Patent Attorney / Trainee Patent Attorney

Oxford Nanopore Technologies; Oxford; Hybrid; GBP 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Oxford Nanopore Technologies in Oxford is seeking a Patent Attorney / Trainee Patent Attorney to join the Intellectual Property team. The role offers hybrid work and exposure to patent prosecution, FTO, portfolio management, and strategic IP support across software, AI, bioinformatics, ML, and data processing.

You will work with experienced IP professionals and receive mentoring while taking on increasing responsibilities in a global patent portfolio.

Qualifications

• Qualified or part-qualified UK, European, or US Patent Attorney.
• Strong technical background in software, algorithms, AI, ML, bioinformatics, data processing.

Responsibilities

• Identify and protect patentable innovations with inventors and R&D teams.
• Manage global patent filing and prosecution with external counsel.
• Draft and review patent applications, disclosures, and office communications.
• Support FTO assessments and competitor patent landscape analyses.
• Provide IP advice to software, product, and business teams.
• Assist with licensing, collaborations, due diligence, and strategic transactions.
• Support IP enforcement, opposition proceedings, and risk management.
• Contribute to Oxford Nanopore's broader patent strategy.

Skills

Patent attorney qualification

Software/AI background

Analytical reasoning

Job description

Patent Attorney / Trainee Patent Attorney (Software, AI & Bioinformatics)

Location: Oxford, UK (Hybrid)

Department: Intellectual Property

Reporting to: Head of IP / Senior IP Counsel

About Oxford Nanopore Technologies

Oxford Nanopore Technologies is a leading biotechnology company with a mission to enable the analysis of anything, by anyone, anywhere. Our pioneering nanopore sensing technology is transforming how researchers, clinicians, and industry partners access and interpret biological data.

From advancing genomics research and clinical applications to supporting environmental monitoring and infectious disease surveillance, our innovative technology is driving scientific discovery across the globe. As we continue to grow, protecting and leveraging our intellectual property portfolio remains critical to our continued success.

The Role

We are looking for a Patent Attorney / Trainee Patent Attorney to join our growing Intellectual Property team in Oxford.

This is an exciting opportunity for a part-qualified, newly qualified, or junior patent attorney to develop a rewarding in-house career within a world-leading biotechnology company. You'll work alongside experienced IP professionals, gaining exposure to patent prosecution, freedom-to-operate (FTO) analysis, portfolio management, and strategic IP support across a range of cutting-edge technologies, including software, artificial intelligence, bioinformatics, machine learning, and data processing.

As part of a collaborative and highly innovative environment, you'll receive mentoring and development support while taking on increasing responsibility within a global patent portfolio.

Key Responsibilities

• Identify and protect patentable innovations in collaboration with inventors and R&D teams.


• Manage global patent filing and prosecution activities through external patent counsel.


• Draft and review patent applications, invention disclosures, and responses to patent office communications.


• Support freedom-to-operate (FTO) assessments and competitor patent landscape analyses.


• Provide practical and commercially focused IP advice to research, software, product, and commercial teams.


• Assist with licensing activities, research collaborations, due diligence projects, and strategic transactions.


• Support IP enforcement, opposition proceedings, and risk management activities.


• Contribute to the development and execution of Oxford Nanopore's wider patent strategy.

About You

To be successful in this role, you will be:

• A qualified or part-qualified UK, European, or US Patent Attorney; or


• Working towards qualification with significant progress already made.

You Will Also Have

• A strong technical background in software engineering, algorithms, artificial intelligence, machine learning, bioinformatics, data processing, computer science, or a related discipline.


• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to explain complex technical and legal concepts clearly.


• Strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities.


• A commercial mindset and pragmatic approach to intellectual property strategy.


• The ability to build effective working relationships across technical and business functions.

Why Oxford Nanopore?

This is a unique opportunity to gain broad in-house intellectual property experience while working on technologies that are reshaping the future of biological analysis and data science.

You’ll have the opportunity to work closely with scientists, engineers, software developers, business leaders, and external advisors, gaining exposure to global patent strategy, freedom-to-operate assessments, portfolio management, and business-focused IP counselling.

In return, you’ll join an innovative and collaborative organisation that is committed to supporting your professional growth while enabling you to make a meaningful impact on the protection and commercialisation of world-leading technologies.

If you’re looking to advance your patent career at the intersection of software, AI, bioinformatics, and biotechnology, we’d love to hear from you.

About Us

Oxford Nanopore Technologies: Our goal is to bring the widest benefits to society through enabling the analysis of anything, by anyone, anywhere. The company has developed a new generation of nanopore-based sensing technology for faster, information rich, accessible and affordable molecular analysis. The first application is DNA/RNA sequencing, and the technology is in development for the analysis of other types of molecules including proteins. The technology is used to understand and characterise the biology of humans and diseases such as cancer, plants, animals, bacteria, viruses, and whole environments. With a thriving culture of ambition and strong innovation goals, Oxford Nanopore is a UK headquartered company with global operations and customers in more than 125 countries.