Senior Corporate Counsel

About Cerus:

Cerus aims to be the global leader and trusted partner of blood centers and hospitals whose technology, services, and commitment are the lifeblood of safe and accessible blood for patients around the world.

This is a hybrid role based out of our Concord, CA office.

Cerus is seeking an experienced Senior Corporate Counsel to serve as the primary legal partner for the Company's pre-commercial functions, including Research & Development, clinical affairs, medical affairs, and related innovation initiatives.

Summary & Scope of Position:

This role will lead legal support for development-stage activities and associated agreements, while partnering closely with cross-functional stakeholders to proactively identify and manage legal and regulatory risk. This role will also partner closely with the Chief Legal Officer to ensure alignment with the Company's risk tolerance, governance framework, and strategic priorities.

The ideal candidate is a seasoned in-house attorney who exercises strong judgment, works efficiently and independently, and builds credibility quickly with scientific and business stakeholders. This individual should be comfortable owning matters end-to-end, and delivering business-oriented advice that reflects both legal rigor and pragmatic risk assessment.

Primary Legal Support - Pre-Commercial Functions

• Serve as primary legal advisor to R&D, clinical affairs, medical affairs, regulatory, and other innovation-focused teams.
• Provide practical, business-oriented legal guidance on product development initiatives, investigator-sponsored studies (IIS), clinical trials, research collaborations, and scientific partnerships.
• Draft, review, and negotiate a broad range of agreements, including:
• Clinical trial agreements
• Investigator-sponsored study agreements
• Research and development agreements
• Collaboration and joint development agreements
• Consulting agreements (including healthcare professionals)
• Confidentiality and data-sharing agreements
• Material transfer agreements
• Professional services agreements
• Advise on regulatory considerations impacting development-stage activities, including with healthcare professional engagement and data/privacy considerations.
• Identify and assess legal and regulatory risks early in program development and provide clear, practical options for mitigation.

Strategic Risk & Governance

• Provide timely, thoughtful, solutions-oriented advice balancing legal risk with business objectives.
• Develop and refine templates, playbooks, and scalable processes to support efficient contracting in development-stage activities.
• Support policy development and internal controls related to clinical research, R&D collaborations, and healthcare professional engagement.
• Escalate appropriately on matters involving significant regulatory, compliance, or reputational risk.

Cross-Functional Partnership

• Build strong working relationships with scientific, clinical, regulatory, and executive stakeholders.
• Translate complex legal concepts into actionable guidance for non-legal teams in a clear and pragmatic manner.
• Operate as a trusted advisor capable of influencing outcomes and fostering confidence across the organization.
• Collaborate effectively with other members of the legal team to ensure consistent messaging and seamless handoffs when matters intersect.

Qualifications/Requirements/Skills:

• J.D. from an accredited law school.
• 10+ years of relevant legal experience, with demonstrated excellence in complex transactional drafting and negotiation and meaningful in-house experience in the medical device, biotech, or pharmaceutical industry.
• 3+ years of experience in a major law firm corporate, technology transactions, or life sciences licensing practice group.
• Strong experience supporting R&D, clinical, and development-stage functions.
• Demonstrated expertise drafting and negotiating complex research, clinical, and collaboration agreements.
• Deep understanding of healthcare regulatory frameworks, including FDA regulations, Anti-Kickback Statute, False Claims Act, HIPAA/privacy laws, and related compliance considerations.
• Experience advising on healthcare professional engagement and clinical research compliance.
• Member in…