Strive to Bring a Profound Difference to our Patients

At Avidity Biosciences, we are passionate about the impact of every employee in realizing our vision of improving people’s lives by delivering a new class of RNA therapeutics. Avidity is revolutionizing the field of RNA with its proprietary AOCs, which are designed to combine the specificity of monoclonal antibodies with the precision of oligonucleotide therapies to address targets and diseases previously unreachable with existing RNA therapies. If you are a committed, solution-oriented thinker, join us in making a difference and become part of our growing culture that is integrated, collaborative, agile and focused on the needs of patients. 

Avidity Biosciences, Inc.'s mission is to profoundly improve people's lives by delivering a new class of RNA therapeutics - Antibody Oligonucleotide Conjugates (AOCs™). Utilizing its proprietary AOC platform, Avidity demonstrated the first-ever successful targeted delivery of RNA into muscle and is leading the field with clinical development programs for three rare muscle diseases: myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1), Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) and facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD). Avidity is broadening the reach of AOCs with its advancing and expanding pipeline, including programs in cardiology and immunology through internal discovery efforts and key partnerships. Avidity is headquartered in San Diego, CA. For more information about our AOC platform, clinical development pipeline, and people, please visit www.aviditybiosciences.com and engage with us on LinkedIn and Twitter.

The Opportunity

We are looking for a seasoned biopharmaceutical attorney, reporting to the General Counsel, to join and collaborate with all functional areas of Avidity in La Jolla, California. The successful candidate will be able to work at all levels of the Company and should have a strong background in biotechnology/pharmaceuticals.  This position requires an attorney with strong in-house counsel experience, negotiating high-value agreements for a growing legal department in the pharmaceutical research, development, and commercialization fields. This attorney will have a focus on business-minded advice regarding company legal matters and counsel for senior business leadership on transactional matters, complex legal issues, vendor contracts, providing subject matter expertise on issues arising research and clinical studies, coordinate responses to disputes, participate in due diligence for licensing, financing, and acquisitions, coordinate legal support across all internal functional areas, and develop and implement process improvements for efficient delivery of legal services. The ability to calmly handle and prioritize competing, high-pressure demands is required.

What You Will Contribute

• Focus on business-minded advice regarding company legal matters and counsel for senior business leadership on transactional matters, complex legal issues, vendor contracts, providing subject matter expertise on issues arising in research and clinical studies.
• Attorney with strong law firm and/or in-house counsel experience, negotiating high-value agreements for a growing legal department in the pharmaceutical research, development, and commercialization fields.
• Experience in drafting and negotiating a wide variety of contracts including master services agreements, clinical trial agreements, supply agreements, material transfer agreements, licensing IP in and out, partnerships, service providers, and research collaborations.
• Apply legally sound and commercially realistic legal advice to balance legal risk, compliance, business and operational objectives and resources to Company transactions.
• Coordinate with the General Counsel, Legal to manage legal risk and Company strategy.
• Provide high quality, timely and practical legal advice and guidance, and identify/resolve critical legal and business issues arising from all areas of the organization.
• Provide practical legal advice relating to contractual obligations, while proactively identifying and helping manage risk associated with Company transactions.
• Maintain corporate policies across the organization, managing updates as the laws and regulations change.

What We Seek

•          Licensed attorney with 4 years of experience in a leading law firm and/or in-house biotechnology/pharmaceutical industry
•          Demonstrated leadership qualities including experience coordinating with cross-functional teams, as well as providing sound business and legal judgment, and strategic and analytical thinking
•          Prior team management experience preferred.
•          Self-motivated, practical, and interested in working on a wide range of legal matters to lead the Company on legal implications of its business strategy
•          Experience working with all levels of management and key business stakeholders with a demonstrated ability to effectively communicate legal risks to executive leadership and senior management
•         Excellent organizational skills and able to work with a team to meet critical deadlines; flexible and capable of managing multiple projects simultaneously

Preferred Education and/or Experience

• Juris Doctor from an accredited law school
• Admitted to practice, and in good standing with, a state bar in the United States

What We will Provide to You:

• The base salary range for this role is $159,300-$176,100. The final compensation will be commensurate with such factors as relevant experience, skillset, internal equity and market factors.
• Avidity offers competitive compensation and benefits which includes the opportunity for annual and spot bonuses, stock options and RSUs, as well as a 401(k) with an employer match. In addition, the comprehensive wellness program includes coverage for medical, dental, vision, and LTD, and four weeks of time off.
• A commitment to learning and development which includes a variety of programming internally developed by and for Avidity employees, opportunities for job-specific training offered by industry, and an education reimbursement program.