Senior Staff Patent Agent

Guardant Health, Inc.; Iowa (LA); Hybrid; USD 166,000 - 229,000; Full time

Job summary

Guardant Health, Inc. is seeking a Senior Staff Patent Agent to join its IP Team. You will build and manage a global patent portfolio, draft and prosecute patent applications, and help shape IP strategy for cancer diagnostics.

You will collaborate with scientists, counsel, and cross-functional partners to assess patentability, perform analyses, and guide strategic IP decisions. This role offers hybrid work with competitive compensation.

Qualifications

• Registration with the USPTO.
• Bachelor’s degree in Molecular Biology, Bioinformatics, Computational Biology; Cancer Genomics, Genetics, Statistics or similar field preferred.
• 12+ years of relevant patent prosecution experience at a law firm or in-house position (or 8+ years with Master’s degree/5+ years with PhD/3+ years with PharmD/MD).
• Experience with drafting, prosecuting, and reviewing invention disclosures and patent applications focused on methods for analyzing genomic data from diagnostic next-generation sequencing (NGS) assays.

Responsibilities

• Continue to build and manage a global patent portfolio, including preparing and prosecuting patent applications, identifying strategic areas for patenting, harvesting patentable inventions, and evaluating the patentability of invention submissions.
• Collaborate with other members of the IP Team to develop and advise on global patent and IP strategy.
• Perform infringement and validity analyses and evaluate risk mitigation strategies.
• Develop relationships with counsel and educate scientists and other employees on patent-related matters.
• Partner with relevant stakeholders across the company to provide strategic IP counseling with respect to research and product development.
• Oversee and coordinate with outside counsel as necessary with respect to IP protection.
• Shape and drive global patent and IP strategy aligned with the company’s scientific, product, and business objectives.
• Serve as a recognized IP expert and strategic advisor to senior leadership on complex or high-impact matters.
• Lead complex and novel IP matters involving significant business risk and strategic trade-offs.
• Establish and evolve IP strategies, frameworks, and practices across key technology and product areas.
• Influence significant R&D, product development, partnering, and business decisions through IP strategy.
• Lead complex cross-functional IP initiatives and directing outside counsel on significant matters.

Skills

Excellent communicator

Project management

Team collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in Molecular Biology, Bioinformatics, Computational Biology; Cancer Genomics, Genetics, Statistics or similar field preferred

Job description

Company Description

Guardant Health is a leading precision oncology company focused on guarding wellness and giving every person more time free from cancer. Founded in 2012, Guardant® is transforming patient care and accelerating new cancer therapies by providing critical insights into what drives disease through its advanced blood and tissue tests, real‑world data and AI analytics. Guardant tests help improve outcomes across all stages of care, including screening to find cancer early, monitoring for recurrence in early‑stage cancer, and treatment selection for patients with advanced cancer. For more information, visit guardanthealth.com and follow the company on LinkedIn, X (Twitter) and Facebook.

Guardant Health, Inc. is seeking an experienced and motivated Senior Staff Patent Agent to join its IP Team. As a member of the IP Team, you will be responsible for providing guidance on a wide range of IP and general legal matters related to the cancer diagnostics field. You will combine your legal and technical knowledge to implement and execute the company’s IP strategy for Guardant’s growing patent portfolio. The technology you will be exposed to is critical to Guardant’s mission of improving the lives of cancer patients.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Continue to build and manage a global patent portfolio, including preparing and prosecuting patent applications, identifying strategic areas for patenting, harvesting patentable inventions, and evaluating the patentability of invention submissions;
• Collaborate with other members of the IP Team to develop and advise on global patent and IP strategy;
• Perform infringement and validity analyses and evaluate risk mitigation strategies;
• Develop relationships with counsel and educate scientists and other employees on patent‑related matters;
• Partner with relevant stakeholders across the company to provide strategic IP counseling with respect to research and product development;
• Oversee and coordinate with outside counsel as necessary with respect to IP protection;
• Shape and drive global patent and IP strategy aligned with the company’s scientific, product, and business objectives;
• Serve as a recognized IP expert and strategic advisor to senior leadership on complex or high‑impact matters;
• Lead complex and novel IP matters involving significant business risk and strategic trade‑offs;
• Establish and evolve IP strategies, frameworks, and practices across key technology and product areas;
• Influence significant R&D, product development, partnering, and business decisions through IP strategy;
• Lead complex cross‑functional IP initiatives and directing outside counsel on significant matters.

