Senior Patent Counsel

Generate Biomedicines; Somerville (MA); Hybrid; USD 200,000 - 315,000; Full time

Job summary

Generate Biomedicines seeks a Senior Patent Counsel to join the Legal team and drive IP across its platform, research, preclinical, and clinical programs. You will work closely with scientists, program teams, and outside counsel to build a robust global patent estate.

The ideal candidate has a JD, USPTO admission, 5–8 years in biotech patent law, and an advanced biology degree; experience with IP transactions and managing budgets is valued. Hybrid work in Somerville, MA with 3 onsite days.

Qualifications

• JD from a reputable law school and admission to at least one state bar and the USPTO.
• 5–8 years of biotech patent law experience, mix of in-house and law firm preferred.
• Advanced degree (MS or PhD) in biology/biochemistry or related field.
• Direct experience with preparing/prosecuting patent applications and managing global portfolios.
• IP transactions experience including due diligence and IP-related agreements.

Responsibilities

• Identify and capture inventions with R&D and platform teams and advise on protection strategy.
• Draft, file, and prosecute patent applications and manage a global patent estate.
• Oversee prosecution strategy, deadlines, docketing, and outside counsel relationships.
• Perform or coordinate patentability, freedom-to-operate, and landscape analyses; provide actionable guidance.
• Review publications and disclosures for patent considerations in collaboration with inventors and counsel.
• Educate scientists and management on IP principles and monitor legal developments affecting strategy.

Skills

Patent drafting

Portfolio management

Legal analysis

Biotech IP experience

Outside counsel management

Writing & communication

Education

Juris Doctor (JD)

MS/PhD in biology/biochemistry

Job description

The Role:

Generate Biomedicines is seeking a

The Role:

Generate Biomedicines is seeking a Senior Patent Counsel to join its Legal team and support intellectual property across Generate’s platform, research, preclinical, clinical, and collaboration activities. Reporting to the Vice President & Head of Intellectual Property, this individual will work closely with scientists, engineers, program teams, clinical and regulatory colleagues, corporate development, and outside counsel.
Generate is seeking individuals with excellent command of U.S. and international intellectual property laws and expertise in building complex patent estates for protein therapeutics and related platform technologies. We are searching for a driven, enthusiastic, and self-motivated individual who is comfortable multitasking and working independently in a fast-paced, collaborative, fun, start-up biotech environment.

Here’s how you will contribute:

• Partner closely with R&D and platform teams to identify and capture inventions and recommend appropriate patent, trade-secret, or combined protection strategies.
• Work with outside counsel to draft, file, and prosecute patent applications and to manage a complex global patent estate.
• Manage day-to-day patent portfolio matters, including prosecution strategy, deadlines, docketing, outside-counsel relationships, and review of work product and spend.
• Conduct or coordinate patentability, freedom-to-operate, and landscape analyses; provide clear preliminary assessments and practical recommendations.
• Support IP aspects of collaborations, licenses, sponsored research, vendor agreements, and other strategic transactions.
• Review proposed publications, presentations, abstracts, and other external disclosures for patent considerations, coordinating with inventors and outside counsel to protect filing opportunities.
• Educate and advise scientists and senior management about key IP principles and processes, advance IP/patent awareness within Generate’s company culture, and monitor legal developments that may affect Generate’s patent strategy.

The ideal candidate will have:

• JD from a reputable law school and admission in good standing to at least one state bar and the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
• Minimum 5–8 years of patent law experience involving biotechnology inventions, preferably with a mix of significant in-house experience and law firm experience; experience with artificial intelligence technologies is not required, but would be looked upon favorably.
• An advanced degree (e.g., MS or PhD) in biology, biochemistry, or similar field, strongly preferred.
• Direct experience with preparing and prosecuting patent applications, managing global patent portfolios, and performing freedom-to-operate, patentability, and landscape analyses in the field of biologic therapeutics.
• IP transaction experience, including due diligence and IP-related agreements (e.g., licensing, collaboration, vendor, and sponsored research agreements).
• Experience with U.S. and/or foreign adversarial proceedings (such as patent litigation or USPTO proceeding) is not required, but would be looked upon favorably.
• Experience managing outside counsel and related budgets.
• Excellent analytical, writing, and communication skills, with the ability to provide clear, practical advice to management.
• Strong business judgment, organization, and adaptability, with the ability to manage competing priorities and solve problems creatively.
• A collaborative and curious mindset that is open to different perspectives, with unquestioned integrity and professionalism.

Location

Somerville, MA. Open to hybrid work arrangement with a minimum of 3 days onsite at our Somerville office.

About Generate Biomedicines

We are a clinical-stage generative biology company pioneering the AI revolution in drug design and development. We are advancing a new approach to drug creation—one grounded in the ability to design proteins with defined biological intent. By integrating machine learning with large-scale experimentation, this approach aims to reduce the uncertainty, time, and cost associated with developing protein-based medicines.

Founded in 2018, we are advancing a growing pipeline of clinical and preclinical programs across multiple disease areas and protein modalities. By unifying computational design and clinical development within a single operating model, we translate this approach into clinical-stage programs and are leading a shift from traditional drug discovery toward systematic drug generation.

At Generate:Biomedicines, we collaborate across disciplines in new ways to invent and innovate. We bring diverse perspectives to a shared goal of delivering better medicines to patients in need, faster, guided by our values and leadership behaviors.

Generate:Biomedicines is committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity or Veteran status.

Recruitment & Staffing Agencies

Generate:Biomedicines does not accept unsolicited resumes from any source other than candidates. The submission of unsolicited resumes by recruitment or staffing agencies to Generate:Biomedicines or its employees is strictly prohibited unless contacted directly by the Company’s internal Talent Acquisition team. Any resume submitted by an agency in the absence of a signed agreement will automatically become the property of Generate:Biomedicines and the Company will not owe any referral or other fees with respect thereto.

Compensation:

The base salary range provided reflects our current estimate of what we anticipate paying for this position. Your actual base salary will be based on several factors, including job-related skills, experience, internal equity, relevant education or training, and market dynamics. In addition, you will be eligible for an annual bonus, equity compensation, and a competitive benefits package.
Per Year Salary Range
$200,000—$315,000 USD