Senior Director, Sr. Corporate Counsel, IP

The Senior Director, Corporate Counsel, Intellectual Property (IP), will develop and execute robust global patent and IP strategies for Jazz's products, product candidates, platform technologies, and newly acquired or licensed assets, ensuring alignment with corporate growth objectives and maximizing the value of the company's innovation portfolio. In addition, the Sr. Corporate Counsel, IP will play a critical role in supporting Jazz's corporate development objectives by leading intellectual property due diligence, integration planning, and strategic portfolio development across acquisitions, licensing transactions, collaborations, and other strategic business opportunities.

This individual will serve as a trusted advisor to Corporate Development, R&D, Business Development, and senior leadership, providing sophisticated IP analyses that inform transaction structures, valuation, risk assessment, and post-transaction integration strategies. Initially, this position reports directly to the VP of Legal & IP.

Key Job Responsibilities

• Serve as a critical IP advisor to Corporate Development teams, providing strategic support for acquisitions, licensing transactions, collaborations, joint ventures, divestitures, and other strategic transactions.

• Conduct comprehensive IP due diligence for potential acquisitions, in-licensing opportunities, collaborations, and strategic partnerships, including freedom-to-operate evaluations, portfolio strength analyses, exclusivity assessments, and identification of material IP risks and value drivers.

• Prepare and communicate clear, actionable diligence findings and recommendations to executive leadership, transaction teams, and legal leadership to support decision-making, valuation, negotiation strategy, and transaction structuring.

• Partner closely with Transformation Office and cross-functional stakeholders to develop and execute post-transaction integration strategies, including patent portfolio optimization, ownership alignment, prosecution strategy harmonization, and identification of opportunities to enhance long-term asset value.

• Develop and execute sophisticated global patent strategies that support business objectives, strengthen competitive positioning and exclusivity, and maximize the value of both internally developed and externally acquired or licensed assets.

• Build and manage high-value global patent portfolios from invention capture through patent issuance and lifecycle management, ensuring alignment with product development and commercialization strategies.

• Provide strategic input into transaction documents, including licensing agreements, collaboration agreements, acquisition agreements, due diligence reports, representations and warranties, IP covenants, and integration-related provisions.

• Build effective partnerships with stakeholders across research, development, commercial, regulatory, business development, and corporate development functions to deliver practical, business-focused IP advice.

• Conduct freedom-to-operate, infringement, validity, patentability, and competitive landscape analyses and develop risk mitigation strategies in support of business objectives.

• Effectively manage outside counsel supporting patent prosecution, IP due diligence, litigation, opinions, and other strategic matters to ensure high-quality, efficient, and commercially focused outcomes.

• Counsel senior management and cross-functional teams on intellectual property risks, opportunities, exclusivity strategies, competitive positioning, and portfolio optimization initiatives.

• Review publications, presentations, press releases, and other public disclosures to protect patent rights and support external communication strategies.

• Advise on and/or lead contentious and adversarial matters involving company assets, including patent litigation, IPRs, PGRs, European oppositions, and related proceedings.

• Lead and contribute to departmental initiatives aimed at enhancing IP operations, diligence capabilities, portfolio management processes, and overall organizational effectiveness.

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Fully qualified U.S. Patent Attorney or Agent with 10+ years of relevant intellectual property experience in the biopharmaceutical industry, including substantial in-house experience supporting corporate development, licensing, collaborations, mergers and acquisitions, or other strategic transactions.

• Undergraduate degree in biological sciences, biochemistry, chemistry, or another discipline relevant to pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, or life sciences; advanced degree preferred.

• Significant experience leading IP due diligence for acquisitions, licensing transactions, collaborations, venture investments, and other strategic corporate transactions.

• Demonstrated experience evaluating, integrating, and maximizing the value of acquired or licensed patent portfolios and intellectual property assets.

• Deep expertise in patent portfolio development, lifecycle management, exclusivity strategies, freedom-to-operate analyses, and competitive intelligence.

• Ability to work in dynamic, fast-paced team environment; flexible and responsive self-starter who can operate independently as well as collaboratively across the business.

• Excellent written, verbal, and presentation skills, with the ability to distill complex legal and scientific concepts into clear business recommendations for senior executives.

• Strategic thinker who anticipates business challenges, identifies opportunities to create and protect enterprise value, and develops creative, practical solutions.

• Proven ability to influence decision-making across cross-functional teams and build trusted partnerships with executives, researchers, commercial leaders, and corporate development professionals.

• Strong project management, prioritization, and organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple high-impact initiatives simultaneously.

• Experience in patent litigation, post-grant proceedings, oppositions, and other adversarial matters is a plus.

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