Director, IP Counsel — Life Sciences & AI

Iambic; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 224,000 - 300,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive pay

Company paid healthcare

401K matching

Uncapped vacation

Onsite gym

Job summary

Iambic is seeking a Director, IP Counsel to lead our intellectual property function from our San Diego Headquarters. You will build and execute a global IP strategy protecting our small molecule pipeline and our AI-driven discovery platform, while directly drafting and prosecuting patent applications.

You will manage outside counsel, leverage AI tools for efficiency, and work with scientists and executives to align IP with business goals.

Qualifications

• J.D., active membership in good standing of a U.S. state bar, and USPTO registration.
• Advanced degree (Ph.D. preferred) in chemistry, medicinal chemistry, or a related field; experience in computational or AI/ML fields a plus.
• 8+ years of life sciences patent experience, including law firm and in-house biotech/pharma; experience building an in-house IP function preferred.
• Recent hands‑on experience personally drafting and prosecuting small molecule patent applications, plus global portfolio strategy.
• Experience conducting FTO analyses and handling IP in pharma collaborations and licensing.
• Regular use of AI tools in IP practice, with sound judgment on confidentiality and verification of AI‑assisted work.
• Willingness to do the work directly in a lean team; ability to give clear, practical advice to scientists and executives.

Responsibilities

• Draft, file, and prosecute patent applications, and manage outside counsel on the global portfolio (U.S., PCT, EP), deciding what 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.
• Run the invention disclosure process with research and computational teams, including inventorship determinations.
• Build and maintain a trade secret program for our AI models, data, and know‑how, and advise on open source and data licensing.
• Lead IP diligence and draft and negotiate IP terms in collaborations, licenses, and other transactions; set IP positions for commercial contract playbooks.
• Make AI tools central to the IP function (searching, drafting, office action responses, analytics), consistent with Iambic’s AI-use and confidentiality policies and USPTO guidance.
• Oversee publication review, lifecycle and exclusivity planning, contested proceedings, trademarks, and IP-related SEC disclosures.

Skills

Drafting & prosecution

AI in IP practice

Strategic leadership

Outside counsel management

Education

J.D.

USPTO registration

Ph.D. in chemistry or related field

Job description

Iambic is seeking a Director, IP Counsel to lead our intellectual property function from our San Diego Headquarters. You will build and execute a global IP strategy protecting our small molecule pipeline and our AI-driven discovery platform, while directly drafting and prosecuting patent applications.

You will manage outside counsel, leverage AI tools for efficiency, and work with scientists and executives to align IP with business goals.