Associate Director-Legal Counsel

At Lilly, the work is demanding because patients are waiting. We unite caring with discovery to help make life better for people around the world, knowing that every decision, every detail, and every day matters. Headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, our over 50,000 employees around the globe take on complex challenges to discover and deliver life-changing medicines, strengthen how health is understood and managed, and support the communities we serve. This is hard, urgent, selfless work—but it’s work worth doing. If you’re driven by purpose and ready to bring your best to work that truly matters for patients, we invite you to join us.

Job Description: Associate Director, Legal Counsel – China (P4)

Location: Shanghai, China

Reporting to: China General Counsel

Department: Legal

Job Level: P4

Purpose of the Role

Provide expert legal counsel to business unit, as well as one or more functions to be determined later, supporting business objectives, minimizing legal risks, and ensuring compliance with local and international laws and company policies.

Key Responsibilities

• Proactively advise the business on a broad range of legal matters, including corporate, commercial, regulatory, compliance, transactions, competition, anti-bribery, sanctions, advertising, and litigation issues.

• Monitor, interpret, and communicate changes in relevant laws and regulations affecting business operations in the region.

• Draft, review, and negotiate a variety of agreements and lead complex negotiations.

• Support the implementation and enhancement of internal controls and compliance programs.

• Partner with stakeholders and other legal colleagues on diverse projects, ensuring the latest interpretations of applicable laws and standards are incorporated.

• Provide training to business teams on legal and compliance topics as needed.

• Anticipate and resolve complex legal matters, making decisions that impact processes and projects.

• Foster a culture of ethics and compliance, partnering with Ethics and Compliance colleagues.

• Serve as a single point of contact for assigned business units and/or functions, providing day-to-day legal support.

• Participate in internal committees and cross-functional teams, contributing legal expertise to business strategies and decisions.

• Coordinate with internal and external counsel on government investigations, inquiries, and internal investigations as required.

Requirements

• Law degree from reputable university.

• Minimum 8 years’ post-qualification experience in reputable law firms or in-house legal department.

• Excellent communication, negotiation, and interpersonal skills.

• Strong commercial and business acumen, with an ability to be proactive, problem solve, make decisions and recommendations quickly, and with sound judgment.

• Proven ability to work independently and as part of a team, with strong project management and leadership skills.

• High learning agility, analytical skills, and sound judgment.

• Flexibility and ability to manage and prioritize a busy workload and competing demands.

• Fluency in English (written and spoken) is required.

Preferred Experience

• Experience with healthcare industry, FMCG, or other regulated sectors.

• Experience in cross-functional and cross-geographical collaboration.

The job specification is intended to provide a general overview of the job requirements at the time it was prepared. The job requirements of any position may change over time and may include additional responsibilities not specifically described in the job specification.

Lilly is dedicated to helping individuals with disabilities to actively engage in the workforce, ensuring equal opportunities when vying for positions. If you require accommodation to submit a resume for a position at Lilly, please complete the accommodation request form (https://careers.lilly.com/us/en/workplace-accommodation) for further assistance. Please note this is for individuals to request an accommodation as part of the application process and any other correspondence will not receive a response.

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