Executive Director, Intellectual Property

Job Overview The Executive Director of Intellectual Property (IP) is a highly experienced, strategic, and driven intellectual property attorney who will provide advice and counseling to the business on a broad range of scientific and IP legal issues. This key member of the legal team reports to the Vice President, Intellectual Property and will be responsible for providing IP legal support to a number of different programs at various stages of development. The ideal candidate has a strong understanding of patent law, Orange Book listings, ANDA litigation and brings creative and strategic approaches to protecting Kardigan’s efforts. Position is hybrid, primarily located in South San Francisco, CA or Princeton, NJ. Requires onsite 4 days per week (Mon–Thu). Essential Duties and Responsibilities Conceptualize, develop, implement and manage intellectual property portfolio strategies worldwide to maximize value and utility of IP assets for current and future commercial assets. Provide expert IP advice to senior scientific and business leaders, demonstrating thoughtful risk management in decision making. Identify, prepare, prosecute, and manage patent applications and annual patent portfolio to ensure efficient use of resources. Collaborate with various functions within Kardigan to foster a science‑driven and innovative environment that ensures IP is effectively identified, captured and filed. Oversee strategies for addressing competitor IP, including administrative proceedings such as oppositions, post‑grant reviews, inter‑parties reviews, and re‑examinations. Provide IP transactional support for business transactions, clinical agreements, collaborative research agreements, and license and acquisition agreements. Manage relationships and agreements with external legal counsel and vendors. Qualifications and Preferred Skills Advanced degree in chemical sciences with synthetic laboratory experience; Ph.D. organic chemistry is beneficial. Law degree from an ABA‑accredited law school. Admitted to the bar of at least one U.S. state or the District of Columbia. Registered to practice before the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). 15–25 years of professional legal experience as a patent professional (e.g., patent agent or patent attorney). Prior experience as a member of an in‑house legal team in a pharmaceutical, biopharmaceutical, or biotechnology company, including management of a complex patent portfolio and pharmaceutical product support. Experience supporting a clinical asset from phase 3 through product launch is strongly preferred. Direct experience supporting ANDA litigation is also preferred. Experience in proprietary name selection and trademark clearance is a plus. Salary Exact compensation may vary based on skills, experience and location. Pay range: $280,000 – $381,000 USD. EEO Statement As set forth in Kardigan’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy, we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law. #J-18808-Ljbffr Kardigan