Senior Counsel, Privacy and Compliance

Your work will change lives. Including your own. The Impact You’ll Make Recursion is currently seeking a Counsel role specializing in data privacy and compliance work to support the expansion of its clinical trials and compliance infrastructure. The role will have the opportunity to maintain and shape a privacy-by-design infrastructure through careful vendor onboarding, data mapping, developing fit-for-purpose policies, and negotiating privacy terms in transactions. The role will also support the growth of the compliance function within the Legal department through careful right-sizing of guidance, implementation, and training as well as close partnerships across functions. The ideal candidate is business-minded, collaborative, and comfortable translating privacy and regulatory requirements into actionable guidance for cross-functional teams. The candidate will be fluent in international data privacy regulations and requirements as well as corporate compliance familiarity with biotech or pharmaceutical companies. The role will collaborate with different groups across the company, with a particular focus on our Clin Tech, Clinical Operations, and Human Resources group. The successful candidate must use a practical, solutions-focused approach to help accelerate the Company’s goals through the compliance function. In this role, you will: Data Privacy Develop and maintain infrastructure to comply with varying data privacy regulations in Europe and new countries in support of clinical trial plans Review and negotiate data protection terms, DPAs, vendor agreements, customer agreements, security addenda, and other contracts from a privacy standpoint Monitor and advise on privacy and compliance developments, including U.S. state privacy laws, GDPR, CCPA/CPRA, sector-specific privacy rules, and emerging AI and cybersecurity requirements Support incident response, data subject rights requests, privacy impact assessments, transfer impact assessments, and regulatory inquiries Support vendor onboarding and maintenance for vendors processing personal data Maintain the company’s Record of Processing Activity Counsel on privacy-by-design reviews, data mapping, vendor onboarding, AI/data use cases, and new geographical expansions Draft policies and perform trainings to support data protection compliance Compliance Assist the Legal team in drafting and implementing corporate compliance policies, training and follow-up Partner closely with Human Resources and other functions to identify needs for policies or guidance Collaborate closely with internal stakeholders on creating a “right size” compliance function that enables business growth while protecting against risk The Team You’ll Join You will be joining a dynamic team of attorneys and stock administration professionals. The team works closely and collaboratively with one another on overall legal and compliance strategy, departmental budget, projects, and professional development. The team relies on a communicative and supportive atmosphere to enable nimble advice and prioritization aligned with business goals. The Experience You’ll Need At least four years of experience in data privacy counseling in the biotech or pharmaceutical industry, at a law firm or preferably in-house Strong working knowledge of privacy and data protection laws, including U.S. state privacy laws, GDPR, CCPA/CPRA, and related regulatory frameworks. Experience reviewing and negotiating privacy, security, and data protection provisions in commercial agreements. Ability to provide clear, practical advice in a fast-moving business environment. Strong judgment, attention to detail, and ability to manage multiple projects independently. Excellent written and verbal communication skills. IPP/US, CIPP/E, CIPM, or similar privacy certification preferred. Experience building or scaling privacy and compliance programs in-house preferred Admitted to practice in at least one state and eligible to practice law in Utah as in-house co