Qualifications

• Registration with the USPTO;
• Bachelor’s degree in Molecular Biology, Bioinformatics, Computational Biology; Cancer Genomics, Genetics, Statistics or similar field preferred;
• 12+ years of relevant patent prosecution experience at a law firm or in‑house position (or 8+ years with Master’s degree/5+ years with PhD/3+ years with PharmD/MD);
• Experience with drafting, prosecuting, and reviewing invention disclosures and patent applications focused on methods for analyzing genomic data from diagnostic next‑generation sequencing (NGS) assays;
• Familiarity with library preparation methods used to generate NGS data, including targeted sequencing, whole‑genome sequencing, methylation sequencing, or RNA‑seq;
• Understanding of algorithms and tools used in cancer genomics (e.g., sequence alignment, variant calling);
• Excellent communicator, project manager, and team player;
• Strong interpersonal skills and be willing to work closely with scientists, managers, and employee teams;
• Adaptable, flexible, and creative in a rapidly changing environment.

AI & Digital Fluency

Demonstrate curiosity, sound judgment, and the ability to critically evaluate and responsibly leverage AI‑enabled tools in accordance with company policies, ethical standards, and regulatory requirements to improve the efficiency, effectiveness, and quality of work.

Hybrid Work Model

This section is applicable to onsite employees who are eligible for hybrid work location as specified by management and related policies. Guardant has defined days for in‑person/onsite collaboration and work‑from‑home days for individual‑focused time. All U.S. employees who live within 50 miles of a Guardant facility will be required to be onsite on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays. We have found aligning our scheduled in‑office days allows our teams to do the best work and creates the focused thinking time our innovative work requires. At Guardant, our work model has created flexibility for better work‑life balance while keeping teams connected to advance our science for our patients.

Compensation

The annualized base salary ranges for the primary location and any additional locations are listed below. This range does not include benefits or, if applicable, bonus, commission, or equity. Each candidate’s compensation offer will be based on multiple factors including, but not limited to, geography, experience, education, job‑related skills, job duties, and business need.

Primary Location: Remote-USA-IA

Primary Location Base Pay Range: $166,175 - $228,523

Other US Location(s) Base Pay Range: $166,175 - $228,523

If the role is performed in Colorado, the pay range for this job is: $175,950 - $241,965

Employee may be required to lift routine office supplies and use office equipment. Majority of the work is performed in a desk/office environment; however, there may be exposure to high noise levels, fumes, and biohazard material in the laboratory environment. Ability to sit for extended periods of time.

Guardant Health is committed to providing reasonable accommodations in our hiring processes for candidates with disabilities, long‑term conditions, mental health conditions, or sincerely held religious beliefs. If you need support, please reach out to [e-mail]

A background screening including criminal history is required for this role. GH will consider qualified applicants with criminal arrest or conviction histories in a manner consistent with applicable law including but not limited to the LA County Fair Chance Policies and the Fair Chance Act (Gov. Code Section 12952).

Guardant Health is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, or protected veteran status and will not be discriminated against on the basis of disability.

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.

To learn more about the information collected when you apply for a position at Guardant Health, Inc. and how it is used, please review our Privacy Notice for Job Applicants.

If you like wild growth and working with happy, enthusiastic over‑achievers, you’ll enjoy your career with us! Our Work Experience is the combination of everything that’s unique about us: our culture, our core values, our company meetings, our commitment to sustainability, our recognition programs, but most importantly, it’s our people. Our employees are self‑disciplined, hard working, curious, trustworthy, humble, and truthful. They make choices according to what is best for the team, they live for opportunities to collaborate and make a difference, and they make us the #1 Top Workplace in the area.