Associate General Counsel, Commercial

Crinetics is a pharmaceutical company based in San Diego, California, developing much-needed therapies for people with endocrine diseases and endocrine-related tumors. We were founded by a dedicated team of scientists with the simple belief that better therapies developed from rigorous innovation can lead to better lives. Our work continues to make a real difference in the lives of patients. We have a prolific discovery engine and a robust preclinical and clinical development pipeline. We are driven by science with a patient-centric and team-oriented culture. Crinetics is known for its inclusive workplace culture. We are also a dog-friendly workplace. This is an exciting time to join Crinetics as we shape our organization into the world’s premier fully-integrated endocrine company from discovery to patients. Join our team as we transform the lives of others.

Position Summary:

Crinetics Pharmaceuticals is seeking to hire an Associate General Counsel for its commercial team. The Associate General Counsel will provide strategic legal guidance on all aspects of the company’s first commercial product launch including supporting marketing, sales, pricing, reimbursement, market access, and government programs. This role requires deep expertise in pharmaceutical industry regulations and healthcare laws. The ideal candidate will have experience supporting U.S. and global pricing, payer engagement, reimbursement strategies, and commercialization activities.  

Essential Job Functions and Responsibilities:

These may include but are not limited to:

• Commercial & Product Launch Support:

  • Provide legal advice and guidance on all aspects of our commercial activities, including product launches, promotional materials, medical education programs, advisory boards, speaker bureaus, research grants, patient assistance programs, patient advocacy groups, foundation grants, donations, sponsorships, charitable contributions, corporate giving, community outreach, and other similar activities.

  • Provide legal guidance on go-to-market strategies, including distribution models, payer coverage, and pricing frameworks.

  • Support the review and approval of promotional materials, marketing campaigns, and patient engagement programs to ensure regulatory compliance.

  • Advise on interactions with healthcare professionals (HCPs), patient advocacy groups, and payer organizations, including speaker programs, advisory boards, and medical education initiatives.

  • Ensure compliance with all laws and industry guidelines on advertising, promotion, and product labeling.

• Sales, Marketing & Compliance:

  • Counsel on sales team training, incentive compensation programs, and risk mitigation strategies.

  • Provide legal support for field-based teams, including sales, reimbursement, and market access personnel.

  • Advise on compliance with False Claims Act, Anti-Kickback Statute (AKS), Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), and state/federal transparency laws (e.g., Open Payments/Sunshine Act).

  • Support medical communications, disease awareness campaigns, and digital marketing initiatives.

  • Support internal investigations and audits related to commercial compliance matters.

• Corporate & Cross-Functional Collaboration:

  • Train internal stakeholders on pricing, reimbursement, and commercial compliance issues.

  • Monitor regulatory changes and enforcement trends in pharmaceutical commercialization.

  • Manage external counsel as needed to support government pricing, reimbursement compliance, and litigation matters.

  • Collaborate with cross-functional teams on new product development, lifecycle management, and post-marketing support of pharmaceutical products.

  • Provide training and educational sessions for internal stakeholders on various legal topics related to the commercialization of medicines.

  • Maintain knowledge of applicable law, regulation, and industry best practices related to commercializing pharmaceutical products.

  • Stay abreast of developments in areas of focus and maintain appropriate documentation of same.

  • Monitor regulatory changes and modifications to legal and regulatory requirements.

  • Develop and implement policies, procedures, and controls to ensure adherence to legal and regulatory requirements.  

• Pricing, Market Access & Reimbursement Support:

  • Provide legal guidance on pricing strategies, contracting, and compliance with government price reporting requirements, including Medicaid and Medicare, 340B Drug Pricing Program, and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).

  • Advise on payer negotiations, value-based agreements, and commercial insurance reimbursement strategies.

  • Support government price reporting compliance and calculations.

  • Counsel on state drug price transparency laws and compliance with Medicaid rebate programs and price concessions reporting.

  • Provide legal support for formulary placement, managed care agreements in U.S. and international markets.

  • Draft, negotiate, and review pricing, distribution, payer, and reimbursement agreements, including value-based and outcomes-based contracts.

  • Manage legal aspects of patient support programs, reimbursement hubs, and pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) agreements.

  • Oversee legal risk assessments for government pricing and contracting initiatives.

  • Advise on manufacturer coupon programs, patient assistance programs (PAPs), co-pay assistance, and hub service compliance.

  • Collaborate with Market Access, Government Affairs, and Compliance teams to ensure legal alignment with business strategies.

• Other duties as assigned.

Education and Experience:

Required:

• Juris Doctor degree from accredited law school required with at least 13 years total work experience. In-house experience preferred with at least 12 years of relevant work experience.

• Experience supporting product launches in the life sciences industry is required, with a strong preference for experience in the pharmaceutical sector.

• Ability to handle multiple projects in a fast-paced environment and exercise sound commercial and legal judgment.

• Ability to independently handle complex matters with minimal supervision and understand which issues to elevate to senior management and appropriate timing for doing so.

• In addition to top-notch legal skills and a strong ethical center, excellent interpersonal, strategic thinking, communication and organizational skills

Physical Demands and Work Environment:

Physical Activities: On a continuous basis, sit at desk for a long period of time; intermittently answer telephone and write or use a keyboard to communicate through written means. Some walking and lifting up to 25 lbs. may be required. The noise level in the work environment is typically low to moderate. The physical demands described above are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions and responsibilities of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions and responsibilities.

Laboratory Activities (if applicable): Biology and chemical laboratory environment experience needed. Environmental health and safety requirements also apply.

Travel:

You may be required to travel for up to 25% of your time.

The Anticipated Base Salary Range: $239,000 - $299,000

In addition to your base pay, our total rewards program consists of a discretionary annual target bonus, stock options, ESPP, and 401k match. We also provide top-notch health insurance plans for employees (and their families) to include medical, dental, vision and basic life insurance, 20 days of PTO, 10 paid holidays, and a winter company shutdown.

The final salary offered to a successful candidate will be dependent on several factors that may include but are not limited to the type and length of experience and education. Crinetics Pharmaceuticals is a multi-state employer, and this salary range may not reflect positions that work in other states. Your recruiter can share more about the specific salary range during the hiring process.

Equal Opportunity Employer:

Crinetics is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. We provide equal employment opportunities to all employees and employment applicants without regard to unlawful considerations of sex, sexual orientation, gender (including gender identity and/or expression), pregnancy, race, color, creed, national or ethnic origin, citizenship status, religion or similar philosophical beliefs, disability, marital and civil union status, age, genetic information, veteran status or any personal attribute or characteristic that is protected by applicable local, state or federal laws.

Vaccination Requirement:

Following extensive monitoring, research, consideration of business implications, and advice from internal and external experts, Crinetics requires that all employees and contractors be fully vaccinated and have received the COVID-19 vaccines as a condition of employment. “Full vaccination” is defined as two weeks after both doses of a two-dose vaccine or two weeks since a single-dose vaccine has been administered. Anyone unable to be vaccinated, either because of a sincerely held religious belief or a medical condition or disability that prevents them from being vaccinated, can request a reasonable accommodation.