Sr. Director, Legal – Mergers & Acquisitions

A Day in Your Life at MKS:

MKS is seeking an experienced legal professional to join its global Legal Department as Sr. Director, Legal – Mergers & Acquisitions. This individual will serve in the Legal lead role in M&A and corporate-level strategic initiatives and other special projects. The ideal candidate is someone who has significant experience wearing multiple hats in a legal department and strong business acumen. This role serves as a strategic partner to business and functional leaders across the organization.

You Will Make an Impact By:

• Partner with Corporate Development from preliminary structuring through signing, closing, integration, and post-closing matters relating to M&A transactions, including:
  • Drafting and negotiating NDAs, LOIs, purchase and sale agreements, transition services agreement, and other ancillary deal documents;
  • Managing legal due diligence, turning findings into risk assessments and deal protections;
  • Working with Tax/Treasury and outside counsel on deal structure, R&W insurance and financing;
  • Managing regulatory workstreams with internal and external experts, including HSR and global antitrust filings, CFIUS and foreign investment reviews, export controls and other relevant regulatory matters;
  • Present deal legal risk assessments and recommendations to executive leadership;
  • Lead the Legal integration workstream, including Day 1 readiness, risk remediation and post-closing obligations; and
  • Manage outside counsel and related budget.
• Establish approval, escalation, and decision-making protocols for M&A transactions.
• Build and improve M&A deal playbooks, templates, diligence checklists, and integration processes.
• Serve as the Legal lead or play a key role in companywide strategic initiatives, such as data governance, AI governance, business/operational transformation, change management, identifying, evaluating and advising on legal and business risks.
• Support Legal Department initiatives, partnering with all Legal functional teams to execute function-specific and department-wide goals.

Skills You Bring:

• JD from an accredited law school, active bar license (does not have to be MA based)
• 12+ years of relevant legal experience, including substantial experience leading complex domestic and cross border M&A transactions, spanning a variety of transaction types, including acquisitions, divestitures, and mergers involving public and private companies.
• Combination of law firm and in-house experience strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to independently lead complex transactions from inception through integration.
• Strong project/program-management skills and ability to navigate global, cross-functional teams in a matrixed organization.
• Excellent oral, written and interpersonal communication skills, coupled with the ability to synthesize complex legal concepts into clear, concise, and pragmatic legal advice to support business objectives.
• Exceptional ability to multitask, stay organized, and manage competing priorities.
• Attention to detail and accuracy as well as comfort working in a fast-paced environment.
• Unwavering ethics and integrity in all engagements.
• Collaborative and collegial team player who fosters positive working relationships through empathy, respect, and professionalism.

• Self-starter with executive presence, mature judgement and the ability to operate independently.

Physical Demands and Working Conditions:

• Perform activities such as sitting, standing, or typing for extended periods of time
• Regularly requires good manual dexterity and coordination
• Must be able to communicate information and ideas so others will understand
• Must be able to exchange accurate information
• The ability to observe documents and details at close range (within a few feet of the observer)
• Operates in a professional office environment
• Constantly operates a computer and other office productivity machinery
• Noise level in the work environment is usually average

Compensation and Benefits:

• Salary Pay Range: $200,000 - $334,000 USD Annual per year. This range is a good faith estimate of the expected salary range for this position, based on a wide range of factors including qualifications, experience and training, operational and business needs and other considerations permitted by law.
• Bonus: This position is eligible for a discretionary annual bonus, in an amount to be determined by MKS [or as applicable].
• Benefits: MKS offers a comprehensive benefits package, including health insurance coverage (medical, dental and vision), 401(k) with company match, life and disability insurance, 12 paid holidays, sick time, 15 paid vacation days, [6 weeks fully paid] parental leave, adoption assistance and tuition reimbursement [and for participation in any stock programs, signing bonus, etc.

This position is open to remote candidate but there is a strong preference to be based HYBRID and within commutable distance to our location in Andover, MA given primary function and support is based there.

We are interested in a qualified candidates eligible to work in the United States and will not be sponsoring work visas for this position, at this time.

MKS is an equal opportunity employer, including disability, veteran status and all categories protected by law. Please review our EOE statements for additional details. MKS is generally only hiring candidates who reside in states where we are registered to do business.

Globally, our policy is to recruit individuals from wide and diverse backgrounds. However, certain positions require access to controlled goods and technologies subject to the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) or Export Administration Regulations (EAR). Applicants for these positions may need to be “U.S. persons.” “U.S. persons” are generally defined as U.S. citizens, noncitizen nationals, lawful permanent residents (or, green card holders), individuals granted asylum, and individuals admitted as refugees.

MKS Inc. and its affiliates and subsidiaries (“MKS”) is an affirmative action and equal opportunity employer: diverse candidates are encouraged to apply. We win as a team and are committed to recruiting and hiring qualified applicants regardless of race, color, national origin, sex (including pregnancy and pregnancy-related conditions), religion, age, ancestry, physical or mental disability or handicap, marital status, membership in the uniformed services, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, or any other category protected by applicable law. Hiring decisions are based on merit, qualifications and business needs. We conduct background checks and drug screens, in accordance with applicable law and company policies. MKS is generally only hiring candidates who reside in states where we are registered to do business.

It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

MKS is committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation during the application or interview process due to a disability, please contact us at: accommodationsatMKS@mksinst.com.

If applying for a specific job, please include the requisition number (ex: RXXXX), the title and location of the role

Choose MKS Inc., and Push the Boundaries of Possibility

At MKS, it's all about courage, big ideas, and a serious passion for innovation. Winning here is about exploring possibilities, taking action, and solving our customers’ toughest challenges. It's not just a job – it's what you make of it. While you shape your role and make it unique, we invest in you with on-the-job and formal training, as well as educational assistance. Curiosity is key at MKS - ask questions, own your path.

Our success comes from celebrating the unique skills, diverse perspectives, and lived experience of employees from over 100 countries. The goal is to make sure that everyone feels that they belong. Diversity isn't just a nice-to-have; making sure everyone feels included is a big deal for us.

Our group of ~10,000 employees serves semiconductor manufacturing, electronics and packaging, and specialty industrial markets. With over 3,800 patents, our products are enabling advancements in 5G, renewable energy & storage, artificial intelligence, cloud technology, and big data. We're the behind-the-scenes support for some amazing technology.

MKS Inc., enables technologies that transform our world. MKS Inc, Product Overview