At Ferring Pharmaceuticals, we help people around the world build families and live better lives. We are entrepreneurial and innovative, with a global team focused on scientific advances in the areas of reproductive and women’s health, gastroenterology and urology. Ferring + You is all about working together and sharing ideas, so that we can bring science to life for patients around the world.
Every person at Ferring works together to change lives and help people build families. Our corporate teams offer empowering, innovative, challenging and rewarding careers – we are motivated to make a difference. To reach our full potential we collaborate, and respect and value diverse contributions so that we can grow as an organisation and as professionals. Together we can influence the world around us to make life and work better.
Ferring+You
We are seeking a Director, Group Patents who has successfully evolved from being a technical patent expert into a true enterprise IP business partner.
This is a highly visible strategic leadership role for a senior professional who no longer operates only at portfolio level, but actively shapes franchise value, competitive positioning and long-term exclusivity strategy. The role requires operating at the intersection of science, law and business, ensuring that IP is fully embedded in corporate and franchise decision making.
The successful candidate will partner cross functionally with R&D, Regulatory and Legal, but equally with Franchise, Global Product Teams, Pricing & Market Access, Finance, Commercial and Portfolio Strategy and Business Development. The objective is to move beyond siloed therapeutic ownership and drive integrated, value focused IP strategies across the organization.
This position currently carries no direct reports but offers significant enterprise exposure and is designed for a leader with the influence, people orientation and strategic mindset to grow into broader IP leadership responsibilities over time.
Your day at Ferring
Strategic IP Leadership:
Define and drive the global IP strategy for assigned franchises or therapeutic platforms, fully aligned with corporate, R&D and commercial priorities
Act as strategic IP business partner to Franchise Heads and Global Project Teams, shaping lifecycle, exclusivity strategy, including PTE, and competitive positioning
Integrate patent, regulatory exclusivity and data protection levers into a coherent long term exclusivity roadmap
Lead high impact portfolio, including filing strategy, geographic scope and investment level, based on business and strategic priorities
Set strategic direction for global drafting and prosecution strategy
Deliver clear and pragmatic legal & IP opinions on validity, infringement and exclusivity matters enabling informed decision making
Enterprise and Cross Functional Engagement:
Partner beyond R&D and Legal with Franchise, Pricing & Market Access, Finance and Commercial leadership to embed IP into enterprise decision making
Contribute to early asset strategy discussions including clinical positioning, label expansion and value optimisation
Provide strategic IP input to Business Development and other corporate transactions
Risk, Disputes and Competitive Strategy:
Provide executive level views on competitive threats including generic and biosimilar risk
Lead franchise level freedom to operate, validity and broader competitive risk assessments
Shape enforcement, opposition and litigation positioning in alignment with business priorities
Organisational Impact and Leadership:
Contribute to the evolution of the global IP operating model and future capability development
Own relevant budget planning and promote continuous improvement of IP processes and governance
Act as a role model and informal leader, fostering cross portfolio collaboration and breaking therapeutic silos.
Behind our innovation…There’s you
European Patent Attorney qualification required; additional national qualification is a plus
Extensive experience in pharmaceutical patents with demonstrated exposure to full lifecycle and competitive defence strategy
Proven experience influencing cross functional senior stakeholders, not limited to R&D and Legal
Strong business acumen with the ability to connect IP strategy to pricing, market access, finance and franchise value drivers
Ability to influence enterprise level decision making and align IP strategy with broader business priorities
Strategic mindset balancing long-term positioning with pragmatic execution
Deep interest in competition assessments and strategic positioning, translating insights into actionable IP strategies
Highly people oriented, with strong emotional intelligence and the ability to influence without formal authority.
Comfortable operating without direct reports while naturally assuming informal leadership and shaping team dynamics.
Enterprise mindset with the credibility and judgment to evolve into a broader IP leadership role over time
Demonstrates strong executive presence by clearly communicating complex topics while proactively understanding the competitive landscape and navigating multinational environments with maturity, diplomacy, and cultural agility.
People come first at Ferring
Get inspired from our commitment to advocate for everyone’s right to build a family, no matter who you are, where you live or who you love.
Our inclusive support package – “Building Families at Ferring” provides equal and accessible policies for all employees who wish to start their family journey, ensuring a global standard, irrespective of location and role. Subject to a minimum period of employment at Ferring.
Parental leave for both birthing and non-birthing parents.
Extended support on family building journey.
Making a difference in the life of millions of people means we succeed by working together. Our diverse backgrounds, experiences, expertise, and perspectives enable us to find solutions to even the most challenging problems, and our success is tied to each team member’s contributions. Imagine the power of your career when it’s Ferring + You.
Behind our purpose… There’s you
If our mission and your vision are aligned, please apply!
We strive to build and maintain an inclusive and diverse workplace with equal opportunities and mutual respect for all employees regardless of their backgrounds and socioeconomic status.
Note to agencies: this search is being managed by Ferring’s Talent Acquisition team. Kindly do not send us spontaneous profiles