Senior Counsel, Innovation Law - RayzeBio (Small Molecule/Chemistry)

Bristol-Myers Squibb Co; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 257,000 - 311,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Comprehensive benefits

Flexible Time Off

11 paid holidays

Job summary

RayzeBio, a subsidiary within the Bristol Myers Squibb family, seeks a Senior Counsel, Innovation Law in San Diego, CA to manage global IP strategy for radiopharmaceutical programs. You will lead patent preparation, prosecution, and strategic counseling across R&D, regulatory, and commercial teams.

The role requires 8+ years in patent prosecution, USPTO registration, and a strong chemistry background, with California practice preferred.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of patent prosecution experience in small molecules, radiopharmaceuticals, and/or peptide chemistry.
• Registered to practice before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
• J.D. degree or equivalent and admission to practice law in any U.S. state or the District of Columbia; California preferred.
• Bachelor's degree in chemistry, biochemistry, or pharmaceutical sciences (or equivalent).
• Excellent analytical, written and verbal communication skills.
• Service-oriented with cross-functional collaboration and risk awareness.

Responsibilities

• Provide comprehensive IP legal support for radiopharmaceutical programs.
• Prepare and prosecute patent applications, including drafting, filing, and responding to office actions globally.
• Lead cross-functional collaboration with R&D, regulatory, and commercial teams to achieve milestones.
• Conduct scientific and clinical publication reviews.
• Perform patent landscape and freedom-to-operate analyses; provide strategic counsel on patentability and infringement.
• Manage patent portfolios and develop IP strategies to protect innovations and support business goals.
• Provide due diligence support for business development, including evaluating IP portfolios of partners and targets.
• Engage with internal clients on a wide range of IP matters.
• Coordinate with external collaborators and outside counsel globally.
• Stay updated on IP laws and ensure regulatory compliance.

Skills

Patent prosecution

Radiopharmaceuticals

Peptide chemistry

U.S. patent law

Cross-functional teamwork

Education

J.D. degree or equivalent

Chemistry background

Active U.S. bar admission

Job description

Life at BMS

At RayzeBio, every day is an opportunity to ignite meaningful change. As a wholly-owned subsidiary of Bristol Myers Squibb, RayzeBio blends the nimble, pioneering spirit of an emergent biotech with the global expertise and resources of a leading innovator in oncology. Our mission is to develop transformative radiopharmaceutical therapies that offer new hope for patients living with cancer. Here, you’ll join a multidisciplinary team where your ideas are valued, your expertise is amplified, and collaboration is at the heart of everything we do. From day one, expect to make an immediate impact—on our science, on our teams, and most importantly, on patients. Learn more about RayzeBio: https://careers.bms.com/rayzebio/ RayzeBio is a dynamic biotechnology company headquartered in San Diego, CA. Launched in late 2020 and acquired by Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS) in 2024 as a wholly owned subsidiary, the company is focused on improving survival of people with cancer by harnessing the power of targeted radioisotopes. RayzeBio operates as a standalone entity within the BMS organization, maintaining its biotech culture with the opportunity to leverage the best-in-class oncology capabilities of BMS. RayzeBio is developing innovative drugs against targets of solid tumors. The lead asset, RYZ101, is in Phase 3 testing for patients with gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (GEP-NETs). In addition, RayzeBio has the leading radiopharmaceuticals pipeline with novel assets targeting HCC, RCC, and Prostate cancer amongst others. Led by a successful and experienced entrepreneurial team, RayzeBio aims to be the global leader in radiopharmaceuticals.

Summary

We are building out RayzeBio's intellectual property (IP) function and are looking for a patent attorney dedicated to RayzeBio to assist in developing global IP strategies and managing day-to-day IP efforts to support multiple programs in pre-clinical and clinical development. The desired candidate will be responsible for a wide range of IP-related matters with an emphasis on patent preparation, prosecution, strategic counseling, due diligence, and transactional support.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide comprehensive IP legal support for radiopharmaceutical programs.
• Prepare and prosecute patent applications, including drafting, filing, and managing responses to office actions on a global level.
• Lead cross-functional collaboration efforts working closely with R&D, regulatory, commercial, and other departments to achieve project milestones.
• Conduct scientific and clinical publication reviews.
• Perform patent landscape and freedom-to-operate analyses and provide strategic counsel on patentability and infringement issues.
• Manage patent portfolios and develop IP strategies that protect the company's innovations and advance business objectives.
• Provide due diligence support for business development activities, including evaluating IP portfolios of potential partners and acquisition targets.
• Regularly engage with internal clients to provide guidance and support on a wide range of intellectual property related matters.
• Communicate and align with external collaborators and strategic partners on global IP strategy.
• Draft, review, and negotiate IP provisions across research, development, and commercial transactions, such as confidentiality, material transfer, master services, clinical trial, manufacturing, supply, and distribution agreements.
• Manage the use of outside counsel globally to ensure delivery of high-quality and cost-effective legal services.
• Stay updated on developments in IP laws and regulations and ensure compliance with all relevant legal requirements.

