Sr. Director - Patent Counsel - Genetic Medicines

At Lilly, we unite caring with discovery to make life better for people around the world. We are a global healthcare leader headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana. Our employees around the world work to discover and bring life-changing medicines to those who need them, improve the understanding and management of disease, and give back to our communities through philanthropy and volunteerism. We give our best effort to our work, and we put people first. We’re looking for people who are determined to make life better for people around the world.

We’re a medicine company turning science into healing to make life better for people around the world.

Harnessing the power of biotechnology, chemistry and genetic medicine, our scientists are urgently advancing science to solve some of the world's most significant health challenges. It all started nearly 150 years ago with a clear vision from founder Colonel Eli Lilly: "Take what you find here and make it better and better."

Lilly is seeking an experienced patent attorney who focuses on providing solutions-oriented counselling for issues facing Lilly in discovery, development, and commercialization of pharmaceutical products in the gene therapy and gene editing space.

This position reports to Associate VP – Assistant General Patent Counsel in the Genetic Medicine area and requires close collaboration with other members of the Lilly Legal Patent team and business leadership. The position is well-suited for patent attorneys motivated by working in a dynamic environment with broad responsibility.

Responsibilities

• Draft and prosecute globally patent applications, primarily related to genetic medicines such as gene therapies and gene editing based therapies, cell therapies, RNA therapies, and therapeutic oligonucleotides (e.g., siRNAs and antisense oligonucleotides), in accordance with business requirements, patent laws, and Lilly policies and procedures.
• Participate and contribute to overall patent portfolio strategy established through departmental mentorship forums related to patent procurement or litigation strategies. 
• Analyze risks and develop sound tactical strategies/approaches/solutions with appropriate consideration of business objectives and the environment.
• Advise teams and senior management about exclusivity, freedom to operate, contract management, and litigation risks consistent with the law, ethics, and Lilly policies; communicate advice in a manner understandable to a lay person.
• Applies a continous improvement approach by remaining well versed in global laws, court precedents, and regulations pertinent to pharmaceutical products; apply knowledge appropriately in carrying out individual responsibilities as well as opportunities within the team and organization.
• Prioritize and manage a variety of projects; supply to the implementation of new policies and procedures; lead task-directed teams; adopt efficient but prudent use of AI to improve daily work product.
• Contribute to efficiency, collegiality, and collaboration.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in a scientific field that together with prior work experience, provides sufficient background for effective communication with scientists and management about scientific aspects of discovery, development, and commercialization of genetic medicine products such as gene therapies and gene editing based therapies, cell therapies, RNA therapies, and therapeutic oligonucleotides (e.g., siRNAs and antisense oligonucleotides).
• Doctor of Jurisprudence (J.D.)
• Four or more years of post-JD experience as a patent attorney in a law firm or industry.

• Licensed to practice law in at least one of the 50 States and licensed to represent clients in patent matters before the USPTO

• Qualified applicants must be authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis. Lilly will not provide support for or sponsor work authorization or visas for this role, including but not limited to: F-1 CPT, F-1 OPT, F-1 STEM OPT, J-1, H-1B, TN, O-1, E-3, H-1B1, or L-1.

Additional Skills/Preferences

• Collaborative partner with the ability to work effectively with team members and members of management across all levels of the organization. 
• At least 4 years of technical experience in the pharmaceutical industry in a scientific position in drug discovery or development, or demonstrated considerable experience with and knowledge of drug discovery and development, and/or with patent litigation relating to pharmaceutical products.
• At least 4 years of experience preparing and prosecuting patent applications relating to life science inventions.
• Innovatively and proactively finds opportunities and looks for new, creative solutions.
• Ability to influence and lead boldly in a dynamic environment.
• High learning agility, including: creatively solving problems; having ability to deal with complexity; having high curiosity; responding well to constructive feedback; seeking improvement of self and Lilly; accepting or leading change and helping others adapt to change; having the ability to adjust style to audience; and having the ability to make the sophisticated understandable.
• Sensitivity to others; composure under stress; ability to quickly learn and adapt.
• Ability to organize, to multi-task effectively, to satisfactorily complete projects with deadlines on time, to handle a large volume of work,and to direct others.
• Effective as individual contributor, team member, and leader.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills. 

Additional Information

• Office work located at Lilly Seaport Innovation Center (Boston) or Lilly Corporate Center (Indianapolis).
• Travel is usually not significant (0-5%), but travel could become more significant (10-20%) intermittently for internal/external requirements. 

Lilly is dedicated to helping individuals with disabilities to actively engage in the workforce, ensuring equal opportunities when vying for positions. If you require accommodation to submit a resume for a position at Lilly, please complete the accommodation request form (https://careers.lilly.com/us/en/workplace-accommodation) for further assistance. Please note this is for individuals to request an accommodation as part of the application process and any other correspondence will not receive a response.

Lilly is proud to be an EEO Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, religion, gender identity, sex, gender expression, sexual orientation, genetic information, ancestry, national origin, protected veteran status, disability, or any other legally protected status.

Our employee resource groups (ERGs) offer strong support networks for their members and are open to all employees. Our current groups include: Africa, Middle East, Central Asia Network, Black Employees at Lilly, Chinese Culture Network, Japanese International Leadership Network (JILN), Lilly India Network, Organization of Latinx at Lilly (OLA), PRIDE (LGBTQ+ Allies), Veterans Leadership Network (VLN), Women’s Initiative for Leading at Lilly (WILL), enAble (for people with disabilities). Learn more about all of our groups.

Actual compensation will depend on a candidate’s education, experience, skills, and geographic location.  The anticipated wage for this position is

$214,500 - $314,600

Full-time equivalent employees also will be eligible for a company bonus (depending, in part, on company and individual performance). In addition, Lilly offers a comprehensive benefit program to eligible employees, including eligibility to participate in a company-sponsored 401(k); pension; vacation benefits; eligibility for medical, dental, vision and prescription drug benefits; flexible benefits (e.g., healthcare and/or dependent day care flexible spending accounts); life insurance and death benefits; certain time off and leave of absence benefits; and well-being benefits (e.g., employee assistance program, fitness benefits, and employee clubs and activities).Lilly reserves the right to amend, modify, or terminate its compensation and benefit programs in its sole discretion and Lilly’s compensation practices and guidelines will apply regarding the details of any promotion or transfer of Lilly employees.

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