Legal Counsel

Job ID: REQID0002471

The Stowers Institute for Medical Research is seeking a General Counsel to join the Institute. The General Counsel serves as the chief legal officer for the entire Stowers Group of Companies (SGC), providing strategic and operational leadership on all legal matters affecting a scientific research organization and its affiliates, and serving as corporate secretary for each of the affiliated companies. This role ensures compliance with applicable laws and regulations, manages risk, oversees contracts, protects the organization’s intellectual property, and provides legal advice for the administration of the organization. The General Counsel is a member of the Institute’s management committee and works closely with executive leadership, researchers, and administrative staff, to support the mission of advancing science with integrity and legal stewardship. The General Counsel provides independent legal and governance advice directly to all the Boards and committees and ensures that the organization operates within the legal framework applicable to its activities.

Major Responsibilities:

• Legal Strategy & Compliance: Provide legal advice to executive leadership and the Board of Directors on organizational strategy, risk, and governance.

  • Ensure compliance with federal, state, and international laws, including those specific to biomedical and life sciences research (e.g., IRS, FDA, NIH, HIPAA, GDPR).
  • Oversee compliance programs and internal policies, particularly around research ethics, data use, intellectual property, and bioethics.
• Executive Collaboration: Work directly with the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) to provide strategic legal guidance on organizational priorities, board agendas, risk management, partnerships, and long-term planning.
  • Serve as a trusted advisor to the CEO on matters of legal significance, institutional integrity, governance, and organizational evolution.
  • Provide legal advice and support as a member of the Institute’s management committee.
• Contracts & Transactions
  • Draft, negotiate, and manage a wide range of contracts, including research collaboration agreements, MTAs, NDAs, consulting agreements, licensing, vendor, and service contracts.
  • Develop and maintain contract templates, contract database and workflows, ensuring alignment with organizational goals.
• Grant Funding: Review and advise on government and foundation grant agreements.
  • Work with the Grants Office to ensure compliance with grant requirements, including reporting, data sharing, and intellectual property obligations.
• Intellectual Property (IP): Partner with scientific staff and technology transfer professionals to protect discoveries through patents, copyrights, and licensing agreements.
  • Manage external IP counsel and support commercialization initiatives.
• Governance & Risk Management: Advise the Board of Directors on governance matters and ensure compliance with nonprofit laws and IRS regulations (e.g. 501(c)(3) status).
  • Support the Board of Directors and committee operations including meeting preparation, governance policy development, and conflict of interest reviews.
  • Lead risk management practices, including insurance coverage, crisis response, data management and cyber security, and legal audits.
• Employment & HR Law: Advise on employment law matters including hiring, termination, employee relations, and international employment issues.
  • Ensure organizational compliance with all applicable federal, state, and local workplace regulations, including but not limited to EEOC, OSHA and other environmental health and safety standards; and internal policies related to employee conduct, workplace safety, whistleblower and reporting procedures. Collaborate with Human Resources and senior leadership to implement training, investigations, and remedial actions as necessary.
• Financial and Investment Collaboration: Advise on legal aspects of investment management, including investment policy compliance and coordination with outside investment advisors and managers.
  • Works directly with the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and financial teams to ensure legal compliance in funds management, financial statement and retirement plan audits, institutional banking relationships, IRS governing regulations (e.g. 501 (c)(3) entities) and tax-exempt bond financing.
  • Supports strategic financial planning initiatives by identifying legal risks and opportunities related to institutional funds management and long-term fiscal sustainability.
• External Counsel & Litigation: Manage relationships with outside legal counsel and oversee any litigation or dispute resolution matters.
  • Develop legal budgets and ensure cost-effective legal services.
• Regulatory and Compliance Oversight: Oversee and manage compliance with federal, state, and international laws and regulations applicable to biomedical research (e.g., FDA, NIH, OHRP, GDPR, HIPAA).
  • Support Institutional Review Board (IRB), Institute Biosafety Committee (IBC), and Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) compliance and related ethical review processes.

• Immigration and Visa Support

  • Partner with the Institute’s immigration law firm to ensure that service to foreign national community is appropriately supportive and timely.

  • Monitor developments in federal regulations and agency policies related to immigration, international relations, foreign influence in research, and advising institute stakeholders on changes that may impact scientific operations and compliance requirements.

  • Advise leadership, including research scientists on the legal implications of foreign collaborations and partnerships, including vetting of foreign entities and individuals, and assessing risks associated with international research activities.

• Enterprise Leadership and Governance: Serve in a leadership capacity across all organizational entities, including subsidiaries and affiliated institutes.
  • Provide integrated legal oversight to ensure alignment with overall missions, regulatory standards, and institutional policies across all SGC business units and entities.

Key activities:

• Develop and maintain a strong understanding of the organization’s history, mission, founding principles, and evolution. Prepare written historical reviews of issues and challenges that the organization has managed.

• Apply the institutional knowledge to legal and strategic decision-making to ensure consistency with the organization’s long-term vision and values.

• Serve as a strategic advisor, and as a member of executive leadership, on all legal matters affecting the organization’s mission, operations, and partnerships.

• Identify, assess, and mitigate legal risks related to research activities, workforce, grants, intellectual property, and regulatory compliance.

• Manage and oversee disputes, investigations, and litigation involving the organization, including those related to employment, contracts, intellectual property, and regulatory matters.

• Engage and supervise outside legal counsel as necessary, ensuring cost-effective and mission-aligned representation.

• Foster a culture of legal and ethical awareness aligned with the organization’s mission and values.

• Provide legal guidance on key initiatives such as public-private partnerships, collaborations, and organizational policies.

• Align legal approaches with long-term goals in scientific innovation, public impact, and sustainability.

Supervision:

Received – Works with broad autonomy and is expected to exercise independent judgment in legal and business administration matters. Reports directly to the Board of Directors and the CEO/Chairman. May receive strategic direction from the executive team or Board, especially on matters involving corporate governance, risk, compliance, or major transactions.

Given – Supervises the Legal Department and EH&S, Quality & Regulatory Systems, including Deputy General Counsel, Vice President – Regulatory and legal department Administrative Manager and personnel.

Education/ Experience:

• Juris Doctor (J.D.) from an accredited law school in the United States.

• Active license to practice law and in good standing with at least one U.S. state bar; local federal courts; eligibility for in-house counsel registration, if required.
• A minimum of 10 years of legal experience, with progressively responsible roles, including experience advising executive leadership.
• Demonstrated expertise in one or more of the following legal areas relevant to scientific research:
  • Contract negotiation and management, including research agreements, IP licensing, and vendor contracts.
  • Regulatory compliance, including NIH, FDA, HIPAA, and other research-specific regulatory frameworks.
  • Employment and labor law, including workplace investigations and policy development.
  • Intellectual property law, including patents, copyrights, and technology transfer.
  • Nonprofit or tax-exempt organization law, if applicable.
  • Litigation and internal and governmental investigations
• Strong understanding of legal issues related to scientific or biomedical research, including grants, data sharing, and ethical compliance.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to present complex legal concepts clearly and effectively to non-legal audiences.
• Proven ability to exercise sound legal and ethical judgment in high-stakes and confidential matters.
• Experience managing outside counsel and legal budgets.
• Demonstrated commitment to supporting an inclusive, and respectful workplace.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Deep understanding of legal principles across multiple areas including nonprofit law, tax law, contract law, research compliance, employment law, investigations, and intellectual property.

• Familiarity with laws and regulatory frameworks relevant to biomedical research, such as FDA regulations, NIH funding and laboratory animal guidelines, HIPAA, GDPR, and IRB/IACUC/IBC operations.

• Knowledge of nonprofit governance structures, board and fiduciary duties, and compliance with 501(c)(3) tax-exemption organization requirements.

• Ability to convey complex legal information clearly to non-legal audiences including scientists and board members.

• Ability to navigate a dynamic, research-driven environment. Capacity to understand and integrate the organization’s history, culture, and mission into legal strategies and decisions.

• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to build trusted relationships across departments, with external partners, and within the broader research and legal communities.

To Apply

Submit the requested documents to careers@stowers.org or to Administration Department, Stowers Institute for Medical Research, 1000 E 50th Street, Kansas City, MO 64110.