Qualifications & Experience

• 8+ years of patent prosecution experience in small molecules, radiopharmaceuticals, and/or peptide chemistry, and a combination of law firm and in-house experience is preferred.
• Registered to practice before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
• J.D. degree or equivalent and admission to practice law in any U.S. state or the District of Columbia, admission in California preferred.
• Bachelor's degree in chemistry, biochemistry, or pharmaceutical sciences (or equivalent); an advanced degree and/or scientific research experience with radiopharmaceutical and/or peptide chemistry is preferred.
• Excellent analytical, written and verbal communication skills.
• Service-oriented focus with the ability to work as part of cross-functional teams and drive results in a fast-paced organization.
• Highest integrity, excellent judgment, and the ability to proactively recognize and assess business risk and communicate legal issues to patent, legal, and general management.
• #LI-Hybrid

Compensation Overview:

San Diego - CA - US: $257,030 - $311,462 The starting pay range(s) listed above is for full-time employees (FTE). You may also be eligible for additional discretionary incentive cash and stock opportunities. We determine starting pay thoughtfully – carefully considering the nature of the role, required skills, work location, schedule and the knowledge and experience you bring. Final compensation is guided by pay equity principles and applicable employment laws. Compensation programs are reviewed on an ongoing basis and may be adjusted over time to reflect evolving market factors, and individual, team or Company performance.

Benefits:

• Subject to the terms and conditions of the applicable plans then in effect, you may be eligible to participate in our comprehensive benefit plans – including wellbeing support, retirement and financial protection benefits, and insurance offerings (medical, dental, vision, life and disability).
• U.S.-based exempt employees are eligible for Flexible Time Off (FTO), which provides paid time off without a set accrual limit, subject to manager approval, along with 11 paid company holidays each year.
• Non-exempt employees, RayzeBio employees, and employees located in Puerto Rico receive 160 hours of paid vacation annually for new hires (subject to manager approval), 11 paid company holidays, and 3 optional holidays.
• Depending on eligibility, employees may also have access to additional time-off benefits, including paid sick leave, up to two paid volunteer days per year, summer hours flexibility, and leaves of absence for medical, personal, parental, caregiver, bereavement, or military needs.
• Eligible employees also enjoy an annual Global Shutdown between Christmas Day and New Year's Day.
• U.S.-based job seekers can explore full benefit offerings at https://careers.bms.com/benefits

Supporting People with Disabilities

BMS and RayzeBio are dedicated to ensuring that people with disabilities can excel through a transparent recruitment process, reasonable workplace accommodations/adjustments and ongoing support in their roles. Applicants can request a reasonable workplace accommodation/adjustment prior to accepting a job offer. If you require reasonable accommodations/adjustments in completing this application, or in any part of the recruitment process, direct your inquiries to [e-mail]. Visit careers.bms.com/eeo-accessibility to access our complete Equal Employment Opportunity statement.

Candidate Rights

BMS and RayzeBio will consider qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records, pursuant to applicable laws in your area. For roles based in Los Angeles County only: If you live in or expect to work from Los Angeles County if hired for this position, please visit this page for important additional information: https://careers.bms.com/california-residents/

Data Protection

We will never request payments, financial information, or social security numbers during our application or recruitment process. Learn more about protecting yourself at https://careers.bms.com/fraud-protection. Any data processed in connection with role applications will be treated in accordance with applicable data privacy policies and regulations. If this posting is missing required information required by local law or incorrect, contact BMS at [e-mail] with the Job Title and Requisition number. Do not send application-related inquiries to this email. To check your application status, please login to your Candidate Home Account. R1606867 : Senior Counsel, Innovation Law - RayzeBio (Small Molecule/Chemistry) Data Privacy Link

We’re creating innovative medicines for patients fighting serious diseases. We’re also nurturing our own diverse team with inspiring work and challenging career options. No matter the role, each one of us makes a contribution. And that makes all the difference.