Sr. Director - Patent Counsel - Genetic Medicines - Eli Lilly and Company

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.

Actual compensation will depend on a candidate’s education, experience, skills, and geographic location. The anticipated wage for this position is $195,000 - $286,000.

Lilly is seeking an experienced patent attorney focused on providing solutions-focused counseling for issues facing Lilly in discovery, development, and commercialization of pharmaceutical products. Are you motivated by working in a dynamic environment with broad responsibility? 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.

Responsibilities

• Draft and prosecute pharmaceutical patent applications globally, primarily related to genetic medicines such as gene therapies (e.g., AAV based gene therapies), cell therapies, gene editing and RNA editing based therapies, therapeutic oligonucleotides (e.g., siRNAs or 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 guidance 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 in a manner consistent with the law, ethics, and Lilly policies; communicate advice in a manner understandable to a lay person.
• Lead with an attitude of continuous improvement 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 projects; contribute to the implementation of new policies and procedures; lead task-directed teams; embrace 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 interaction with scientists and management about scientific aspects of discovery, development, and commercialization of genetic medicine products such as gene therapies.
• Doctor of Jurisprudence (J.D.) degree from an accredited U.S. institution.
• Four or more years of post-JD experience as a patent attorney in a law firm or industry.
• Presently 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 in each state and in the USPTO; no discipline issues on record.

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 sees 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 complex understandable.
• Sensitivity to others; composure under stress; ability to quickly learn and adapt.
• Ability to organize self, to multi-task effectively, to satisfactorily complete projects with deadlines on time, 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) and Lilly Corporate Center (Indianapolis). Travel is usually not significant (0-5%), but travel could become more significant (10-20%) intermittently for internal/external requirements.