Patents Attorney

Naiman Clarke; Sydney; On-site; AUD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Naiman Clarke is partnering with a leading medical research centre in Sydney to recruit a Patent Attorney. Take ownership of capturing, evaluating and protecting IP across the organisation’s research portfolio, with genuine influence on innovation and health outcomes.

The role offers flexible hours and 4–5 days on-site in Sydney CBD. You will build strong relationships with researchers, conduct patentability and FTO assessments, draft, file and prosecute applications in-house, and help establish

Qualifications

• PhD or related biomedical qualification in life sciences.
• Registered Patent Attorney in Australia and NZ.
• 2–8 years of life sciences patent experience.

Responsibilities

• Capture and protect IP across portfolio and lifecycle.
• Identify patentable inventions early in development.
• Draft, file and prosecute patent applications in-house.
• Establish IP governance and educate staff across the org.
• Manage growing patent portfolio to support commercial aims.

Skills

Patent drafting

FTO advisory

Stakeholder mgmt

Commercial mindset

In-house filing

Education

PhD in Life Sciences

Registered Patent Attorney (Australia & NZ)

Job description

• A rare opportunity to build and shape the patent function from a position of genuine influence.
• Flexible hours, however, the role is 4-5 days in Sydney CBD
• Real, tangible impact — protecting and commercialising research with a direct line to improved health outcomes.

About your new employer:

Our client is a leading independent medical research centre driving world-class discovery in genomics, cancer and immunology, backed by cutting-edge facilities and a growing commercialisation function.

About the role:

Take ownership of the internal capture, evaluation and protection of intellectual property across the organisation's research portfolio. Your work will include:

• Building trusted relationships with researchers to proactively identify patentable inventions early in the development lifecycle.
• Conducting or arranging patent and literature searches, and providing patentability and Freedom-to-Operate (FTO) advice.
• Drafting, filing and prosecuting patent applications in-house, including responding to office actions, and instructing external patent attorneys where required.
• Establishing internal IP governance frameworks and leading IP education across the organisation.
• Strategically managing a growing patent portfolio aligned with the organisation's commercialisation aims.

The ideal candidate:

• Registered Patent Attorney in Australia and New Zealand (Trans-Tasman IP Attorneys Board), with 2–8 years' overall life sciences patent experience (inclusive of traineeship).
• A PhD or tertiary qualification in Life Sciences, Molecular Biology, Genomics, Immunology, Chemistry or a related biomedical discipline.
• A proven track record drafting, filing and prosecuting life sciences patent applications, with strong FTO and patentability advisory experience.
• Excellent stakeholder skills — able to translate dense patent law into language scientists can act on.
• A strong commercial lens, comfortable assessing early-stage science through both a legal protection and a commercialisation frame.