Head of Intellectual Property
Place in the Organization
uniQure is dedicated to bringing innovative gene therapies to patients with unmet medical needs. In doing so each function in uniQure is directly or indirectly responsible for the lives of patients. This responsibility should be part of our day-to-day working life by (i) living up to high quality standards and (ii) by recognizing the sense of urgency in areas of high medical need.
Key result areas (major duties, accountabilities and responsibilities)
We are seeking an experienced, versatile Intellectual Property Counsel focused on providing solutions-focused counseling on intellectual property matters in the company’s discovery, development and commercialization of rare disease, genetic based products. This role will manage a wide range of intellectual property responsibilities, including developing intellectual property strategies, patent prosecution, enforcement and litigation, patent portfolio management, advising on intellectual property matters in transactions, due diligence, and freedom-to-operate analyses to support the company’s innovative platform technologies and products.
The role will report to the company’s Chief Legal Officer, oversee a small team of patent practitioners and will work cross-functionally with internal departments and external resources as required on intellectual property matters.
This role is best suited for an individual with extensive patent prosecution experience, deep biotech/pharma industry understanding, strong analytical and communication skills, and an ability to work effectively with key stakeholders including research, manufacturing, development, regulatory and business development teams on all intellectual property and related legal matters.
- Lead the development and execution of the company’s comprehensive patent and trademark strategy to protect its inventions related to its gene therapy platform and products, including managing global patent prosecution, enforcement, litigation, trademark registration, and trade secret protection.
- Manage a portfolio of patents and trademarks, including drafting and prosecuting patent applications, conducting intellectual property due diligence, and overseeing licensing and enforcement activities.
- Monitor and analyze intellectual property trends, competitive landscape, and regulatory developments in US and major markets to assess risks, opportunities and to adjust intellectual property strategies.
- Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including research, development, business development, and legal, to identify and protect valuable intellectual property assets.
- Lead initiatives to identify, capture, and protect innovations from research and development activities.
- Anticipate and manage global intellectual property disputes, including litigation, post-grant proceedings, IPRs and oppositions, with outside counsel.
- Provide IP training and build a culture of innovation across the company.
- Oversee and provide counsel on freedom-to-operate and patent-clearance activities.
- Provide training and education to legal colleagues and organization stakeholders on topics of relevance including IP risk-mitigation measures.
- Review and advise on proposed publications and presentations.
- Build effective relationships to maximize communication with colleagues in legal as well as research, development, manufacturing and business development functions.
Other complex tasks within the Intellectual Property function as assigned, including budget management.
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- Master’s degree in life sciences discipline (molecular biology, biochemistry, biotechnology, cell biology) or a related field, preferably a PhD, or equivalent experience in scientific research.
- Qualified Patent Attorney or IP lawyer admitted to practice in at least one jurisdiction (EP, NL, or US) and/or p resently admitted to practice law in at least one US jurisdiction and presently licensed to represent clients in patent matters before the USPTO; in good standing each state and in the USPTO; no discipline issues on record
- Juris Doctor degree with excellent academic credentials.
- Ten or more years of post-JD experience as a patent attorney in a law firm or biotech/pharma industry.
- Ten or more years’ prior experience drafting and prosecuting patent applications and conducting freedom to operate analyses in the biotech and/or pharmaceutical areas
- Proven leadership experience managing teams, portfolios, and outside counsel.
- Proven track record developing and implementing patent strategies with demonstrated success securing meaningful patent protection for products and technology platforms.
- Unquestionable ethics, integrity, and judgment.
- Excellent oral and written communication skills, a high level of accuracy and attention to detail.
- Ability to handle confidential and proprietary information, and to exercise discretion and judgment.
- Effective as individual contributor, team member and leader.
- Sensitivity to others; composure under stress; ability to quickly learn and adapt.
- Strong knowledge of patent law, trademark law, and IP licensing.
This is a hybrid position that may be located in Lexington, MA, USA or Amsterdam, the Netherlands. We are looking for someone to be onsite 2-3 days per week. Some travel may be required to the company’s sites located in Lexington, MA, USA, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, and Basel, Switzerland. Proficiency in English a must.
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