Vice President, Intellectual Property

Job Description

Job Description

Confidential Biotech | Stealth Mode | On-Site in MA

We are partnering with a well-capitalized, stealth-stage biotechnology company developing a differentiated therapeutic platform with the potential to address significant unmet medical needs.

The Vice President, Intellectual Property will serve as a strategic partner to scientific and business leadership, shaping IP strategy that protects innovation, enables partnering, and supports the advancement of a highly focused therapeutic platform with meaningful patient impact. This role is an enterprise-critical intellectual property leadership opportunity at the intersection of discovery science, translational development, and long-range value creation.

The successful leader will bring the judgment to anticipate risk, the fluency to translate complex science into durable patent positions, and the executive presence to guide IP decision-making across a dynamic life sciences organization.

• Define and execute a comprehensive intellectual property strategy aligned to the Company's antibody-based precision medicine platform and pipeline priorities.
• Partner with discovery, translational, clinical, regulatory, and business development leaders to identify protectable inventions, assess patentability, and build layered IP portfolios around core assets and enabling technologies.
• Lead preparation, review, and prosecution strategy for global patent filings, including invention harvesting, claim development, freedom-to-operate support, and lifecycle management.
• Evaluate competitive IP landscapes, monitor third-party patent activity, and provide clear, actionable recommendations to senior leadership on risk, opportunity, and differentiation.
• Support partnering, licensing, and collaboration initiatives by structuring IP positions that preserve strategic optionality and strengthen value in external discussions.
• Oversee relationships with outside counsel and specialty advisors, ensuring high-quality execution, cost discipline, and consistency across jurisdictions and matter types.
• Translate complex scientific concepts into precise legal and business terms for executive decision-making, board-level materials, and cross-functional alignment.
• Build scalable IP processes, policies, and governance practices that support a growing organization and protect confidentiality, inventorship, and know-how across the enterprise.

• J.D. from an accredited law school and active bar membership in good standing; advanced scientific training such as a Ph.D. in biology, biochemistry, immunology, chemistry, or a related field strongly preferred.
• 15+ years of progressive intellectual property experience in life sciences, with deep exposure to patents supporting biologics, antibody therapeutics, antibody-nucleic acid conjugates, gene and cell therapy, or platform technologies; VP-level scope and judgment expected.
• Demonstrated expertise in patent prosecution, portfolio strategy, claim analysis, and IP due diligence, with the ability to align legal strategy to scientific and business objectives.
• Strong working knowledge of biology and chemistry concepts relevant to therapeutic discovery and development.
• Proven ability to apply critical thinking, complex problem solving, and sound judgment to evaluate patentability, inventorship, FTO, and competitive positioning.
• Excellent written comprehension and oral expression skills, with the ability to draft, edit, and present crisp materials for scientific, legal, and executive audiences.
• Experience collaborating across cross-functional teams in a highly matrixed environment, demonstrating diplomacy, influence, and decision-making under ambiguity.
• High comfort with regulated, data-driven environments and the discipline required to manage confidential information and maintain rigorous documentation practices.