Intellectual Property Counsel/Agent, Digital Pathology

Roche Holding AG; Tucson (AZ); On-site; USD 162,000 - 302,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Discretionary annual bonus

Job summary

Roche Holding AG in Tucson, AZ is seeking an Intellectual Property Counsel/Agent focused on Digital Pathology to directly draft and prosecute patent applications and shape Roche's global IP strategy.

You will collaborate with R&D, data science, software engineering and clinical teams to capture inventions in computational diagnostics, manage outside counsel, and drive risk mitigation for next-generation AI-driven pathology platforms.

Qualifications

• Credentials: Registered to practice before the USPTO as a Patent Agent or Patent Attorney; Attorney applicants must have active license in good standing with at least one US state bar.
• Experience: 3–7+ years in hands-on patent drafting, prosecution, portfolio strategy, and legal counseling focused on software/AI.
• Education: B.S. required; advanced degree is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Directly draft high-quality US and international patent applications covering computer vision models, AI workflows, and bioinformatics algorithms.
• Directly prepare and file responses to Office Actions and steer prosecution strategies before USPTO and foreign offices.
• Manage external legal counsel for drafting and global prosecution to ensure technical precision and cost efficiency.
• Formulate and execute global IP strategies covering deep learning networks and diagnostic algorithms.
• Conduct FTO analyses, landscape reviews, and patentability studies for open-source software integration.
• Collaborate with software engineers, ML researchers, and pathologists to harvest inventions arising from foundation models and image analysis.

Skills

Patent drafting

Patent prosecution

IP portfolio strategy

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

B.S. in Computer Science

MS/Ph.D. in CS or related field

Job description

At Roche you can show up as yourself, embraced for the unique qualities you bring. Our culture encourages personal expression, open dialogue, and genuine connections, where you are valued, accepted and respected for who you are, allowing you to thrive both personally and professionally. This is how we aim to prevent, stop and cure diseases and ensure everyone has access to healthcare today and for generations to come. Join Roche, where every voice matters.

The Position

Intellectual Property Counsel/Agent, Digital Pathology

Roche Diagnostics is pushing the boundaries of precision medicine by converging tissue diagnostics with cutting-edge artificial intelligence, computer vision, and spatial biology workflows. As an IP Counsel or Registered Patent Agent within our IP Legal Department, you will sit at the forefront of this digital revolution. In this hands-on role, you will directly draft and prosecute patent applications while managing outside counsel and shaping global patent strategy, portfolio development, and risk mitigation for Roche's next-generation Digital Pathology ecosystems.

The Opportunity:

In this role, you will serve as a strategic legal and technical advisor to R&D, data science, software engineering, and business development teams, directly capturing and protecting inventions in computational diagnostics.

• First-Principle Application Drafting: Directly draft high-quality US and international patent applications covering core computer vision models, agentic AI workflows, spatial biology pipelines, and clinical-grade bioinformatics algorithms.

• Hands-on Patent Prosecution: Directly prepare and file responses to Office Actions, conduct examiner interviews, and steer prosecution strategies before the USPTO and foreign patent offices to secure broad, enforceable claims for digital health software architectures.

• Outside Counsel Management: Select, direct, and manage external legal counsel for overflow drafting, global prosecution, and specialized portfolio projects to ensure technical precision, cost efficiency, and alignment with Roche's overarching IP strategy.

• Strategic Portfolio Management: Formulate and execute robust global IP strategies covering deep learning neural networks, proprietary diagnostic algorithms, and multi-modal diagnostic fusion engines.

• Freedom-to-Operate (FTO) & Risk Assessment: Conduct complex FTO analyses, landscape reviews, validity assessments, and patentability studies specifically tailored to open-source software integration and cloud-native digital health infrastructures.

• IP Harvesting & R&D Integration: Partner directly with software engineers, machine learning researchers, and pathologists to systematically harvest inventions arising from foundation models, image segmentation, and quantitative biomarker analysis.

Who You Are:

• You are a strategic, hands-on IP professional who thrives at the intersection of complex algorithmic models and advanced tissue diagnostic pathology.

• Experience: 3–7+ years of dedicated experience in hands-on patent drafting, prosecution, portfolio strategy, and legal counseling focused on software, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and/or computational biology.

• Credentials: Registered to practice before the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) as a Patent Agent or Patent Attorney. Attorney applicants must possess an active license in good standing with at least one US state bar.

• Education: B.S. required; advanced degree (M.S. or Ph.D.) in Computer Science, Bioinformatics, Computational Biology, Electrical Engineering, Mathematics, Physics, Bioengineering, or a closely related quantitative field is a plus.

• Technical & Prosecution Mastery: Demonstrated track record of personally drafting and successfully prosecuting complex software and AI patent claims, alongside familiarity with deep learning frameworks, spatial transcriptomics/proteomics data processing, and automated image analysis tools.

• Legal & Analytical Skills: Deep expertise in navigating nuanced software patentability landscapes (e.g., overcoming 35 U.S.C. § 101/Alice challenges and foreign patentability hurdles for computer-implemented diagnostic inventions).

• Communication: Exceptional oral and written communication skills with a proven ability to translate intricate algorithmic concepts into strong patent disclosures and effectively engage with multi-disciplinary scientific and executive stakeholders globally.

Location: Tucson, AZ (Preferred). Open to other U.S. Roche hubs: Pleasanton, CA; Santa Clara, CA; or Boston, MA.

Relocation benefits are not available for this job posting.

The expected salary range for this position based on the primary location of Tucson, AZ is $162,400 - $301,600. Actual pay will be determined based on experience, qualifications, geographic location, and other job-related factors permitted by law. A discretionary annual bonus may be available based on individual and Company performance. This position also qualifies for the benefits detailed at the link provided below.

Benefits

Who we are

A healthier future drives us to innovate. Together, more than 100'000 employees across the globe are dedicated to advance science, ensuring everyone has access to healthcare today and for generations to come. Our efforts result in more than 26 million people treated with our medicines and over 30 billion tests conducted using our Diagnostics products. We empower each other to explore new possibilities, foster creativity, and keep our ambitions high, so we can deliver life-changing healthcare solutions that make a global impact.

Let’s build a healthier future, together.

Roche is an equal opportunity employer. It is our policy and practice to employ, promote, and otherwise treat any and all employees and applicants on the basis of merit, qualifications, and competence. The company's policy prohibits unlawful discrimination, including but not limited to, discrimination on the basis of Protected Veteran status, individuals with disabilities status, and consistent with all federal, state, or local laws.

If you have a disability and need an accommodation in relation to the online application process, please contact us by completing this form Accommodations for Applicants.