates significant or sensitive issues to the Legal & Compliance Enabler, and supports implementation of agreed risk-mitigation actions.
• Works closely with business teams and relevant regional/global stakeholders to ensure consistent, efficient, and practical delivery of Legal & Compliance support.

Key Responsibilities

Legal Affairs

• Provides operational legal support on commercial, corporate, employment, data privacy, healthcare, regulatory, promotion and advertising, and other matters relevant to the life sciences business.
• Drafts, reviews, comments on, and negotiates contracts, including confidentiality agreements, service agreements, consultancy agreements, HCP/HCO-related agreements, sponsorship and event-related agreements, procurement arrangements, and other routine commercial contracts.
• Maintains the contract workflow and contract repository; follows up on approvals, signatures, renewals, expirations, key obligations, and required supporting documentation.
• Prepares and reviews routine legal documents, including powers of attorney, corporate resolutions, internal policies and procedures, official letters, notices, and correspondence with third parties or state authorities.
• Conducts legal research and prepares concise legal assessments, summaries, and practical recommendations for review by the Legal & Compliance Enabler.
• Supports corporate housekeeping, including maintenance of statutory and corporate records, tracking of representation rights and powers of attorney, preparation of board/shareholder documentation, and completion of required legal reporting.
• Supports disputes, claims, inspections, and litigation by collecting documents and facts, preparing draft submissions and correspondence, maintaining case files, and coordinating operational matters with external counsel.
• Coordinates day-to-day interaction with external legal counsel, including requests for advice, document collection, status tracking, and invoice administration, subject to oversight by the Legal & Compliance Enabler.
• Supports applications, renewals, and maintenance of licenses, permits, registrations, and other corporate or regulatory approvals within the Legal & Compliance remit.
• Maintains legal trackers, templates, precedents, guidance materials, and records to support consistent and efficient legal service delivery.

Compliance Affairs

• Supports the day-to-day operation of the compliance management system and execution of local compliance processes in line with local laws and Roche Group policies, directives, and guidelines.
• Reviews routine business activities and documentation from a compliance perspective, including HCP/HCO engagements, events, sponsorships, donations, educational funding, third-party engagements, and other healthcare compliance matters within delegated authority.
• Provides practical compliance guidance to employees on established policies, procedures, approval requirements, and documentation standards; escalates novel, high-risk, or sensitive matters.
• Supports compliance risk assessments, monitoring activities, control testing, audits, and follow-up of remediation actions; maintains supporting evidence and action trackers.
• Supports transparency and other compliance reporting by collecting, validating, reconciling, and maintaining required data and documentation.
• Prepares and coordinates compliance communications and training materials; supports training delivery, attendance tracking, follow-up, and maintenance of training records.
• Supports third-party compliance due diligence and related documentation, including follow-up on identified issues and completion of required approvals.
• Assists with review and handling of potential compliance concerns, including fact gathering, document preservation, case administration, and implementation tracking, while maintaining appropriate confidentiality.
• Monitors changes in relevant legislation, regulations, industry codes, and internal requirements and communicates operational implications to the Legal & Compliance Enabler and relevant stakeholders.
• Maintains accurate compliance records, trackers, approval documentation, and evidence in relevant systems and repositories.

Business Partnership & Operational Excellence

• Builds effective working relationships with business functions and provides responsive, solution-oriented support within agreed priorities and service expectations.
• Participates in cross-functional projects and business initiatives, completing assigned legal and compliance workstreams and ensuring required reviews and controls are embedded in implementation.
• Supports development and continuous improvement of templates, standard operating procedures, guidance, checklists, approval workflows, and self-service materials.
• Uses legal and compliance systems and data to track workload, deadlines, risks, recurring issues, and process performance; flags trends and improvement opportunities.
• Shares knowledge and lessons learned with colleagues and contributes to consistent Legal & Compliance practices across the affiliate and relevant regional network.
• Performs other legal and compliance duties assigned by the Legal & Compliance Enabler in line with business priorities.

Decision-Making & Escalation

• Handles routine legal and compliance matters independently within approved policies, templates, guidance, and delegated authority.
• Escalates matters involving significant legal exposure, material compliance risk, government investigations, litigation strategy, novel interpretations, reputational risk, exceptions to established requirements, or significant business impact to the Legal & Compliance Enabler.
• Does not independently set Legal & Compliance strategy or approve material deviations from company policies unless specifically delegated.

Requirements

• Education: Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) required; Master of Laws (LL.M.) is a plus.
• Experience: Typically 3–5 years of relevant legal experience in a law firm and/or as an in-house lawyer within an international company. Experience in life sciences, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, or another regulated industry is preferred.
• Practical experience in contract drafting and review, corporate matters, legal research, and day-to-day legal advisory work.
• Exposure to healthcare compliance, data privacy, regulatory matters, compliance monitoring, or related compliance processes is preferred.
• Strong attention to detail and disciplined document, deadline, and records management.
• Ability to identify legal and compliance risks, distinguish routine from material issues, and escalate appropriately.
• Hands-on, pragmatic problem-solving approach with sound judgment and the ability to provide clear, concise, business-oriented advice.
• Strong written and verbal communication, stakeholder management, and negotiation skills.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities, work independently on assigned matters, and deliver reliably in a fast-paced, matrixed environment.
• High ethical standards, integrity, discretion, and commitment to confidentiality.
• Proactive learning mindset and willingness to develop expertise in life sciences legal and compliance matters.
• Language Skills: Fluent English and Russian; knowledge of Kazakh is a plus.
• Ability to collaborate effectively with local, regional, and global teams.