Associate Director, Legal Counsel

About Us:

Structure Therapeutics develops life‐changing medicines for patients using advanced structure‐based and computational drug discovery technology. The company’s platform combines the latest advancements in visualization of molecular interactions, computational chemistry, and data integration to design orally available, superior small molecule medicines that overcome current limitations of biologic and peptide drugs. We are advancing a clinical‐stage pipeline of differentiated treatments focused on chronic diseases with high unmet need, including cardiovascular, metabolic, and pulmonary conditions.

Structure Therapeutics is led by an experienced group of international drug innovators and financed by top-tier global life sciences investors. The company completed an initial public offering (IPO) in February 2023. With offices in California and Shanghai, Structure Therapeutics has the benefit of being at the center of life science innovation in both the US and China and capitalizing on the strengths of each geographic location.

Position Summary

As a key member of the China Legal and Compliance team, this Legal Counsel role will provide comprehensive in-house legal support across the full spectrum of Structure’s R&D, business, and organizational activities in mainland China.  The ideal candidate will have solid experience advising on and providing end-to-end legal support for R&D and clinical activities throughout their full lifecycle.

This position is based in the company’s research center in Shanghai, China.

Essential Duties and responsibilities

• Strategic legal partnership: Implement legal strategies aligned with the Group’s business objectives; provide timely, practical advice to business stakeholders.
• Contracting support: Draft, review, revise, and negotiate contracts in Chinese and English, and support execution. Contributes to the development of contracting SOPs, templates, playbooks, and contract management processes.
• Dispute prevention and resolution: Lead dispute prevention efforts and manage disputes end-to-end, including pre-litigation assessments, coordinating strategy and settlement negotiations, and ensuring proper recordkeeping and document retention.
• Compliance and risk management: Monitor and manage legal and compliance risks; promptly escalate issues to supervisors and management and propose practical, actionable solutions. Support compliance with applicable laws and internal policies, including reviewing privacy notices and consent documentation where relevant.
• Regulatory monitoring: Track and interpret PRC legal and regulatory developments relevant to the biotechnology industry; provide clear internal updates and recommend responsive actions.
• Enablement and training: Deliver targeted internal training to enhance legal and compliance awareness; partner with functional teams to identify and mitigate legal risks.
• Advisory and knowledge management: Conduct legal research and prepare written legal analyses and opinions as required.
• Other duties: Perform additional responsibilities as assigned by the Legal and Compliance function.

REQUIREMENTS

• Bachelor’s degree or above in law from a top-tier law school in mainland China, with PRC Bar qualification. Overseas bar admission is preferred but not required
• Minimum 5 years of solid legal experience in a top-tier law firm and/or an in-house legal department, with a focus on the life sciences sector (biotechnology and/or pharmaceuticals). Experience supporting R&D and clinical operations is preferred
• A combination of law firm and in-house counsel experience is strongly preferred
• Demonstrated experience in litigation/dispute resolution, life sciences transactions, and/or general corporate advisory matters
• Highly organized, with meticulous attention to detail
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in both Chinese and English, with the ability to translate complex legal concepts into clear, business-friendly guidance
• Strong risk judgment and ability to advise non-legal stakeholders in fast-moving regulatory and commercial environments
• The highest degree of integrity and ethical conduct, with a demonstrated commitment to maintaining strict confidentiality and handling sensitive information with appropriate discretion
• Proactive, eager-to-learn mindset and a strong team player