Associate General Counsel, Hardware IP

About The Team

OpenAI's Legal team tackles innovative, fundamental legal issues in AI. The team includes legal professionals from various fields such as technology, privacy, IP, corporate, cybersecurity, employment, tax, regulatory, and litigation.

About The Role

We are expanding our world-class Legal team and are seeking an experienced counsel to lead our global hardware IP portfolio initiatives, including patent, trademark, and other intellectual property matters related to our business. This role involves cross-functional work across OpenAI, including collaboration with Legal, Communications, Global Affairs, Product, Research, and Executive teams. Based in San Francisco, CA, this position operates under a hybrid work model with 3 days in the office per week and offers relocation assistance.

In this role, you will:

• Owning global hardware IP initiatives, including strategic direction and management of the hardware IP portfolio.
• Create scalable processes internally and externally with outside counsel to build, maintain, and protect the hardware IP portfolio.
• Develop and maintain internal hardware IP policies and programs.
• Engage externally on hardware IP policy issues.
• Advise on strategic hardware IP deals.
• Advisory on hardware IP issues, ranging from patent, trademark, trade secret to open source.
• Develop and build internal AI expertise, processes, and tools to facilitate legal team work.
• Experience advising on complex technology transactions and inbound technology licensing.

Qualifications

• At least 10+ years of combined hardware IP experience at innovative technology companies and law firms.
• A JD and license or qualification to practice in CA.
• A strong sense of ownership, inquisitiveness, enthusiasm for technology, and ability to demonstrate sound judgment in ambiguous situations.

OpenAI

OpenAI is dedicated to advancing AI for the good of humanity. We are committed to creating safe and beneficial AI systems and seek to ensure that AI benefits all of humanity. We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, veteran status, disability, genetic information, or other applicable legally protected characteristics.

Background Checks

Background checks for applicants will be administered in accordance with applicable law, and qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment consistent with those laws, including the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers, and the California Fair Chance Act, for US-based candidates.

Equal Employment Opportunity

We are committed to providing reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities. Requests can be made via this link.

Compensation Range

$347K - $385K