Senior Corporate Counsel - Licensing & Business Contracts - US - Fully Remote

Overview

This role is a senior position within the Legal & Intellectual Property team, leading licensing and business contracts. The Senior Corporate Counsel provides practical, commercially focused legal support across the organization, with primary responsibility for negotiation, drafting, administration, and governance of licensing and other commercial agreements.

The position partners closely with commercial, finance, operations, research and development, intellectual property, and executive teams across multiple jurisdictions. It also manages and develops the team, establishes consistent contracting practices, and helps ensure contractual arrangements protect intellectual property, support business strategy, and can be implemented effectively.

Responsibilities

Licensing and Business Contracts

• Lead the drafting, review, negotiation, amendment, renewal, and termination of licensing and other commercial agreements, including grower, nursery, marketer, distributor, trial, evaluation, research, services, procurement, confidentiality, technology, consulting, and strategic partnership agreements.
• Advise on the structure of complex and cross-border licensing arrangements involving plant variety rights, patents, trademarks, proprietary plant material, know-how, royalties, territory, exclusivity, quality requirements, production, distribution, and enforcement rights.
• Translate business objectives into clear, practical, and enforceable contractual terms; identify material legal and commercial risks and propose workable solutions.
• Support business teams throughout the contract lifecycle—from initial term sheets and approvals through execution, implementation, amendment, renewal, and exit.
• Ensure contractual rights and obligations remain consistent across related agreements and aligned with intellectual property strategy, commercial model, and operational capabilities.
• Manage contractual disputes, defaults, and performance issues in coordination with internal stakeholders and, when appropriate, outside counsel.

Business Partnership and Legal Advice

• Serve as a trusted legal partner to senior leaders and business teams, providing timely, clear, and solutions-oriented advice on commercial transactions and day-to-day business matters.
• Advise on contract interpretation, authority and approval requirements, competition and antitrust considerations, data protection, compliance, and other legal issues arising from commercial arrangements.
• Participate in strategic projects, new market initiatives, acquisitions, collaborations, and business-model development—particularly where licensing or intellectual property is central.
• Coordinate with local counsel in relevant jurisdictions and manage outside counsel efficiently, including scope, budget, quality, and delivery of advice.

Team Leadership and Unit Management

• Lead, supervise, and develop the lawyers, contract professionals, paralegals, and administrative team members assigned to the Licensing & Business Contracts unit.
• Set priorities, allocate work, monitor workload and performance, and ensure matters are handled efficiently and at the appropriate level.
• Provide substantive guidance, quality control, coaching, and professional development; promote accountability, sound judgment, and a strong service mindset.
• Establish clear service standards, workflows, and escalation protocols for the unit, and report on workload, priorities, risks, and performance to the Vice President, Legal & Intellectual Property.
• Build effective working relationships across the Legal & IP department to ensure smooth coordination with intellectual property administration, enforcement, compliance, and legal operations.

Contract Governance and Legal Operations

• Develop, maintain, and improve contract templates, clause libraries, negotiation playbooks, approval matrices, policies, and guidance materials.
• Promote consistent use of contract management processes and systems, including intake, review, approval, signature, storage, obligation tracking, renewal, and reporting.
• Identify recurring contractual and operational risks, recommend process improvements, and help implement scalable solutions to improve quality and turnaround time.
• Support training for business teams on contracting practices, delegated authority, licensing requirements, intellectual property protection, and other relevant legal topics.
• Maintain appropriate records and contribute to reporting on contract activity, key obligations, risk areas, and departmental performance.

Requirements

• Juris Doctor or equivalent law degree from an accredited institution.
• Active membership in good standing with an applicable bar or law society.
• At least eight years of relevant legal experience, including substantial responsibility for commercial contracting and licensing matters (combination of in-house and law-firm experience preferred). For those with in-house experience, the successful candidate will be required to have experience working for a global organization.
• Minimum of 3 years of demonstrated experience leading, supervising, or developing legal and contract professionals, with the ability to manage competing priorities across a busy global portfolio.
• Strong drafting and negotiation skills, with experience handling complex, high-value, and cross-border agreements.
• Willingness to travel up to 20% of the time.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience advising a global agricultural, life sciences, food, biotechnology, consumer-products, or intellectual-property-driven business.
• Experience with intellectual property licensing—particularly plant variety rights, patents, trademarks, proprietary materials, or technology.
• Professional fluency in written and spoken English required.
• Professional proficiency in Spanish strongly preferred, including the ability to review and negotiate agreements and communicate effectively with Spanish-speaking stakeholders.

Compensation & Benefits

• Base salary range: $165,000 - $190,000 (depending upon experience) plus bonus.
• Full benefit package including insurance coverages, a 401(K) with company match, and flexible vacation time.

Location & Work Schedule

• 100% remote—any location within US.
• If the successful candidate lives within a commutable distance to Bakersfield, CA, then the work schedule will be hybrid.