Director / Senior Director, Intellectual Property, Life Sciences

Lila Sciences • Cambridge, MA

5d • $262,000 - $400,000

About The Position

Lila Sciences is seeking a life sciences patent lawyer to own end-to-end intellectual property strategy for its life sciences programs, which span early research through candidate selection and may involve external partners. The role combines global patent portfolio development and prosecution with advice on IP terms in collaborations, licensing, and financings. This is a senior role on a small team, with scope to shape IP positions that support commercial agreements and to build the life sciences IP function over time.

Requirements

• J.D. and active bar admission, with USPTO registration.
• At least 12 years of substantive life sciences patent experience in a law firm, in-house, or a combination.
• Technical degree in chemistry, biochemistry, molecular or cellular biology, immunology, or a closely related field.
• Demonstrated ownership of global patent portfolios for biopharmaceutical products, with direct responsibility for claim strategy.
• Experience across a range of therapeutic modalities.
• Track record of producing patentability, validity, and FTO assessments that supported business decisions.
• Experience advising on IP aspects of collaborations, licensing, acquisitions, or financings, including diligence and negotiating provisions.

Nice To Haves

• Experience with option-based or milestone-based collaboration structures.
• Experience maintaining portfolio positions across related programs and partners.
• Familiarity with structure-based similarity and analog definitions as used in contracts.
• Experience with PTAB post-grant proceedings or district court and ITC litigation support.
• Exposure to AI or computational drug discovery, including related inventorship questions.

Responsibilities

• Own global patent strategy for therapeutic programs, including composition-of-matter, formulation, delivery, method-of-use, and platform claims.
• Direct outside counsel on patent drafting and prosecution across major jurisdictions, setting claim strategy.
• Design claim architecture to protect programs at each stage of their life cycle.
• Lead patentability, validity, and freedom-to-operate analyses and translate findings into go/no-go and design-around recommendations.
• Serve as IP lead on collaboration, option, license, and services agreements, including related IP terms.
• Run IP due diligence for financings and partner transactions, including portfolio schedules, chain of title, and license obligations.
• Advise on inbound licenses for third-party software, data, models, and research tools, and build a clearance process for compliant use.
• Mentor junior legal team members and, over time, build and manage the life sciences IP function.

Benefits

• Competitive base compensation with bonus potential and generous early-stage equity.
• Medical, dental, and vision coverage for full-time U.S. employees.
• Employer-paid life and disability insurance for full-time U.S. employees.
• Flexible time off and generous company-wide holidays.
• Paid parental leave.
• Educational assistance program.
• Commuter benefits, including bike share memberships for office-based employees.
• Company-subsidized lunch program.
• Region-tailored comprehensive benefits for full-time employees outside the U.S.

What This Job Offers

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