Legal Counsel

At Roche you can show up as yourself, embraced for the unique qualities you bring. Our culture encourages personal expression, open dialogue, and genuine connections,  where you are valued, accepted and respected for who you are, allowing you to thrive both personally and professionally. This is how we aim to prevent, stop and cure diseases and ensure everyone has access to healthcare today and for generations to come. Join Roche, where every voice matters.

The Position

Purpose Statement

• Provides day-to-day, hands-on legal and compliance support to the business under the direction of the Legal & Compliance Enabler, helping ensure that business activities are conducted in accordance with applicable laws, regulations, Roche Group requirements, and internal policies.
• Acts as an accessible first point of contact for routine legal and compliance matters, translating legal requirements into practical guidance and supporting timely business execution.
• Executes core legal and compliance processes, including contract review, legal documentation, corporate housekeeping, compliance reviews, training support, monitoring, reporting, and maintenance of records and trackers.
• Identifies legal and compliance risks in assigned matters, escalates significant or sensitive issues to the Legal & Compliance Enabler, and supports implementation of agreed risk-mitigation actions.
• Works closely with business teams and relevant regional/global stakeholders to ensure consistent, efficient, and practical delivery of Legal & Compliance support.

Key Responsibilities

Legal Affairs

• Provides operational legal support on commercial, corporate, employment, data privacy, healthcare, regulatory, promotion and advertising, and other matters relevant to the life sciences business.
• Drafts, reviews, comments on, and negotiates contracts, including confidentiality agreements, service agreements, consultancy agreements, HCP/HCO-related agreements, sponsorship and event-related agreements, procurement arrangements, and other routine commercial contracts.
• Maintains the contract workflow and contract repository; follows up on approvals, signatures, renewals, expirations, key obligations, and required supporting documentation.
• Prepares and reviews routine legal documents, including powers of attorney, corporate resolutions, internal policies and procedures, official letters, notices, and correspondence with third parties or state authorities.
• Conducts legal research and prepares concise legal assessments, summaries, and practical recommendations for review by the Legal & Compliance Enabler.
• Supports corporate housekeeping, including maintenance of statutory and corporate records, tracking of representation rights and powers of attorney, preparation of board/shareholder documentation, and completion of required legal reporting.
• Supports disputes, claims, inspections, and litigation by collecting documents and facts, preparing draft submissions and correspondence, maintaining case files, and coordinating operational matters with external counsel.
• Coordinates day-to-day interaction with external legal counsel, including requests for advice, document collection, status tracking, and invoice administration, subject to oversight by the Legal & Compliance Enabler.
• Supports applications, renewals, and maintenance of licenses, permits, registrations, and other corporate or regulatory approvals within the Legal & Compliance remit.
• Maintains legal trackers, templates, precedents, guidance materials, and records to support consistent and efficient legal service delivery.

Compliance Affairs

• Supports the day-to-day operation of the compliance management system and execution of local compliance processes in line with local laws and Roche Group policies, directives, and guidelines.
• Reviews routine business activities and documentation from a compliance perspective, including HCP/HCO engagements, events, sponsorships, donations, educational funding, third-party engagements, and other healthcare compliance matters within delegated authority.
• Provides practical compliance guidance to employees on established policies, procedures, approval requirements, and documentation standards; escalates novel, high-risk, or sensitive matters.
• Supports compliance risk assessments, monitoring activities, control testing, audits, and follow-up of remediation actions; maintains supporting evidence and action trackers.
• Supports transparency and other compliance reporting by collecting, validating, reconciling, and maintaining required data and documentation.
• Prepares and coordinates compliance communications and training materials; supports training delivery, attendance tracking, follow-up, and maintenance of training records.
• Supports third-party compliance due diligence and related documentation, including follow-up on identified issues and completion of required approvals.
• Assists with review and handling of potential compliance concerns, including fact gathering, document preservation, case administration, and implementation tracking, while maintaining appropriate confidentiality.
• Monitors changes in relevant legislation, regulations, industry codes, and internal requirements and communicates operational implications to the Legal & Compliance Enabler and relevant stakeholders.
• Maintains accurate compliance records, trackers, approval documentation, and evidence in relevant systems and repositories.

Business Partnership & Operational Excellence

• Builds effective working relationships with business functions and provides responsive, solution-oriented support within agreed priorities and service expectations.
• Participates in cross-functional projects and business initiatives, completing assigned legal and compliance workstreams and ensuring required reviews and controls are embedded in implementation.
• Supports development and continuous improvement of templates, standard operating procedures, guidance, checklists, approval workflows, and self-service materials.
• Uses legal and compliance systems and data to track workload, deadlines, risks, recurring issues, and process performance; flags trends and improvement opportunities.
• Shares knowledge and lessons learned with colleagues and contributes to consistent Legal & Compliance practices across the affiliate and relevant regional network.
• Performs other legal and compliance duties assigned by the Legal & Compliance Enabler in line with business priorities.

Decision-Making & Escalation

• Handles routine legal and compliance matters independently within approved policies, templates, guidance, and delegated authority.
• Escalates matters involving significant legal exposure, material compliance risk, government investigations, litigation strategy, novel interpretations, reputational risk, exceptions to established requirements, or significant business impact to the Legal & Compliance Enabler.
• Does not independently set Legal & Compliance strategy or approve material deviations from company policies unless specifically delegated.

Requirements

• Education: Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) required; Master of Laws (LL.M.) is a plus.
• Experience: Typically 3–5 years of relevant legal experience in a law firm and/or as an in-house lawyer within an international company. Experience in life sciences, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, or another regulated industry is preferred.
• Practical experience in contract drafting and review, corporate matters, legal research, and day-to-day legal advisory work.
• Exposure to healthcare compliance, data privacy, regulatory matters, compliance monitoring, or related compliance processes is preferred.
• Strong attention to detail and disciplined document, deadline, and records management.
• Ability to identify legal and compliance risks, distinguish routine from material issues, and escalate appropriately.
• Hands-on, pragmatic problem-solving approach with sound judgment and the ability to provide clear, concise, business-oriented advice.
• Strong written and verbal communication, stakeholder management, and negotiation skills.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities, work independently on assigned matters, and deliver reliably in a fast-paced, matrixed environment.
• High ethical standards, integrity, discretion, and commitment to confidentiality.
• Proactive learning mindset and willingness to develop expertise in life sciences legal and compliance matters.
• Language Skills: Fluent English and Russian; knowledge of Kazakh is a plus.
• Ability to collaborate effectively with local, regional, and global teams.

Who we are

A healthier future drives us to innovate. Together, more than 100’000 employees across the globe are dedicated to advance science, ensuring everyone has access to healthcare today and for generations to come. Our efforts result in more than 26 million people treated with our medicines and over 30 billion tests conducted using our Diagnostics products. We empower each other to explore new possibilities, foster creativity, and keep our ambitions high, so we can deliver life-changing healthcare solutions that make a global impact.

Let’s build a healthier future, together.

Roche is an Equal Opportunity Employer.