Vice President (VP), Intellectual Property

Nearly 37 million Americans are currently affected by Chronic Kidney Disease. 37 million. At Akebia we take that number very seriously and every day we come to work, with the purpose of bettering the lives of each person impacted by kidney disease and the renal community that serves them.

Our tenacious, passionate employees’ challenge the status quo and work to develop unique therapeutics that have the potential to set new standards of care for people living with kidney disease.

This is life-changing work, and we are all in, are you?

This position is currently based in our Cambridge, MA office. Please note that our offices will be relocating to Waltham, MA later this year, and this role will transition accordingly. We follow a flexible, “magnet not mandate” approach to in-office work, encouraging collaboration and onsite engagement while supporting hybrid flexibility based on role and business needs.

Job Summary

Akebia is seeking an experienced intellectual property lawyer to join its high performing team, head its intellectual property function and manage a multitude of complex intellectual property-related matters for the company. Reporting to the Chief Legal Officer, the successful candidate will be both a strategic business partner and positive cultural leader. This position will be based in Cambridge/Waltham, MA and work closely with the research and development (R&D) and chemistry manufacturing and controls (CMC) teams to identify new patent opportunities and develop and execute corresponding patent portfolio strategies. The Vice President, Intellectual Property will also counsel colleagues in matters related to patent portfolio and strategy, support due diligence efforts for evaluation of new in-licensing opportunities, and manage any intellectual property litigation matters.

• Responsible for the development and execution of the IP strategy and serve as the key advisor on intellectual property matters impacting the business
• Collaborate with Akebia’s R&D and CMC teams to prepare, file and prosecute patent applications
• Advise the Chief Legal Officer, Executive Leadership Team and Board of Directors regarding intellectual property matters
• Develop intellectual property strategies for Akebia’s product candidates
• Work closely with Akebia’s collaboration partners on patent matters
• Support business development efforts and lead IP due diligence work
• Negotiate, and assist in drafting intellectual property provisions in agreements and advise the business on related intellectual property risks
• Manage and direct outside counsel in intellectual property patent preparation and prosecution, litigation matters, and other intellectual property matters in a cost-effective manner
• Monitor the competitive patent landscape for potential risks and opportunities

The ideal candidate for the position of Vice President, Intellectual Property will have the following qualifications:

Basic Qualifications:

• J.D. and admission to the Patent Bar
• PhD in Organic Chemistry or Biology (or similar discipline)
• Small molecule and/or biologic patent experience
• Strong litigation experience
• At least 10 years of experience in law firm or in-house biopharmaceutical company settings
• Ability to build strong relationships across functions
• Excellent interpersonal, decision-making, organizational and communication skills

Preferred Qualifications:

• In-house experience with biopharmaceutical companies is a plus
• Strong organizational and project management skills with an ability to handle multiple tasks and quickly and effectively prioritize and make decisions
• Ability to think strategically and communicate complex concepts in ways that are understood and actionable by cross-functional teams
• Strong attention to detail and proactive approach
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Confident, pragmatic, approachable and solution-oriented
• Comfortable in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment
• Self-motivated and able to perform role independently, with a minimum level of supervision.

Base Compensation for this role will depend on a number of factors including a candidate’s qualifications, skills, competencies, and experience, and may fall outside of the range shown. Base pay is only one component of the company’s total rewards package, all regular employees are also eligible for the corporate bonus program or the incentive compensation program (if applicable), as well as equity. Additional benefits include health care, vision, dental, retirement, PTO, etc.

Targeted Base Salary

$307,649—$380,036 USD

Are you an Akebian?

An Akebian is curious, empathetic, and values making connections to people and ideas. Akebian’s aren’t afraid of diving in and owning a process or a problem, because we all want to deliver a great solution. Akebian’s believe that we are better together because we are all working toward a common purpose – to better the life of each person impacted by kidney disease. Want to learn more about what it means to be an Akebian? Visit our website:

Akebia is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes all job applicants. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, disability, or any other factors prohibited by law.