Sr Director, Intellectual Property

Reporting to the VP, Intellectual Property, the Senior Director, Intellectual Property supports a broad scope of companywide intellectual property matters.  This attorney will be a trusted advisor to the Company by providing strategic counsel on all facets of patent law with a focus on the Company’s small molecule portfolio.  This attorney will also have responsibilities that include trademarks, copyrights, IP litigation and contracts.  

The Sr. Director will be onsite in Menlo Park, CA, typically 3 days per week.

Responsibilities:

• In this role, you will establish rapport and positive working relationships with project/program teams by acting as their advisor on a variety of IP-related issues including publication reviews, IP agreement negotiation and support, and other IP issues that arise in the usual course of a growing commercial pharma business
• You will advise on a wide range of IP matters, including patent preparation and prosecution, portfolio management of wholly owned and in-licensed IP, IP strategy, IP litigation, patentability, and freedom-to-operate analyses
• Prepare and prosecute patent applications, including building relationships within the company to identify inventions and provide guidance to management around IP filing and prosecution strategy to align with the Company’s business objectives
• Work closely with and manage outside IP counsel
• Contributing to the development of consistent policies/procedures for IP disclosure and documentation
• Identify training needs within the organization and assist in the development and presentation of training materials on relevant IP laws and related business issues

Preferred Skills, Qualifications and Technical Proficiencies:

• Active membership in good standing in at least one state bar required as well as be admitted to practice before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
• Complex contract drafting and negotiations skills required
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills necessary
• Ability to provide timely, practical, and actionable legal advice
• High emotional intelligence, capable of collaboratively influencing decision-making through the respectful exchange of competing ideas and perspectives
• Self-driven to identify and solve complex and challenging problems

Preferred Education and Experience:

• 12+ years at a law firm and/or in-house experience handling patent preparation and prosecution with focused expertise on pharmaceutical small molecule matters.
• A Masters or Ph.D. in Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, or related chemical science is required.
• J.D. from a respected law school and overall strong academic and job history credentials

The pay range that the Company reasonably expects to pay for this headquarters-based position is $252,000 - $300,000; the pay ultimately offered may vary based on legitimate considerations, including geographic location, job-related knowledge, skills, experience, and education.

 Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis.

If you are based in California, we encourage you to read this important information for California residents linked here.