Executive Director, Assistant General Counsel, Intellectual Property

Jazz Pharmaceuticals is a global biopharma company whose purpose is to innovate to transform the lives of patients and their families. We are dedicated to developing life-changing medicines for people with serious diseases — often with limited or no therapeutic options. We have a diverse portfolio of marketed medicines, including leading therapies for sleep disorders and epilepsy, and a growing portfolio of cancer treatments.

About the role

The Executive Director, Assistant General Counsel, Intellectual Property (IP) will be a key leader within the Jazz Global IP Function. Reporting directly to the VP of IP, the successful candidate will work to develop and implement global IP strategies for our products, product candidates and/or platform technologies and will serve as a key advisor to cross-functional teams on a variety of IP-related matters. This position will supervise team members responsible for day-to-day management and protection of our IP assets, particularly within the neuroscience area.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute IP strategies for assets primarily within the neuroscience area.
• Directly and indirectly supervise IP team members supporting programs and projects within the neuroscience area.
• Build effective partnerships with relevant stakeholders at all levels of the global organization and across all phases of research, drug development, and commercialization to provide clear, strategic business-enabling IP advice.
• Identify opportunities to strengthen the company’s IP portfolio through engagement with project teams and collaboration partners, leveraging a deep understanding of patent law and the competitive landscape.
• Design and deliver impactful global IP portfolios from invention capture to patent issuance for individual programs and products.
• Strategically manage worldwide IP portfolios for both in-licensed and internally developed IP to maximize value and utility of IP assets.
• Provide high-level, independent IP support to Corporate Development on strategic collaborations and licensing agreements, including conducting robust IP due diligence, preparing analyses, and providing input into transactional documents and negotiations.
• Render freedom-to-operate, infringement, validity analyses, risk evaluation, and mitigation strategies for individual programs, technologies, and tools.
• Effectively manage outside counsel in worldwide prosecution of patent applications, conducting IP assessments, and other legal opinions and risk assessments.
• Counsel internal clients, including other members of the Legal Department and senior management, on intellectual property risks and opportunities in patentability, freedom-to-operate, infringement, validity, and regulatory exclusivity analyses.
• Educate and advise senior management and Jazz personnel on important IP issues and advance IP/patent awareness.
• Review publications, presentations, press releases, and other materials for clearance.
• Advise on adversarial proceedings involving our products, product candidates, and platform technologies, including IP disputes, litigation, IPRs, PGRs, and European/foreign Oppositions.
• Actively lead and participate in department initiatives, identifying opportunities to enhance the effectiveness of IP department practice and operations.

Requirements

• Fully qualified US or European Patent Attorney with 12+ years of relevant IP experience in the biopharmaceutical industry, with significant in-house or combined in-house and law firm experience.
• Undergraduate degree in biological science, biochemistry, chemistry, or other field relevant to pharmaceuticals, life sciences, or biotechnology; Advanced degree preferred.
• Experience in managing IP practitioners and staff.
• Significant experience in IP due diligence and licensing and collaboration agreements.
• Experience in adversarial and administrative proceedings is a plus.
• Ability to work in a dynamic, fast-paced team environment; flexible and responsive self-starter with the ability to act independently as well as collaboratively across the business.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills with experience presenting and concisely communicating complex information to all levels of an organization.
• Strategic mindset in IP creation and protection by anticipating internal and/or external business challenges, competitive and legal risks, and opportunities, offering creative solutions.
• Ability to manage outside counsel and other external resources for quality work product, value, and efficiency.
• Practical problem solver with the ability to facilitate and contribute to collaborative decision-making processes and work effectively on cross-functional teams.
• Strong prioritization skills and ability to effectively manage a diverse workload.
• Commitment to fostering a culture that reflects diversity, equity, inclusion, and community.
• Experience with protection of botanical products and processes is a plus.

Pay

For US-based candidates, the full and complete base pay range is $288,000.00 - $432,000.00. Individual compensation paid within this range will depend on qualifications, skills, relevant experience, job knowledge, and other pertinent factors. The goal is to ensure fair and competitive compensation aligned with the candidate's expertise and contributions, within the established pay framework and Total Compensation philosophy.

The successful candidate may also be eligible for a discretionary annual cash bonus or incentive compensation, as well as discretionary equity grants. This role includes participation in various benefits offerings, such as medical, dental, and vision insurance, a 401k retirement savings plan, and flexible paid vacation.