Counsel, IP

Waymo • San Francisco, CA

1d • Hybrid

About The Position

Waymo is an autonomous driving technology company focused on building the Waymo Driver and expanding access to mobility while improving road safety. As part of Waymo’s Legal team, the Counsel, IP will address legal issues related to autonomous driving technology and support business lines from technology ideation through scaled commercial deployment. This hybrid role reports to an Assistant General Counsel.

The Counsel, IP will build and manage global patent portfolios for key technology areas, including lidar, radar, cameras, and compute. The role covers the full patent lifecycle, from patent harvest sessions and disclosure reviews to strategic filing decisions, global prosecution, portfolio maintenance, and portfolio analysis. It also involves managing outside patent counsel; advising business, product, engineering, and research teams on intellectual property; counseling on IP terms in transactions; collaborating on IP matters in agreements; reviewing public disclosures for IP risks and confidentiality; and coordinating responses to IP-related communications, including potential acquisition and licensing opportunities.

Requirements

• JD degree with a strong academic record.
• State bar membership.
• Admission to practice before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
• At least 6 years of relevant legal experience.
• Solid technical background or understanding of technology used in autonomous vehicles, sensor hardware, or semiconductors.
• Demonstrated experience managing a global patent portfolio and conducting patent analysis.
• Demonstrated experience providing direct counseling to engineering and research teams.
• Demonstrated experience advising on IP terms in commercial or collaboration agreements.
• Ability to understand cross-functional perspectives and navigate ambiguity.
• Ability to identify and create streamlined processes to support a growing company.
• Execution-oriented approach, with strong interpersonal, communication, and teamwork skills.
• Experience presenting to senior management and technical teams.
• Willingness to work in a startup environment and flexibly contribute as an individual contributor in a fast-paced, dynamic, emerging industry.

Nice To Haves

• Prior in-house experience working side-by-side with engineering, product, partnerships, marketing, and leadership teams to identify, address, and advise on IP issues.
• Experience developing integrated IP strategies that support business goals across patent prosecution, technology licensing, and patent litigation.
• Demonstrated experience in patent acquisition, licensing, litigation, and/or handling third-party demands.
• Experience advising on and negotiating agreements with government agencies and universities.

Responsibilities

• Strategically build and manage global patent portfolios for key technology areas, including lidar, radar, camera, and compute.
• Manage the full patent lifecycle, including patent harvest sessions, disclosure reviews, strategic filing decisions, global prosecution, portfolio maintenance, and strategic portfolio analysis.
• Manage outside patent counsel to ensure timely, high-quality, and targeted work product.
• Advise business teams, product managers, engineers, and researchers on intellectual property issues.
• Provide counseling on intellectual property terms in transactional matters.
• Collaborate with legal, partnerships, product, and technical teams on IP-related issues in agreements with partners, suppliers, vendors, and academic institutions.
• Review publications, presentations, marketing, and other public disclosures to manage IP risks and protect confidential information.
• Manage responses to IP-related communications across legal and business teams, including evaluating potential acquisition and licensing opportunities.

Benefits

• Discretionary annual bonus program, subject to eligibility requirements.
• Equity incentive plan, subject to eligibility requirements.
• Company benefits program, described as generous and subject to eligibility requirements.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree