Senior Patent Counsel / Director, Intellectual Property

Altos Labs
San Diego, CA
On-site

Who this role is best for

Best suited to patent professionals with pharmaceutical industry experience working in San Diego, CA, who can manage global portfolios and thrive in emerging scientific domains.

Best fit for

  • Candidates with 7+ years of experience in patent prosecution and industry IP strategy
    — “7+/12+ years of experience as patent prosecutor, preferably including law firm and industry experience.”
  • Individuals with a background in global pharmaceutical development and commercialization
    — “Experience in global pharmaceutical drug development and commercialization is required.”
  • Professionals who can navigate ambiguous science and legal landscapes with strategic IP decisions
    — “Dealing with Ambiguity: You thrive in the 'grey areas.' You effectively cope with change, shift gears comfortably, and make strategic IP decisions particularly when the underlying science or legal precedents are still emerging and undefined.”

Things to consider

  • This role requires a strong commitment to in-person work in San Diego, California.
    — “This position reports to the Vice President, IP and is an onsite role in San Diego, California.”
  • Candidates must be registered with the USPTO and have a PhD in a relevant science.
    — “PhD in Chemistry or related science. Registered before United States Patent and Trademark Office is required.”

How to stand out

  • Highlight experience in handling inter partes reviews and oppositions in patent filings
    — “managing and successfully resolving patent office actions such as inter partes reviews, reexaminations, post grant reviews, and oppositions.”
  • Demonstrate ability to counsel business stakeholders on freedom to operate and regulatory exclusivities
    — “Counsel business stakeholders on freedom to operate analyses, patentability, and global regulatory exclusivities.”
  • Showcase your track record of building effective cross-functional partnerships within legal and compliance teams
    — “Develop and maintain effective partnerships across the business and within the legal and compliance functions to provide advice, risk assessment, and strategy on IP matters.”
Pace · SteadyCollaboration · HighAutonomy · MediumDecision Impact · Company

Derived from job-description analysis by Serendipath's career intelligence engine.

What success looks like

  • created and managed global patent portfolios
  • provided pragmatic and actionable advice
  • developed and maintained effective partnerships
Typical background
experience in patent prosecution and management

Skills & requirements

Required

Patent ProsecutionFreedom To Operate AnalysesPatentabilityGlobal Regulatory ExclusivitiesIP Risk AssessmentIP Strategy

Preferred

Gene TherapySmall MoleculesLarge MoleculesTrade SecretsCopyrightsTrademarks

Stack & domain

Patent ProsecutionPatent Portfolio ManagementFreedom To Operate AnalysesPatentabilityGlobal Regulatory ExclusivitiesTrade SecretsCopyrightsTrademarksIP TermsIP RisksIP StrategyIP ComplianceIP Case LawIP TrendsOutside Counsel ManagementHigh IntegrityDealing With AmbiguityBias To ActionCourageTeamworkCollaborationPragmaticSound JudgmentBreaking Down SilosLegalPatentIntellectual PropertyLegal ComplianceLegal StrategyLegal Risk AssessmentLegal Decision-makingLegal Solutions

About the role

Original posting from Altos Labs via Greenhouse

Our Mission

Our mission is to restore cell health and resilience through cell rejuvenation to reverse disease, injury, and the disabilities that can occur throughout life.

For more information, see our website at altoslabs.com.

Our Value

Our Single Altos Value: Everyone Owns Achieving Our Inspiring Mission.

Diversity at Altos

Altos Labs has been named one of the Top 3 Biotech Companies and ranked for the second year on the Forbes 2026 Best Startups in America list.  At Altos, exceptional scientists and industry leaders from around the world work together to advance a shared mission. Our intentional focus is on Belonging, so that all employees know that they are valued for their unique perspectives. We are all accountable for sustaining a diverse and inclusive environment.

What You Will Contribute To Altos

We are seeking a creative and engaged patent lawyer or patent agent to join a dynamic legal department.  The person in this role will create and manage global patent portfolios that protect our groundbreaking innovations in cellular programming, computational biology, and ultimately  novel transformative therapeutics for patients.

This position report to the Vice President, IP and is an onsite role in San Diego, California.

Key Responsibilities 

Prepare, prosecute, and maintain global patent portfolios for various therapeutic modalities including small molecules, large molecules and gene therapy.  Includes the drafting and filing patent applications, managing and successfully resolving patent office actions such as inter partes reviews, reexaminations, post grant reviews, and oppositions.  

Identify and evaluate data for patentability and invention capture.

Conduct due diligence assessments and provide pragmatic and actionable advice based on those assessments.

Counsel business stakeholders on freedom to operate analyses, patentability, and global regulatory exclusivities.

Provide advice and counsel on trade secrets, copyrights and trademarks as needed.

Review, draft, and negotiate IP terms in collaboration with transactional legal team.

Identify, assess, and communicate IP risks to business stakeholders.

Develop and maintain effective partnerships across the business and within the legal and compliance functions to provide advice, risk assessment, and strategy on IP matters.

Maintain current knowledge of IP case law and emerging industry trends.

Effectively manage outside counsel work product and budget.

Core Competencies

To succeed in our highly dynamic environment, the ideal candidate must demonstrate:

High Integrity:  You act with honesty, keep commitments, and take full accountability for your actions. You are a role model for our organizational values and adhere to ethical guidelines even under pressure.

Dealing with Ambiguity: You thrive in the "grey areas." You effectively cope with change, shift gears comfortably, and make strategic IP decisions particularly when the underlying science or legal precedents are still emerging and undefined.

Bias to Action:  You willing to roll up your sleeves to get into the details and drive creative solutions, while also being able to think on the fly and enable fast decision making.   

Courage: You lean into smart risk taking and cutting-edge approaches to creating IP value.  You embrace healthy conflict and do not shy away from difficult conversations.

Teamwork and Collaboration: You are a natural bridge-builder, think pragmatically, and use sound judgment.  You break down silos. You foster a culture of shared success and ensure IP is experienced as a strategic partner.

Who You Are

Qualifications

Education & Credentials:

PhD in Chemistry or related science.

Registered before United States Patent and Trademark Office is required.

If lawyer, 

Juris Doctorate from an ABA-accredited law school

Admitted to California Bar or ability to qualify as Registered In-House Counsel. 

Experience & Technical Skills:

7+/12+ years of experience as patent prosecutor, preferably including law firm and industry experience. 

Experience in global pharmaceutical drug development and commercialization is required.  

The salary range for San Diego:

Director, IP: $286,300 - $367,000

#LI-NN1

Exact compensation may vary based on skills, experience, and location.

For UK applicants, before submitting your application:

  • Please click here to read the Altos Labs EU and UK Applicant Privacy Notice (bit.ly/eu_uk_privacy_notice)
  • This Privacy Notice is not a contract, express or implied and it does not set terms or conditions of employment.

Equal Opportunity Employment

We value collaboration and scientific excellence.

We believe that a culture of belonging are foundational to scientific innovation and inquiry. At Altos Labs, exceptional scientists and industry leaders from around the world work together to advance a shared mission. Our intentional focus is on Belonging, so that all employees know that they are valued for their unique perspectives. We are all accountable for sustaining an inclusive environment.

Altos Labs provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment, without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. Altos prohibits unlawful discrimination and harassment. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.

Thank you for your interest in Altos Labs where we strive for a culture of scientific excellence, learning, and belonging.

Note: Altos Labs will not ask you to download a messaging app for an interview or outlay your own money to get started as an employee. If this sounds like your interaction with people claiming to be with Altos, it is not legitimate and has nothing to do with Altos. Learn more about a common job scam at https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-spot-avoid-online-job-scams-biron-clark/

Source: Altos Labs careers (Greenhouse)

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