Assistant/ Associate Director, In-House Patent Agent - Biochemistry or Molecular/Cellular Biology

Role Summary

Ionis seeks a patent agent to assist in managing day-to-day intellectual property efforts to support multiple compounds in pre-clinical/clinical development featuring the company’s innovative RNA- and DNA-targeted technology. The successful candidate will be responsible for a wide range of IP related matters with an emphasis on patent preparation, patent prosecution, publication review, IP diligence, and freedom-to-operate and patentability opinion drafting.

Responsibilities

• Identifying inventions and drafting and prosecuting patent applications relating to RNA- and DNA-targeted technology
• Reviewing scientific publications
• Conducting strategic IP analysis and due diligence, including analyzing third-party patent portfolios
• Preparing FTO and patentability opinions
• Providing support for offensive and defensive legal proceedings including IPRs, reexams, oppositions, and patent litigation
• Supporting IP licensing and transactions and reviewing IP aspects of contracts
• Managing the use of outside legal counsel, globally
• Participate and contribute to ongoing IP initiatives and professional development activities
• Other duties as assigned

Qualifications

• At least 6 years of experience patenting in the life sciences, preferably in therapeutics, and some experience with a law firm preferred
• Registered to practice before the US Patent and Trademark Office
• Graduate degree in biochemistry or molecular/cellular biology, or equivalent experience
• Experience in patent preparation, global patent prosecution, and IP due diligence
• Exceptional interpersonal skills and the capacity to work and communicate effectively with the supervising patent attorney and collaborate with research and development teams
• Excellent judgment, effective problem-solving skills, and the ability to escalate legal matters as needed
• Professional, clear, and concise written and verbal communication
• High degree of professionalism and strong ethical standards
• Keen attention to detail
• Ability to enthusiastically set and meet aggressive deadlines while staying organized
• Capable of appropriately prioritizing and handling multiple complex legal matters to ensure timely project completion