Director, IP Counsel

Iambic Therapeutics, Inc•San Diego, CA

3d•$224,000 - $300,000•Onsite

About The Position

Iambic is hiring a Director, IP Counsel to lead its intellectual property function. Reporting to the General Counsel, this hands-on, business-minded attorney will build and execute a global IP strategy to protect the company’s small molecule pipeline and AI-driven discovery platform. The role combines direct patent drafting, prosecution, and IP analysis with strategic management of outside counsel and use of AI tools to improve efficiency. The position is based at Iambic’s San Diego headquarters; San Diego-area candidates are strongly preferred.

Requirements

J.D., active membership in good standing of a U.S. state bar, and USPTO registration.
8+ years of life sciences patent experience, including experience at a law firm and in-house at a biotech or pharmaceutical company.
Recent hands-on experience personally drafting and prosecuting small molecule patent applications, as well as global portfolio strategy.
Experience conducting freedom-to-operate analyses and handling IP in pharmaceutical collaborations and licensing.
Regular use of AI tools in IP practice, with sound judgment regarding confidentiality and verification of AI-assisted work.
Willingness to work directly in a lean team and ability to give clear, practical advice to scientists and executives.

Nice To Haves

Advanced degree in chemistry, medicinal chemistry, or a related field; Ph.D. preferred.
Experience in computational or AI/ML fields.
Experience building an in-house IP function.

Responsibilities

Draft, file, and prosecute patent applications; manage the global U.S., PCT, and EP portfolio and outside counsel; determine which work is handled in-house; own filing strategy and the IP budget.
Conduct and lead freedom-to-operate, patentability, and landscape analyses, engaging outside counsel for formal opinions as appropriate.
Manage the invention disclosure process with research and computational teams, including inventorship determinations.
Build and maintain a trade secret program for AI models, data, and know-how; advise on open-source and data licensing.
Lead IP diligence and draft and negotiate IP terms in collaborations, licenses, and other transactions; establish IP positions for commercial contract playbooks.
Integrate AI tools into IP searching, drafting, office action responses, and analytics, consistent with company AI-use and confidentiality policies and USPTO guidance.
Oversee publication review, lifecycle and exclusivity planning, contested proceedings, trademarks, and IP-related SEC disclosures.