Senior Director, Intellectual Property

GENERAL SUMMARY:

4DMT is seeking an experienced intellectual property attorney with a focus in patent prosecution to manage 4DMTs intellectual property portfolio and provide strategic counsel and training on all facets of patent trade secret trademark and copyright law including procurement registration enforcement freedom to operate and IP litigation. The role will also counsel 4DMTs R&D and CMC teams on a wide range of day-to-day transactions with partners that are central to their work and well as provide IP input on strategic transactions and support IP diligence efforts. The role will work cross-functionally with R&D CMC Finance Business Development and IT teams and may interact with other teams depending on project needs. The role will report to and be a strategic thought partner to the Chief Legal Officer. The ideal candidate must be an experienced attorney with a strong background in the biopharmaceutical industry and excellent business judgment and interpersonal depth knowledge of the drug development process regulatory and compliance requirements strategic partnerships and commercial strategy is strongly preferred.

MAJOR DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Collaborate with Chief Legal Officer on development of 4DMTs intellectual property strategy.
• Responsible for implementing key elements of 4DMTs intellectual property strategy and manages its patent trade secret and trademark portfolio; implements a strategy for IP lifecycle management.
• Directs outside counsel in the preparation and prosecution of applications and responding to office actions; directs outside counsel in evaluating the patentability of invention submissions and registrability of trademarks globally; manages related outside counsel budgets.
• Identifies strategic areas for patenting trade secret protection and trademarking; collaborates with R&D CMC Clinical Science and other functions to proactively identify and develop patentable intellectual property to prepare file and prosecute.
• Manages patentability freedom-to-operate infringement validity and regulatory exclusivity analyses.
• Identifies and tracks 4DMT trade secrets and provides counsel with respect to 4DMTs trade secret protection practices.
• Provides IP perspective and counseling at 4DMT meetings and presents on IP topics.
• Counsels and trains internal clients on intellectual property practices and policies.
• Conducts IP due diligence for business development activities and supports IP due diligence related to financing activities.
• Drafts reviews and negotiates agreements to support R&D and CMC activities including NDAs MTAs MSAs sponsored research agreements consulting agreements and licenses.
• Collaborates with Legal colleagues Business Development and other key leaders and functions on key strategic agreements including licenses collaboration agreements and other business development efforts.
• Assists with other Legal Department matters including litigation support SEC reporting (IP-related sections) records management compliance activities and template projects.
• Other duties as assigned nothing in this job description restricts managements right to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time.

QUALIFICATIONS:

Education:

• J.D. degree or equivalent from an accredited law school
• Ph.D. in molecular biology genetics biochemistry or other biological field related to the biopharma industry
• Admission to at least one U.S. state bar
• Registered to practice before the United States Patent and Trademark Office

Experience:

• Required:
• 10 years of patent prosecution experience as an attorney in the life sciences field particularly in biopharma (can be a combination of law firm and in-house experience).
• Strong knowledge of patent trade secret and trademark practices as well as current U.S. and foreign patent trade secret and trademark laws
• In-house experience in and knowledge of drug development with expertise in genetic medicines strongly preferred; in-house experience at one or more publicly traded commercial-stage biotechnology pharmaceutical or biopharmaceutical companies.
• Experience managing outside IP counsel and non-attorney legal staff

• Strongly preferred:
  • Experience in counseling life sciences R&D and CMC teams with respect to day-to-day transactions including experience reviewing and negotiating confidentiality agreements manufacturing agreements material transfer agreements sponsored research agreements master services agreements consulting agreements and licenses.
  • Prior experience providing IP input on life sciences strategic transactions.
  • Prior IP litigation experience.

• Other competencies:
  • Excellent analytical and organizational skills and demonstrated ability to effectively collaborate and manage several simultaneous projects under deadline pressure.
  • Excellent communication (verbal and written) listening negotiation and presentation skills.
  • Solid interpersonal skills and the demonstrated ability to influence and partner across all levels of the Company.
  • Highest integrity excellent judgment and the ability to proactively recognize and effectively communicate legal issues to the Chief Legal Officer and other members of company management.

Travel: 5%

Physical Requirements and Working Conditions:

• Physical Requirements - Sedentary work: Exerting up to 10 pounds of force occasionally and/or a negligible amount of force frequently or constantly to lift carry push pull or otherwise move objects including the human body. Sedentary work involves sitting most of the time. Jobs are sedentary if walking and standing are required only occasionally and all other sedentary criteria are met.
• Working Conditions - The worker is not substantially exposed to adverse environmental conditions (as in typical office or administrative work).

Base salary compensation range: $280000 - $330000

Please note the base salary compensation range and actual salary offered to the final candidate depends on various factors: candidates geographical location relevant work experience skills and years of experience.

4DMT provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race color religion gender sexual orientation national origin age disability genetic information marital status status as a covered veteran and any other category protected under applicable federal state provincial and local laws.

Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities