Director, Intellectual Property Operations
Vertex Pharmaceuticals
August 20, 2026
Remote friendly (Boston, MA)
United States
Corporate Functions
The Director, Intellectual Property Operations leads and continuously improves Vertex’s IP Operations function, driving operational excellence through project execution, project management, communication, collaboration, and management of a team supporting patent and trademark administration, docketing, annuities, budgeting, software assessment, standard practices, and vendor engagement/management.
Key Responsibilities
- Define and maintain the IP Operations roadmap; lead complex, cross-functional projects to improve efficiency and streamline workflows.
- Manage project plans, timelines, deliverables, and stakeholder communications.
- Drive process improvements and change management; provide risk assessments and recommendations to IP leadership.
- Advise IP leadership on operational strategy, resourcing, prioritization, and cross-functional tradeoffs; provide regular patent portfolio status reporting.
- Develop IP Operations technology and data strategy, including governance, data integrity, reporting, and software transitions/updates.
- Lead data/reporting/technology prioritization governance; set an AI/emerging technology roadmap for automation and scalable execution.
- Lead and develop a paralegal team for docketing, annuity management, and portfolio administration; establish annual priorities, resource allocation, operating rhythms, and accountability.
- Ensure compliance with internal procedures and IP regulatory requirements; champion strategic AI adoption.
- Partner with attorneys, Finance, Technologists, procurement, and external counsel; communicate risks and recommendations; foster a collaborative, enterprise-focused culture.
- Drive portfolio review, budgeting, and vendor governance; manage the annual IP budget and forecasting; oversee vendor governance and outside counsel billing/invoice management.
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree and/or equivalent combination of relevant education, training, and professional experience.
Desired Qualifications/Experience (10+ years preferred)
- 10+ years managing legal operations paralegals/legal operations/IP operations (or related function); leading teams and complex cross-functional projects.
- Experience with enterprise software/databases for large data sets; advising senior leaders with executive-ready materials.
- Strong budgeting/forecasting, vendor management, and spend monitoring.
- Experience leveraging AI/automation for workflows, data management, reporting, and efficiency; IP operations experience preferred.
Preferred Skills
- Strategic planning and prioritization; independence and sound judgment; financial acumen.
- Strong communication; partnership-building; people leadership and continuous improvement.
Key Responsibilities
- Define and maintain the IP Operations roadmap; lead complex, cross-functional projects to improve efficiency and streamline workflows.
- Manage project plans, timelines, deliverables, and stakeholder communications.
- Drive process improvements and change management; provide risk assessments and recommendations to IP leadership.
- Advise IP leadership on operational strategy, resourcing, prioritization, and cross-functional tradeoffs; provide regular patent portfolio status reporting.
- Develop IP Operations technology and data strategy, including governance, data integrity, reporting, and software transitions/updates.
- Lead data/reporting/technology prioritization governance; set an AI/emerging technology roadmap for automation and scalable execution.
- Lead and develop a paralegal team for docketing, annuity management, and portfolio administration; establish annual priorities, resource allocation, operating rhythms, and accountability.
- Ensure compliance with internal procedures and IP regulatory requirements; champion strategic AI adoption.
- Partner with attorneys, Finance, Technologists, procurement, and external counsel; communicate risks and recommendations; foster a collaborative, enterprise-focused culture.
- Drive portfolio review, budgeting, and vendor governance; manage the annual IP budget and forecasting; oversee vendor governance and outside counsel billing/invoice management.
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree and/or equivalent combination of relevant education, training, and professional experience.
Desired Qualifications/Experience (10+ years preferred)
- 10+ years managing legal operations paralegals/legal operations/IP operations (or related function); leading teams and complex cross-functional projects.
- Experience with enterprise software/databases for large data sets; advising senior leaders with executive-ready materials.
- Strong budgeting/forecasting, vendor management, and spend monitoring.
- Experience leveraging AI/automation for workflows, data management, reporting, and efficiency; IP operations experience preferred.
Preferred Skills
- Strategic planning and prioritization; independence and sound judgment; financial acumen.
- Strong communication; partnership-building; people leadership and continuous improvement.