Senior IP Paralegal, Life Sciences

Immunome, Inc.•Bothell, WA

About The Position

Immunome is a clinical-stage targeted oncology company committed to developing first-in-class and best-in-class targeted cancer therapies. We are advancing an innovative portfolio of therapeutics, drawing on leadership that previously played key roles in the design, development, and commercialization of cutting-edge therapies, including antibody-drug conjugate therapies. Our pipeline includes varegacestat, a late-clinical stage GSI; IM-1021, a clinical-stage ROR1 ADC; and IM-3050, a FAP-targeted radiotherapy that recently received IND clearance. We are also advancing a broad portfolio of early stage ADCs pursuing undisclosed solid tumor targets. The Senior IP Paralegal is the primary in-house patent operations partner supporting Immunome’s global life sciences patent portfolio. Reporting to the Executive Director, IP Counsel, this role owns day-to-day patent prosecution administration and portfolio operations across U.S. and international matters, ensuring audit-ready records, docket integrity, and on-time execution through disciplined process management and proactive risk identification. The Senior IP Paralegal serves as the operational liaison between internal inventors/R&D stakeholders, executive leadership, and outside counsel, and is expected to independently drive systems, workflows, and continuous improvements that scale with company growth.

Requirements

Paralegal certificate strongly preferred, or equivalent relevant training and experience.
A minimum of 8 years of total related experience is preferred. Minimum of 5 years of patent IP work experience in biotech/pharma or other life sciences settings; prior in-house experience strongly preferred.
Demonstrated experience implementing, optimizing, or administering a patent docketing/IP management system and associated workflows (strong preference for prior system implementation ownership).
Proven ability to manage outside counsel and vendors in a deadline-driven environment, including setting priorities, tracking deliverables, and maintaining high-quality, audit-ready records.
Working knowledge of: USPTO filings and prosecution support; PCT workflows and national phase coordination; declarations, POAs, assignments, and recordation; IDS preparation and tracking (as applicable).
Strong organization and attention to detail; ability to manage multiple matters simultaneously.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills; comfort partnering with legal, R&D, leadership, and outside counsel.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office, Adobe Acrobat, and e-signature tools; strong document management and version control practices.
Ownership mindset and ability to operate autonomously in an in-house environment.
Proactive deadline management and risk identification.
High integrity handling confidential IP and sensitive R&D information.
Strong stakeholder management and service orientation.
Professional maturity and executive presence; ability to influence without authority and work effectively with senior leaders and cross-functional partners.
Independent, solutions-oriented approach with sound judgment and the ability to prioritize competing deadlines and requests.
Continuous improvement mindset and operational rigor.
Experience with USPTO Patent Center and WIPO ePCT.

Nice To Haves

Notary preferred

Responsibilities

Support preparation, review, and filing of U.S. patent applications (provisional and non-provisional) and related formal papers in coordination with outside counsel.
Coordinate PCT filings and national phase entries; manage communications and instructions to foreign associates and outside counsel.
Route and track Office Actions and related correspondence; support internal review cycles and confirm timely filings and acknowledgments.
Assist with post-allowance activities (issue fee processing, formal papers, and issuance documentation) and post-grant administrative actions as needed.
Manage and obtain execution of IP formalities documents (declarations, powers of attorney, assignments, inventor documents).
Coordinate assignment recordation and maintain clean chain-of-title across portfolio assets.
Own the preparation, execution, and recordation of IP assignment documents, ensuring timely routing, signatures, and completion of required documentation for corporate and portfolio activities.
Maintain organized matter files, executed documents, and supporting evidence of ownership.
Maintain and validate accurate docketing for U.S. and foreign matters; perform routine audits to ensure alignment between internal and outside counsel deadlines.
Serve as a primary operational point of contact for outside counsel and docketing/annuity vendors; track status and confirm deliverables.
Drive outside counsel coordination by setting clear priorities, timelines, and deliverable expectations; proactively follow up to protect deadlines and escalate risks as needed.
Support maintenance fee and annuity workflows by reviewing reports, confirming payment instructions, and ensuring portfolio data consistency.
Lead evaluation, selection, and implementation of an IP management and patent docketing system, including requirements gathering, vendor coordination, data migration, configuration, training, and go-live support.
Own ongoing system administration and data governance, including docket audits, workflow optimization, and user support to ensure reliable, decision-ready portfolio data.
Act as an operational partner to the Executive Director, IP Counsel by anticipating workload, proactively flagging risks, and providing clear status updates.
Prepare patent portfolio reports and summaries for the Executive Director, IP Counsel, including filing activity, upcoming deadlines, and overall portfolio status.
Provide IP operations support across the company (all programs) and partner with other Legal stakeholders on related administrative needs, status reporting, and document workflows.
Drive continuous improvement initiatives to streamline patent and IP administrative processes, improve cycle times, and strengthen compliance and record readiness as the company scales.