Location: Salt Lake City, UT 84104
Employee Type: Full-Time Employee
Industry:
Medical Equipment
Manages Others: No
Job Type:Legal
Education:None
Experience:Not Specified
Posted: 2/26/2009
Contact Information Ref ID: 1651BR
Apply online at: www.careerbuilder.com
Varian Medical Systems, Inc., of Palo Alto, California is the world's leading manufacturer of medical technology for treating cancer with radiotherapy and neurological conditions with radiosurgery. The company is also a premier supplier of X- ray tubes and flat-panel digital subsystems for imaging in medical, scientific, and industrial applications. Varian Medical Systems employs over 4,000 people at manufacturing sites in North America, Europe, and China, as well as in sales and support offices around the world. Varian Medical Systems is focused on providing true customer solutions in the areas of radiation oncology for treating cancer, X-ray imaging, non-destructive testing, and cargo screening. These are all advanced applications of X-ray technology-the use of targeted energy to solve human problems.
Varian Medical Systems, Inc. (NYSE: VAR), of Palo Alto, CA is the world's leading provider of medical technology for treating cancer with x-ray beam radiation (known as radiation therapy or radiotherapy). The company also manufactures and sells proton therapy equipment for cancer treatment, which employs proton beam radiation (rather than x-ray beams) to kill cancerous cells. Additionally, the company is a premier supplier of x-ray tubes and flat-panel digital subsystems for imaging in medical, scientific, and industrial applications, and the company manufactures key subsystems (which also employs the x-ray beam technology) for port and border security and cargo inspection.
The Proton Therapy business resulted from the company's acquisition of a small German company and is currently based primarily in Germany. While this business is presently very small, it is expected to grow substantially over the next few years as proton therapy, as a treatment modality, moves from its current clinical research phases into a more widely accepted form of treatment. The legal work involved in proton therapy projects is very intensive, because the projects generally are large in size (US$100M) and involve project finance; building/infrastructure construction; real property development; and capital equipment components.
Varian is now seeking a commercial transactions attorney who has experience in capital projects or infrastructure construction projects to help support both its traditional business lines, such as Oncology Systems, as well as its newer Proton Therapy business line.
The position, reporting to the Associate General Counsel located in Palo Alto, CA, can be based in the company's Palo Alto headquarters facility or preferably in its Salt Lake City, UT facility.
This position shall have the title “Corporate Counsel” and have the following responsibilities:
Providing advice and guidance on and reviewing, analyzing, drafting and negotiating agreements relating to proton therapy projects. These projects are typically in the $100M range and may involve capital equipment provision; building/infrastructure design and construction; capital financing; real property acquisition and development; and turnkey deliveries. The attorney will be working closely with clients and providing advice on bid documents and the structuring of transactions, as well as supervising outside counsel, as appropriate.
Providing advice and guidance on and reviewing, analyzing, drafting and negotiating commercial agreements, including: domestic and international customer agreements (including master purchase agreements); OEM and components/subsystems supply agreements; reseller agreements; sales representation and distribution agreements; strategic alliance agreements; purchase agreements; development agreements; technology transfer agreements; and non-disclosure agreements.
Providing advice and guidance on and reviewing, analyzing, drafting and negotiating procurement contracts with governmental agencies and supply agreements with government contractors.
Working directly with company sales and marketing personnel, others involved in the administration and negotiation of contracts and with customers.
Defining commercial and regulatory risks in transactions, communicating those risks to decision-makers, and helping to craft solutions to eliminate or reduce those risks when possible.
Assisting with company process improvement projects such as: sales training; contract management and administration processes; drafting, revising, and distributing template agreements; and localizing agreements, where necessary.
Managing outside counsel (including foreign attorneys where appropriate) on transactional matters.
Qualifications
Candidates must have:
J.D. from ABA-accredited law school.
California or Utah bar membership.
5 or more years experience in a major law firm and/or corporate legal department.
Significant experience in the drafting and negotiation of the types of agreements described above, including specifically OEM and components/subsystems supply contracts.
Ability to travel up to 20-25%.
Additionally, candidates should have:
Experience with negotiating in diverse cultural settings with international and multi-national customers.
Strong business and legal acumen, as well as excellent communication skills and practical solutions-oriented approach.
Ability to work in a "team" environment, cooperatively with other people to achieve common business and legal department goals.
Ability to interact effectively with senior company management, company customers, and internal clients at all levels; and the ability to act cross-functionally across business units and functional groups.
Ability to balance needs of local business with overall corporate requirements.
Ability to function productively and efficiently in an out-of-state reporting structure, in the event the candidate is located in Utah.
Ability and motivation to work independently to manage projects, assemble virtual teams, and drive to solutions.
Ability to prioritize projects and multi-task effectively to achieve results.
Ability to spot issues in a variety of legal topics, such as employment law, immigration, real estate, environmental, litigation, mergers and acquisitions, intellectual property, and general corporate law, so that the issues can be directed to others within the company’s legal department for proper handling.
Because many of customers of the Proton Therapy business are governmental or quazi-governmental entities, an understanding of U.S. government contracting and procurement laws and regulations would be a plus.
Because much of the company's product line is regulated as medical devices, including the proton therapy products, either experience in the pharmaceutical, medical device, healthcare, or biotechnology-related fields and a working understanding of the regulatory overlays (such as HIPAA, anti-kickback/anti-fraud/anti-abuse regulations and Stark laws), and/or a willingness to learn these laws/regulations and how they apply to the company’s business would be advantageous.
Understanding of U.S. antitrust regulations and an understanding of, or a willingness to learn, the antitrust requirements of the international locations where the company does business.
VARIAN MEDICAL SYSTEMS is firmly committed to a policy of equal employment opportunity and will administer its Human Resources policies and conduct its employment practices in a manner that treats each employee and applicant for employment on the basis of merit, experience, and other work-related criteria without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, ancestry, sexual orientation, age, marital status, medical, disability (mental or physical), veteran status, or any other protected class under relevant state and federal laws.