US Patent Attorney, Sr. Patent Counsel, Program Strategy & Development

argenx US; Boston (MA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 260,000; Full time

Job summary

argenx US is seeking an experienced US patent attorney to drive IP strategy and value creation for breakthroughs in autoimmune diseases. You will lead patent portfolios, coordinate global prosecution, and partner with scientists to protect innovations across multiple jurisdictions.

This role emphasizes strategic thinking, collaboration with project teams, and diligence in licensing, collaborations, and potential M&A.

Qualifications

• US JD with bar membership and USPTO registration.
• 8+ years of broad life sciences patent experience.
• Curiosity and appetite for agentic working to explore AI-enabled workflows.

Responsibilities

• Develop creative, business-aligned patent protection and enforcement strategies.
• Lead portfolio execution and manage external counsel globally.
• Translate science and patent issues into actionable recommendations for product development.

Skills

Strategic IP thinking

Cross-functional collaboration

Negotiation

Scientific acumen

Education

Juris Doctor (JD)

Tools

USPTO registration

Job description

Join us as we transform immunology and deliver medicines that help autoimmune patients get their lives back. argenx is preparing for multi-dimensional expansion to reach more patients through a rich pipeline of differentiated assets, led by VYVGART, our first-in-class neonatal Fc receptor blocker approved for the treatment of gMG, and with the potential to treat patients across dozens of severe autoimmune diseases.

We are building a new kind of biotech company, one that maintains its roots as a science-based start-up and pushes our commitment to innovate across all corners of our business. We strive to inspire and grow our company, our partnerships, our science, and our people, because when we do, we deliver more for patients.

This role will drive IP strategy and value creation for innovations that can improve the lives of patients with severe autoimmune diseases, while helping shape how a modern intellectual property (IP) team works. We are seeking an experienced US patent attorney who combines strong legal judgment, scientific curiosity and commercial insight with a genuine appetite to challenge established ways of working.

Core Responsibilities:

• Patent Strategy and Portfolios: Develop creative, business-aligned protection and enforcement strategies. Build and manage global portfolios and oversee patent preparation, filing and prosecution in the United States, Europe and other key jurisdictions throughout the world.
• Scientific and Business Partnership: Act as strategic IP partner to global project teams responsible for key drug candidates across argenx's portfolio. Translate complex science and patent issues into clear recommendations that support product development, commercialization and long-term portfolio value.
• Invention and Disclosure Management: Work with scientists to identify and protect inventions, assess inventorship, manage public disclosures and strengthen trade secret protection.
• Risk and Competitive Assessment: Conduct infringement, validity, freedom-to-operate and competitive landscape analyses, identifying actionable risks and opportunities.
• Transactions and Agreements: Lead patent-related diligence and support licensing, collaborations, partnerships, mergers and acquisitions. Review, draft and negotiate IP provisions and agreements, including confidentiality, technology transfer and licensing arrangements.
• Disputes and Litigation Readiness: Strengthen litigation readiness and lead or support patent disputes in coordination with the internal team and external counsel. Connect prosecution, records and enforcement strategy.
• Portfolio Execution: Manage external counsel and business partners, align priorities and resources, and deliver portfolio reviews, long-range planning and special projects.

Help Build an Agentic IP Team

This is a role for someone who wants to help build the next way of working, not simply use the tools already available. You will bring curiosity, practical experimentation and the judgment to distinguish where artificial intelligence agents add value from where attorney-led work remains essential.

• Identify and Test Opportunities: Help design and pilot approved agent-assisted workflows for activities such as request intake, patent monitoring, diligence preparation, portfolio reporting and knowledge retrieval. Start with bounded use cases and improve them through feedback.
• Maintain Accountable Legal Oversight: Define tasks, authoritative inputs, review checkpoints and escalation rules. Verify outputs and references, protect confidential and privileged information, respect data-use restrictions, and retain attorney accountability for legal advice and consequential decisions.
• Build Team Capability: Partner with IP operations, technology and other colleagues to turn useful pilots into repeatable practices. Share learning, coach colleagues and assess improvements in quality, responsiveness and capacity, not simply tool usage.

Required Qualifications:

• US Legal Credentials: A Juris Doctor (JD) degree, active membership in good standing in at least one US state bar, and registration to practice before the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
• Life Sciences Patent Experience: At least eight years of broad patent experience in life sciences, with demonstrated success building complex portfolios and developing and executing patent strategy. Large-molecule experience is a plus but not required for the right candidate.
• Curiosity and Appetite for Agentic Working: A genuine, demonstrable appetite and curiosity to help d