Patent Agent (Oncology & Molecular Diagnostics)

Universal Diagnostics; United States; On-site; USD 120,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

PTO 22 days + carryover

Holidays and birthday off

Medical/dental/vision insurance + life

401(k) plan

Flexible work schedule

Job summary

Universal DX is seeking an experienced Patent Agent to join our IP team, translating complex molecular diagnostics and bioinformatics advances into patent applications and a strategic global portfolio.

You will collaborate with scientists, engineers, and business leaders, advising on patentability, FTO analyses, and IP strategy while working with outside counsel on domestic and international prosecution.

Qualifications

• Advanced degree (M.S. or Ph.D. preferred) in a life sciences or related field.
• 3–8+ years of patent drafting and prosecution experience.
• Experience preparing and prosecuting U.S. and international patent applications.
• Experience in biotechnology, molecular diagnostics, medical devices, genomics, or pharmaceuticals.
• Collaborates with scientists and cross-functional product teams;熟悉专利数据库.

Responsibilities

• Prepare, draft, and prosecute patent applications worldwide covering molecular diagnostics and related tech.
• Identify patentable subject matter through inventor interviews and capture innovations.
• Draft claims, specifications, figures, and responses to Office Actions.
• Coordinate with outside counsel and foreign associates on prosecution.
• Develop and manage global patent portfolio and filing strategies.

Skills

Patent drafting

Prosecution experience

U.S. and international filings

Cross-functional collaboration

Patent databases/searching

Education

M.S. or Ph.D. in Molecular Biology / Genomics / Biochemistry / Biomedical Engineering

Tools

PatSnap

Questel

Orbit

Derwent

Google Patents

Job description

About our Company:

Universal D X, Inc. is an international Company with a highly experienced team focused on cracking cancer’s code. Through our multi-omics and bioinformatics models, we have figured out how to read the disease’s signals in blood with high accuracy to detect cancer in its earliest stages. Starting with a colorectal cancer screening liquid biopsy test, we are building a multi-cancer platform that can identify the unique DNA regions associated with different types of cancers.

The Opportunity:

Universal DX is seeking an experienced Patent Agent to join our IP team responsible for identifying, protecting, and managing the company's intellectual property related to molecular diagnostics, liquid biopsy, next-generation sequencing (NGS), automation, bioinformatics, and early cancer detection technologies. Working closely with scientists, engineers, software developers, and business leaders, the Patent Agent translates complex scientific innovations into high-quality patent applications and supports the development of a strategic global patent portfolio.

Patent Agent serves as a trusted advisor to research and development teams, providing guidance on patentability, freedom-to-operate, and intellectual property strategy while collaborating with outside patent counsel on domestic and international patent prosecution.

You will be part of a team that is passionate about developing novel diagnostic tests for the early detection of cancers. As part of the team, you will be in a Company that aims more than to become one of the leaders in the industry. We want to have a huge positive impact on society by achieving the ambitious purpose of “making cancer a curable disease by detecting it earlier”.

How you’ll contribute:

Patent Preparation and Prosecution

• Prepare, draft, and prosecute patent applications (US and international) covering molecular diagnostics, genomics, epigenetics, automation, software, and related technologies.
• Conduct inventor interviews to identify patentable subject matter and accurately capture technical innovations.
• Draft patent claims, specifications, figures, and responses to Office Actions.
• Coordinate patent prosecution activities with outside counsel and foreign associates.
• Manage continuation, divisional, continuation-in-part, and PCT filing strategies.

Innovation Capture

• Partner with Research & Development, Automation Engineering, Bioinformatics, Clinical Development, and Product Development teams to identify inventions throughout the product development lifecycle.
• Facilitate invention disclosure meetings and evaluate new technologies for patentability and commercial value.
• Educate inventors on intellectual property best practices and disclosure requirements.

Patentability and Competitive Analysis

• Conduct prior-art, patentability, and competitive landscape searches.
• Support freedom-to-operate (FTO) analyses for new products and technologies.
• Monitor competitor patent filings and emerging technology trends.
• Prepare patent landscape reports to support strategic decision-making.

Portfolio Management

• Work with IP Manager in developing and maintaining a global patent portfolio aligned with corporate strategy.
• Monitor patent prosecution timelines, maintenance fees, and filing deadlines.
• Evaluate patent portfolios for strategic value and recommend filing priorities.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Collaborate with:
  • Research & Development
  • Automation Engineering
  • Bioinformatics
  • Clinical Affairs
  • Regulatory Affairs
  • Quality Assurance
• Ensure intellectual property considerations are integrated into product development, publication planning, and commercialization activities.

Business and Legal Support

• Support licensing, technology transfer, and collaboration activities.
• Assist with IP due diligence for partnerships, acquisitions, and investments.
• Review scientific publications and presentations to identify potential patent filings prior to public disclosure.
• Help protect trade secrets and confidential information.

What you’ll bring:

• Advanced degree (M.S. or Ph.D. preferred) in Molecular Biology, Genetics, Genomics, Biochemistry, Biomedical Engineering, Chemistry, Bioinformatics, Computer Science, or a related scientific discipline
• 3–8+ years of patent drafting and prosecution experience.
• Experience preparing and prosecuting U.S. and international patent applications.
• Experience working in biotechnology, molecular diagnostics, medical devices, genomics, or pharmaceuticals.
• Experience collaborating with scientists and cross-functional product development teams.
• Familiarity with patent databases and searching tools (e.g., PatSnap, Questel, Orbit, Derwent, Google Patents).

What we’ll offer:

• 22 days of PTO with the possibility to carry over 10 days to the following year.
• Company Holidays, plus your Birthday off!
• Company-sponsored benefit plans, including medical, dental, and vision insurance plus life, STD, and LTD coverage, and 401(k).
• Flexible work schedule
• And more to come!

Why Now?

This is an exciting time to be at Universal DX. We are growing rapidly and starting our US operations by building up our team, starting our lab and business operations, and establishing strategic partnerships.

We are looking for passionate changemakers to be a part of our journey in this expansive time for us.