IP & Alliance Manager

---

Job description

Description:

Trailhead Biosystems is seeking a life sciences IP specialist with 3-5 years of experience, who enjoys leveraging IP strategies to support Trailhead Biosystems' mission to create industrial grade special human cells and therapies. The successful candidate, reporting to Senior IP Counsel, will directly support multiple scientific and therapeutic programs of Trailhead Biosystems, contribute to global patent preparation and prosecution strategy and help build the company's intellectual property portfolio. In addition, the successful candidate is expected to routinely provide diligence and research support to the scientific and business teams of the company. The successful candidate should have meaningful patent drafting and prosecution experience in cell therapy, immunology, and/or life science technologies in general and significant research or technical experience in one or more of these fields. Candidate does not need to be registered to practice before the USPTO as a patent agent.

Responsibilities:

· Work closely with scientists to capture innovations, and review and analyze invention disclosures and proposed publications.

· Contribute to the drafting, filing, prosecution, and maintenance of patent applications that are high quality and strategically aligned with business goals.

· Develop a deep understanding of patent portfolios in support of worldwide patent prosecution and contribute to company's global prosecution strategy.

· Provide hands-on direction and input to outside counsel, including reviewing and revising a wide variety of work product, such as patent applications and office action responses.

· Perform IP due diligence, technology assessments, and landscape and FTO analyses.

· Support scientific and business development teams and activities, including with product, technology and scientific research.

· Monitor and analyze competitive intellectual property.

· Implement and administer IP policies and best practices

· Manage IP reporting obligations with government funding organizations and in connection with company collaborations.

· Support intellectual property-related transactional work

· Maintain a strong knowledge practice before the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office

Requirements:

· Ph.D. in a molecular biology, cell biology, immunology, or related discipline is strongly preferred; B.S./M.S. with significant work experience in stem cells, cell therapy, tissue engineering, and/or gene engineering may also be considered.

· Minimum 2+ years of experience in the patent department at a pharmaceutical or life sciences company or at a law firm representing clients in the field of life sciences, biotechnology, or closely related patent areas working on patent application preparation, patent prosecution, client counseling, opinions, patent litigation and IP transactional matters.

· Experience in U.S. and foreign intellectual property law relating to the biotechnology or pharmaceutical industries

· 3-5 years of experience conducting high-quality patent search and diligence projects, including conducting scientific journal and patent searching on Internet databases.

· Strong technological aptitude for learning and working with a range of technologies; and a willingness to learn and engage with Trailhead employees and outside counsel in other technology areas, including small molecule drugs, formulations, and cell manufacturing.

· Excellent writing, communication, organizational, problem-solving, and analytical skills.

· Proven track record of communicating complicated IP issues to scientists and management.

· Capable of recognizing, assessing, and responding to urgent matters with timely, practical, and clear solutions.

· Strong interpersonal skills and ability to strategically educate and support fellow employees.

· Self-directed and proactive, comfortable executing on multiple projects independently and in collaboration with others.

· Admission to the USPTO as a registered patent agent is not required. Company will support based on candidate's interest in becoming admitted to practice before the USPTO as a registered patent agent, and to obtain a law degree at an ABA accredited law school in its evening division.