Vice President - Legal

Who We Are:

Osanni is a development-stage therapeutics platform, headquartered in San Francisco, California.  We are creative and agile innovators, relentlessly curious about finding new ways to target the biology behind diseases with the greatest unmet need and determined to do something about it.

At the center of Osanni is its innovation engine, which is optimized for discovering new scientific insights, designing novel drug concepts, and efficiently advancing programs to a meaningful proof-of-concept.  Once a program is sufficiently de-risked, it graduates into its ecosystem of affiliate companies (Avians), which are equipped with the dedicated focus, specialized talent and support necessary to scale.  Osanni's architecture marries the scientific depth and operational power of a centralized platform with the speed, agility and accountability of independent companies.  The result: an opportunity to create and deliver more transformative medicines.

We hold patients and the physicians who care for them as our North Star. It guides our purpose, sharpens our decision-making, and defines our impact.  Osanni is currently advancing programs in ophthalmology, cardiology and beyond.  We are building a highly skilled team, passionate about having an impact on human health.  Be part of creating an organization where people enjoy their work and their colleagues, are valued for their individuality, and can't imagine working anywhere else.

This role is based in the San Francisco Bay Area and requires working on-site 3 days/week.

About the Role:

The VP, Legal is responsible for serving as Osanni's principal legal advisor and head of the legal function across Osanni and its affiliate companies. This role owns the legal architecture of Osanni's hub-and-spoke model, including entity formation, asset allocation, funding, intercompany agreements, financings, and corporate affairs across subsidiaries, along with all contracts and compliance. Reporting to the CFO, this role partners closely with the CEO, CBO, CSO, and affiliate company leaders to embed sound legal judgment across the business as Osanni scales. Intellectual property is managed by dedicated IP counsel.

The ideal candidate combines strong legal acumen with pragmatic, business-minded judgment, comfortable operating both strategically with the leadership team and Board and close enough to the details to direct and monitor the work of outside counsel. They bring the agility and accountability to move quickly in a fast-paced, evolving biotech environment ("swoop and soar"), while building trusted, collaborative relationships across the Osanni Flock.

What You Will Do:

• Serve as Osanni's principal legal advisor to the CEO, leadership team, and Board of Directors, providing strategic counsel on corporate, transactional, and risk matters across Osanni and its affiliate companies.
• Design and own the legal architecture of Osanni's hub-and-spoke model, including a repeatable playbook for forming new affiliate companies and the agreements that allocate assets, data, and know-how among entities, in coordination with IP counsel and tax advisors.
• Build and maintain the intercompany framework, including services, cost-sharing, and license agreements, partnering with Finance on cost allocation and transfer pricing.
• Lead the legal execution of financings and strategic transactions across Osanni and its affiliate companies, including equity financings, Board-approved capital contributions, investor diligence, licensing, and M&A.
• Lead corporate governance and corporate affairs across all entities, partnering with the CEO and CBO on Board administration, including preparing board and committee materials, managing minutes and resolutions, and maintaining the cap tables and corporate records.
• Own all contracts and agreements, including licensing, collaboration, CDMO/CMO, CRO, supply, facility, and vendor agreements that support Osanni's business development, drug development, and manufacturing activities, with standard templates and approval processes that let the business move quickly.
• Advise clinical, regulatory, and quality leaders on clinical trial agreements, informed consent frameworks, patient and data protection requirements, and regulatory agency and cGMP matters as Osanni's pipeline advances.
• Partner with the People & Culture team on employment agreements, workplace policies, employee equity programs, and HR compliance matters across entities, and serve as a trusted advisor on sensitive employee relations issues.
• As the sole in-house attorney, select, manage, and negotiate rates and budgets with outside counsel across specialty areas, directing and monitoring their work and building a cost-effective external legal ecosystem that scales with Osanni's growth.
• Build and administer a right-sized compliance program across all entities, covering healthcare and data privacy regulations, corporate policies, and risk management, to protect the company as it scales toward commercialization.
• Manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced, evolving environment, ensuring deliverables are completed accurately and on time, while performing other related duties as required.

What You Bring:

• J.D. from an ABA-accredited law school and active membership in good standing with the California State Bar (or eligibility to register as California Registered In-House Counsel).
• 15+ years of corporate and transactional legal experience, including significant in-house experience at a biotech, pharmaceutical, or life sciences company; prior corporate law firm experience strongly preferred.
• Deep experience with entity formation, multi-entity structures, asset transfers, and intercompany arrangements, ideally within a hub-and-spoke, holding company, or venture-creation model.
• Demonstrated experience leading corporate governance, Board matters, and financing and strategic transactions, ideally including venture financings.
• Strong background in drafting and negotiating contracts, including licensing, collaboration, CDMO/CMO, CRO, supply, and vendor agreements.
• Working knowledge of regulatory frameworks (IND/BLA), cGMP compliance, and data integrity considerations in pharmaceutical manufacturing.
• Track record of operating as a sole or lean in-house legal function, selecting, managing, and negotiating rates with outside counsel across specialty areas to build a cost-effective legal ecosystem.
• Excellent judgment, discretion, and communication skills, with the ability to advise the CEO, leadership team, and Board with confidence and clarity.
• Prior experience at a venture-backed, development-stage biotech or life sciences startup strongly preferred.

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Base Pay 330000 - 350000 USD