ROLE DESCRIPTION
The LEO Foundation is looking for a skilled and business-oriented lawyer to take on the role of Legal & Compliance Manager in a small and highly professional organization. The role offers a unique opportunity to work broadly across legal and compliance matters in an enterprise foundation with activities spanning engaged ownership, philanthropy, and investments.
As Legal & Compliance Manager, you will provide pragmatic and high-quality legal advice across the Foundation’s activities, with particular focus on contracts, corporate governance and compliance. You will also act as legal business partner to the Philanthropy team and support the Foundation’s management team on matters relating to foundation law, governance, investments, commercial agreements, and enterprise risk and insurance – ensuring robust frameworks, clear documentation, and sound decision-making.
The role also includes strengthening and maintaining the Foundation’s compliance framework (including areas such as data privacy, KYC / AML, CSRD, sanctions and securities law), as well as enabling efficient processes and high-quality documentation to support Board and management decision-making, and contributing to effective risk management across grants, investments, contracts and operations.
The position offers a broad and varied legal role in a small organization, where you will gain exposure to a wide range of legal, governance and compliance matters and work closely with both management and external advisors when required.
LEGAL TEAM
In this role, you will work closely with Peter Kjeldsen Hansen, Head of Strategic Ownership, BD and Legal, who is also a lawyer and to whom you will report. You will have a hands-on, business-oriented role and work closely with the organization, supporting the Foundation’s activities within ownership, investments and philanthropy from a legal perspective.
AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY
LEO Foundation is looking for a person who by nature takes ownership and has a strong commercial mindset that enables independent and business focused support to the organization. You must be open and eager to learn and have an interest in working across a wide range of legal and compliance areas.
Your key responsibilities will include:
Governance, foundation law and corporate housekeeping:
- Support and handle matters under Danish foundation law and relevant governance requirements / recommendations.
- Review, update and maintain corporate documentation as well as internal policies and procedures, e.g. within IT procurement.
- Prepare memos, reviews and recommendations for the Foundation Board, and support governance and documentation related to the Foundation’s ownership of LEO Pharma.
- Liaise with external counsel on specialized matters when required, ensuring quality and cost control.
Legal business partner to the Philanthropy Team:
- Provide strategic legal advice and support to the Philanthropy team, including in relation to grantmaking initiatives.
- Draft and review grant and collaboration agreements e.g. with hospitals, universities and other research institutions, as well as related legal documentation, and support the development and maintenance of standard templates and processes.
Compliance, controlling and risk management:
- Support and maintain the Foundation’s compliance set-up across the organization (e.g., in relation to GDPR / data privacy, KYC / AML, sanctions law, conflicts of interest etc.), incl. annual review and update of standard operating procedures.
- Be responsible for compliance with securities law and insider trading policies and procedures.
- Be responsible for IT compliance and security in collaboration with external vendors and service providers.
- Handle insurance matters, including annual insurance renewals, and certain internal controlling tasks related to grants and finance.
- Responsible for developing and managing sustainability reporting (CSRD) and overseeing progress on the LEO Foundation’s responsibility profile.
Investment support:
- Provide legal support in connection with financial investments in investment funds (venture, growth and private equity), including review of fund documentation and side letters, and support legal and compliance due diligence processes, and coordinating input from external counsel as needed.
Other tasks:
- Draft, review and negotiate commercial contracts, e.g. collaboration agreements, partnership agreements, service agreements, confidentiality agreements, and consultancy agreements.
- Provide legal support on HR matters, including drafting, reviewing and updating employment contracts and HR policies.
- Assist with certain financial controlling and approval workflows.
- Depending on qualifications and interests, represent the Foundation in relevant Danish and international professional fora (e.g., the Philea Legal Committee).
REPORTING AND TITLE
Reporting to: Peter Kjeldsen Hansen, Head of Strategic Ownership, BD and Legal.
Title: Legal & Compliance Manager.
IDEAL EXPERIENCE
Education: You are a Danish qualified lawyer (cand.jur. or cand.merc.jur.) and potentially also licensed to practice as attorney-at-law (“advokat”); however, not a requirement.
Work experience: You have a minimum of 5-6 years of experience from another foundation, an in-house legal role in a larger corporation, and/or a law firm with relevant client exposure.
Legal areas of specialization: Proven drafting skills and experience with contract management and negotiation, as well as the ability to independently handle a broad range of legal matters and quickly familiarize yourself with new areas and tasks.
Experience in areas such as corporate governance and company law, Danish foundation law and possibly grantmaking, investment support (including fund documentation, due diligence and side letters), or compliance areas such as GDPR, KYC / AML, and IT would be considered an advantage.
Commercial: Strong commercial mindset and ability to translate complex legal requirements into clear, practical guidance and efficient processes.
Language skills: You are fluent in Danish and English (both written and verbal).
PERSONAL CAPABILITIES
Independent: You are able to work independently, take ownership of the legal matters you handle, and drive matters end-to-end.
Stakeholder management: You have excellent skills in interacting and building relationships with internal and external stakeholders at all levels, including at senior executive level.
Communication: Strong ability to communicate legal issues clearly and effectively, both verbally and in writing, to leaders, stakeholders and colleagues, balancing important details with clear and accessible communication.
Attention to detail: You have a structured and systematic approach to your work and a strong attention to detail.
Pragmatic & solution-oriented: You take a pragmatic and solution-oriented approach, are comfortable balancing legal risk with practical solutions, and have strong prioritization skills.
Mindset: You have a hands-on, can-do attitude with resilience and a strong willingness to learn – and are also willing to assist on matters outside your core responsibilities.
LEO FOUNDATION’S VALUE PROPOSITION TO YOU
When joining LEO Foundation, you will become part of a small organization of 15 highly skilled professionals with a flat structure and an informal tone. The Foundation provides you with a broad range of exciting tasks in a growing business with a hands-on and busy work environment.
LEO Foundation offers you a competitive compensation package with various benefits, including pension contribution and health insurance. At the LEO Foundation you can also expect flexibility to manage your own time and ability to maintain a good balance in your life between private and business priorities.
ABOUT LEO FOUNDATION
The LEO Foundation is one of Denmark’s largest enterprise foundations and an engaged owner of the global pharmaceutical company LEO Pharma. The Foundation’s main objective is to ensure the company’s long-term development and success as a global leader in dermatology, delivering outstanding results.
In addition to its ownership role, the LEO Foundation is one of the largest private funders of independent skin research at universities and hospitals worldwide. The Foundation provides philanthropic grants to support research that pioneers new discoveries and transforms our understanding of the skin and its diseases. Over the years, the LEO Foundation has awarded around DKK 1.8 billion to independent research.
The Foundation also manages financial assets of around DKK 18.8bn. These assets are invested with the main objectives of ensuring the continued capability to support LEO Pharma’s long-term development and provide funds for philanthropic activities.
The LEO Foundation is based in Nordhavn, Copenhagen and has around 15 employees who work with the Foundation’s activities within philanthropy, investments, and the engaged ownership of LEO Pharma.
You can learn more about LEO Foundation here: https://leo-foundation.org/en/.
APPLICATION AND CONTACT
If you believe this position is a good fit for you, we look forward to receiving your application. Please attach your CV and any relevant documentation. Should you have any questions regarding the position, please don’t hesitate to contact Camilla Krogh at (+45 51261264) or Mikkel Falkenberg at (+45 29993065) from the team at RESOLVA.