Associate Legal Counsel, Europe

Cytokinetics is a late-stage, specialty cardiovascular biopharmaceutical company focused on discovering, developing and commercializing first-in‑class muscle activators and next-in‑class muscle inhibitors as potential treatments for debilitating diseases in which cardiac muscle performance is compromised. As a leader in muscle biology and the mechanics of muscle performance, the company is developing small molecule drug candidates specifically engineered to impact myocardial muscle function and contractility.

At Cytokinetics, each team member plays an integral part in advancing our mission to improve the lives of patients. We are seeking tenacious, compassionate, and collaborative individuals who are driven to make a positive impact.

The Associate Legal Counsel, Europe will be responsible for providing legal support (including legal advice, drafting, review, and negotiation of a wide range of commercial agreements) for our Cytokinetics European affiliates.

This position will act as a business partner to the Commercial, Medical Affairs, Market Access, Procurement, and other cross‑functional teams supporting our operations in Europe (primarily in Switzerland, the UK, Ireland, Spain, Italy, France, and Germany) and will support senior counsel on complex matters. This role requires a diverse skill set across contracts, legal operations, and general legal counseling.

The role is based at the Company Regional Headquarters in Zug, Switzerland, and reports to the Head of Legal and Compliance, Europe.

• Draft, review, and negotiate a variety of contractual agreements, including:
  • Non‑Disclosure Agreements (NDAs)
  • Master Services Agreements (MSAs) and associated Statement of Work (SOWs)
  • HCP/HCO agreements, Vendor/supplier agreements
  • Event and meeting agreements
  • Distribution/Wholesaler agreements
  • Data protection–related contract terms (in collaboration with Privacy Counsel)
• Ensure contract terms are aligned with Cytokinetics’ legal, compliance, and operational standards and company policies.
• Collaborate with business partners to understand objectives and craft practical, risk‑appropriate solutions.

• Provide day‑to‑day legal support to EU business functions and resolve issues as they arise.
• Advise teams on a range of legal issues and contract processes, company policies, and best practices to manage risks and improve efficiency and compliance.
• Work closely with the US‑based legal team to ensure consistency in approach and support and contribute to legal projects and initiatives as required.

• Assist with developing and maintaining contract templates, playbooks, and clause libraries for Europe.
• Provide input and support to the US‑based team to tailor our Contract Lifecycle Management (CLM) system to European needs, roll out the implementation and its ongoing management thereafter, and help identify opportunities to streamline contracting workflows and improve operational efficiency.

• Identify and provide advice on a range of legal risks appropriately, ensuring our operations comply with applicable EU and country‑specific requirements.
• Partner with Head of Legal and Compliance, Compliance Officer, Regulatory, Finance and Procurement teams when contract matters intersect with finance, regulatory or compliance considerations.

• Juris Doctor (JD) degree or other advanced law degree.
• Bar qualification in Switzerland or another European jurisdiction, desirable.
• Approximately 7+ years of experience, in life sciences, healthcare, or related industries with a strong preference for candidates who have experience in the biotech or pharmaceutical industry with direct experience across multiple European jurisdictions.
• Demonstrated ability to proactively identify, analyze, and manage complex legal issues and provide strategic, proactive legal advice and business‑oriented solutions.
• Experience working with Privacy and Data Protection matters and deep understanding of the current legislation is highly desirable.
• Strong negotiation, drafting, and legal analytical skills with the ability…