Associate Counsel, Legal (Hyderabad)

Schrödinger is a leading technology company that develops state-of-the-art chemical simulation software for use in pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and materials science research. It is a technology leader specializing in software solutions for life science research and development. We are a rapidly growing life sciences company, with both a technology business and a drug discovery business, looking to hire an Associate Counsel for our Hyderabad location to join us in our mission to improve human health and quality of life through the development, distribution, and application of advanced computational methods.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Serve as a trusted legal advisor to internal partners by providing clear and actionable guidance on legal and commercial risks on a broad range of topics including, e.g., technology and commercial transactions, employment, data privacy, real estate, and IP;
• Draft, review, and negotiate a wide range of legal documents, including, e.g., vendor/service agreements, MSAs, NDAs, MOUs, Consulting Agreements, licensing agreements, technology collaboration agreements, contract research organization (CRO) based transactional documents, and other related business documents;
• Build, refine, and scale legal templates, playbooks, policies, and contracting workflows to improve speed and consistency;
• Proactively establish strong working relationships and collaborate with global partners (e.g., Sales, Finance, IT,  Compliance) to support business objectives and mitigate risks;
• Collaborate with the global legal team in critical initiatives to help establish and evolve legal processes and administrative, repository management, execution lifecycle of agreements, and work cross-functionally with the appropriate teams;
• Monitor legal, regulatory, and industry developments relevant to SaaS, AI/ML, software licensing, and data privacy, and communicate practical implications to stakeholders;
• Develop and deliver training programs for cross-functional teams on legal topics, risk management, and contract best practices.

Minimum Qualifications

• A bachelor's degree in law
• At least 8-10 years of relevant generalist legal experience, with substantial experience drafting, reviewing, and negotiating commercial and technology transactions, including SaaS, software licensing, vendor, partner, and confidentiality agreements
• Working knowledge of laws, regulations, and best practices related to data privacy, cybersecurity, intellectual property, and open source licensing issues relevant to technology and software transactions
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Strong critical thinking and analytical ability, sound judgment, and strategic orientation
• A team-player mindset with the ability to work collaboratively across various functions and with colleagues at all levels across time zones with a deep understanding on the time sensitivity;
• Growth mindset with a strong desire to grow professionally, upskill, learn about new products, technologies and processes, and remain agile and adaptable, taking ownership of projects, building relationships cross-functionally and working on cutting-edge legal issues.

Ideal Qualifications

• A master’s degree in law
• In-house experience in technology or SaaS environments
• Drafted and negotiated complex enterprise SaaS or software licensing agreements, using both standard templates and bespoke contractual frameworks
• Worked with intellectual property and commercial licensing issues related to AI technologies, including machine learning, data usage, information security, data privacy, and responsible AI commitments
• Built or improved contracting processes at scale, including contract intake workflows, approval matrices, template libraries, fallback positions, negotiation playbooks, and sales enablement training

Sounds exciting? Apply today and join us!

As an equal opportunity employer, Schrödinger hires outstanding individuals into every position in the company. People who work with us have a high degree of engagement, a commitment to work effectively in teams, and a passion for the company's mission. We place the highest value on creating a safe environment where our employees can grow and contribute, and refuse to discriminate on the basis of race, color, religious belief, sex, age, disability, national origin, alienage or citizenship status, marital status, partnership status, caregiver status, sexual and reproductive health decisions, gender identity or expression, or sexual orientation. To us, "diversity" isn't just a buzzword, but an important element of our core principles and key business practices. We believe that diverse companies innovate better and think more creatively than homogenous ones because they take into account a wide range of viewpoints. For us, greater diversity doesn't mean better headlines or public images - it means increased adaptability and profitability.