Senior Legal Counsel - Contracts Center of Excellence

Job Description:

Senior Legal Counsel - Contracts Center of Excellence

This position provides an opportunity to transition from other private, public, government or military experience to a 3M career. 

The Impact You’ll Make in this Role

As a Senior Legal Counsel – Contracts Center of Excellence, you will have the opportunity to tap into your curiosity and collaborate with some of the most innovative people around the world. Here, you will make an impact by: 

• Draft, review, and negotiate complex intellectual property agreements, including technology development, licensing, confidentiality, joint development, collaboration, data, software, and other innovation-related agreements.
• Provide legal support for a broad range of transactional matters, including information technology, procurement, supply chain, services, outsourcing, and other commercial agreements.
• Advise business teams on intellectual property ownership, licensing, use restrictions, confidentiality, data rights, technology transfer, software, cybersecurity, and related contracting risks.
• Develop practical, business-oriented contracting strategies and risk mitigation approaches for transactions of significant complexity, strategic importance, or cross-functional impact.
• Perform legal and factual research, including analysis of contract terms, legal requirements, market practices, and internal contracting standards.
• Work independently on matters of significant complexity or importance while exercising sound legal judgment and escalating issues when appropriate.
• Provide legal services to medium to large complex businesses and collaborate with stakeholders across Legal Affairs, intellectual property, sourcing, IT, privacy, compliance, finance, and business teams.
• Lead transactional processes for matters of significant impact and/or complexity, including coordinating cross-functional reviews, resolving negotiation issues, and supporting timely execution.
• Serve as a subject matter resource in Intellectual Property contracting and licensing
• Support continuous improvement of contract templates, playbooks, clause libraries, negotiation guidance, and contracting processes within the Contracts Center of Excellence.

Your Skills and Expertise 

To set you up for success in this role from day one, 3M requires (at a minimum) the following qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree or higher (completed and verified prior to start).
• Seven (7) years of law firm and/or in-house intellectual property experience in a private, public, government or military environment
• Juris Doctor degree (completed and verified prior to start).
• Member of a United States bar in good standing

Additional qualifications that could help you succeed even further in this role include:

• Bachelor’s degree or higher from an accredited university in math, physics, engineering,  science, IT, or equivalent experience
• Knowledge and experience with AI tools and technologies including contracting technologies
• Business acumen and an ability to provide legal advice in the context of strategic business initiatives and goals
• Highly effective written and verbal communications skills, with an ability to communicate and relate at all levels of the organization including business line leaders, regional heads and senior management
• Results-orientated approach; personal and organizational accountability; and a collegial work style
• High energy and a dedication to responsive client service

Work location:

• Work location: This role follows an on-site working model, requiring the employee to work at least four days a week at the 3M Center in Maplewood, MN. 

Travel: May include up to Up to 15% domestic/international

Relocation Assistance: Is not authorized

Must be legally authorized to work in country of employment with