Director, Intellectual Property

Amylyx Pharmaceuticals • Cambridge, MA

10d • Remote

About The Position

The Director, Intellectual Property, will be a key member of Amylyx’s growing IP function and support development of the company’s intellectual property portfolio. Reporting to the Vice President, Head of Intellectual Property, the Director will develop and execute strategies to build durable IP protections for Amylyx’s molecules and programs. The role focuses on patent enforcement for therapeutics and covers patent matters from early-stage R&D portfolio development through post-approval disputes with generics. The Director will also advise on trademark and IP-related contractual matters, with an opportunity for a patent-focused candidate to grow into an IP generalist role.

The position is remote within the United States, subject to state-based hiring restrictions. Employees are expected to travel to the company’s Cambridge, Massachusetts corporate location several times a year and attend other company events as needed. The employee must have a remote work setting that supports privacy, reliable internet and phone access, and video conferencing.

Requirements

• At least 10 years of overall experience, ideally including at least 7 years of demonstrated patent-matters experience in the pharmaceutical and/or biotech industries and at least 5 years of law firm experience.
• J.D. degree and membership in good standing of at least one state bar.
• Registration to practice before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
• An advanced degree, such as an M.S. or Ph.D., or equivalent industry experience in chemistry, biochemistry, biology, or another life-science-related discipline.
• Significant demonstrated patent experience in pharmaceutical or biotech therapeutics, such as small molecules, peptides, oligonucleotides, proteins, and/or biologic therapeutics.
• Experience supporting or managing Hatch-Waxman patent litigation, litigation-readiness efforts, and/or IPRs.
• Experience advising on regulatory exclusivities, including new-chemical entity, orphan drug, and pediatric exclusivity, as well as patent-term extensions.
• Experience conducting patentability, freedom-to-operate, due-diligence, and validity assessments.
• Global patent prosecution experience, including drafting patent applications and managing day-to-day prosecution tasks.
• Ability to provide solution-focused, fit-for-purpose guidance on complex matters, drive initiatives and cross-functional alignment, and influence the organization.
• Ability to work remotely in a setting that enables privacy, reliable internet and phone access, and video conferencing.
• Ability to travel to the Cambridge, Massachusetts corporate location several times a year and attend other company-related events as requested.

Nice To Haves

• Ph.D. in a life-science-related discipline.
• Experience structuring, drafting, and negotiating IP-related aspects of license, collaboration, R&D, manufacturing, and/or clinical-development contracts.
• Patent experience on both the brand and generic sides of therapeutics.
• Trademark prosecution experience.

Responsibilities

• Lead strategic patent portfolio development and litigation-readiness strategies for assigned clinical and pipeline molecules.
• Support efforts to pursue regulatory exclusivities, including pediatric exclusivity and orphan drug exclusivity.
• Perform IP assessments, including business-development diligence, freedom-to-operate, patentability, validity, and competitive-intelligence assessments.
• Monitor IP case law and policy developments, advise on their impact, and develop best practices and risk-mitigation strategies.
• Support transactions by drafting and directly negotiating IP-related contractual terms for license, collaboration, manufacturing, clinical development, and R&D agreements; advise stakeholders on post-execution impact and compliance.
• Manage day-to-day patent prosecution for assigned clinical and pipeline molecules, including drafting patent applications and managing U.S. and ex-U.S. outside counsel.
• Monitor R&D, clinical, and manufacturing activities to identify potential IP protection opportunities.
• Review proposed publications, presentations, and other public releases for alignment with patent strategy.
• Manage the global trademark portfolio through outside counsel and perform clearance assessments as needed.

What This Job Offers

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