General Counsel
Palo Alto, CA$330k - $400k + equity + bonusfull-timePosted 2mo ago
About the role
General Counsel to serve as a strategic legal advisor to leadership, overseeing governance, compliance, risk, and key partnerships, and leading a small legal team including IP & Licensing responsibilities.
Responsibilities
- Lead legal strategy for complex collaborations, partnerships, and institutional arrangements that advance Arc’s mission.
- Advise leadership on governance, compliance, conflicts, regulatory, and risk matters.
- Oversee legal agreements with academic, industry, nonprofit, and other strategic partners.
- Identify legal pathways that enable new initiatives while protecting the Institute’s interests.
- Support business development and strategic growth initiatives.
- Build and improve legal processes, policies, and frameworks that support speed, clarity, and responsible execution.
- Manage and develop a small legal team, including an existing IP & Licensing function, and supervise outside counsel as needed.
- Provide clear, practical, and independent counsel to senior operational and scientific leadership.
Qualifications
- JD and Active membership in the State Bar of California, or eligibility to practice immediately as Registered In-House Counsel in California.
- Experienced leader and member of an executive team
- Experienced people manager with track record of mentorship and skill development
- 15+ years of relevant legal experience including significant experience in corporate, transactional, technology transfer, engineering, life sciences, or related legal work.
- Demonstrated ability to advise senior stakeholders on complex legal and strategic matters.
- Experience leading or materially supporting high-stakes negotiations and transactions.
Skills
Required:Strategic legal leadershipGovernance and regulatory complianceNegotiation and transactions
Benefits
- annual discretionary bonus
- Compound Cash Grant Program (CCGP) with multi-year cash grants paid semi-annually
Last updated Sep 30, 2026. Interested? Apply on the company site.
About Arc Institute
A full-stack institute for AI and biology research.
Arc Institute is a nonprofit research organization headquartered in Palo Alto, California.
nonprofitAIbiologyliquid-ai-recruiting-targetpartnerships with Stanford University, UCSF, and UC Berkeleyresearch
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