Associate Counsel

About the role

Syneos Health is seeking an Associate Counsel to lead end‑to‑end contracting for clinical, commercial and corporate agreements. The role involves drafting, negotiating and advising on a wide range of contracts while collaborating with internal stakeholders and external legal teams.

Key responsibilities

• Lead the full contracting lifecycle for vendor master agreements, independent contractor agreements, consulting agreements, SaaS, HR and staffing agreements, data‑privacy contracts and strategic alliances.
• Review contractual documents against departmental guidance, coordinate escalations, and partner with Risk Management, Procurement, Data Privacy and Sourcing.
• Draft, negotiate and advise on direct and indirect contracts, including negotiations with vendors' legal teams.
• Collaborate with global legal teams to ensure consistent execution of worldwide contracts.
• Respond to internal legal requests, prepare legal communications, and liaise with governmental agencies.
• Provide training on legal matters and conduct legal research and analysis.

Required profile

• J.D., LLM, LLB or equivalent degree from an accredited university and admission to practice law.
• In‑house transactional experience supporting procurement or vendor functions, preferably within a global/multinational organization.
• Solid understanding of outsourcing contracts, intellectual property basics and data‑privacy principles.
• Proven ability to draft and negotiate contracts, identify risks and provide pragmatic advice.
• Strong analytical skills, independent judgment and ability to manage high‑volume, time‑sensitive matters.

Required skills

• Contract drafting and negotiation
• Risk identification and escalation
• Knowledge of data‑privacy regulations
• Understanding of intellectual property principles