Vice President, Intellectual Property Counsel

Position: Vice President, Intellectual Property Counsel

Position Summary

Karuna is seeking an energetic, versatile and highly driven life sciences patent attorney to join our growing legal team as Vice President, Intellectual Property Counsel. The successful candidate will be instrumental in developing and implementing global Intellectual Property strategies with an emphasis on small–molecule pharmaceutical chemistry for a late clinical–stage publicly traded company. This individual will also advise on patent life–cycle management and emerging intellectual property issues to ensure innovative approaches to support our business. Reporting to the Vice President, Legal Affairs, this role will work across functional groups within the Company in addition to managing relationships with outside counsel.

Responsibilities

• Create, execute, and manage a global IP strategy, including developing and growing a worldwide patent portfolio, identifying and mitigating third party IP issues, and efficiently managing outside counsel
• Collaborate with and advise regulatory, development, clinical, and commercial colleagues to implement long term exclusivity and life cycle management strategies for Karuna assets
• Review and assist in the drafting and/or negotiation of license agreements, nondisclosure agreements, material transfer agreements and other agreements involving the use, transfer, or ownership of intellectual property
• Proactively identify potential legal risks, and formulate and communicate practical solutions that meet corporate strategic objectives and priorities
• Conduct patent landscape overviews, freedom–to–operate analyses, validity assessments and patentability assessments in relation to Karuna pipeline products
• Manage, protect, and expand Karuna's trademark portfolio
• Review and comment on publications and other externally–facing materials for intellectual property issues
• Mentor members of the legal staff on intellectual property matters
• Train internal client groups to promote awareness of IP and its implications on various functions within the organization

Required Qualifications

• JD from an accredited law school; PhD in Chemistry strongly preferred.
• Admitted to practice before the USPTO and licensed to practice law in at least one state (Massachusetts a plus but not required)
• At least 8–10 years of in–house legal experience in the biotechnology or emerging pharmaceutical industry required, including working at the attorney–level in an in–house legal department
• Commercial and litigation experience strongly preferred
• Experience with fixed–dose formulation patents and intellectual property strongly preferred
• Demonstrated experience developing global intellectual property strategies for life–science organizations pre and post commercial launch
• Demonstrated success in defending and enforcing NCE pharmaceutical and generic pharmaceutical intellectual property portfolios
• Demonstrated ability to think strategically and analytically to solve legal issues in a pragmatic and efficient manner, with the ability to communicate those solutions clearly and concisely
• Ability to manage a large and complex docket independently, and efficiently manage outside counsel activities
• Strong interpersonal skills, including proven ability to interact and communicate effectively with individuals from multiple departments at all levels of the organization
• Commitment to professionalism and ethical conduct, including ability to handle confidential and/or sensitive information
• Demonstrated ability to handle multiple responsibilities simultaneously and perform at a high caliber in a fast–paced environment
• Self–motivated, able to work independently and be reliable, responsible and accountable
• Constantly seeks, designs and implements improvements and operational excellence
• Excellent verbal and written skills, allowing for an open and effective dialogue throughout the company
• Attention to detail and quality are critical to success
• Uses teamwork to work cooperatively toward the most effective solutions, championing the best ideas of team members, and assisting where help is needed yet is capable of highly independent work when efficiency is required
• Ability to mentor and encourage other legal team members to grow and succeed
• Results–oriented individual who is highly motivated, decisive, flexible in thought, and has the creativity to excel in and contribute to a rapidly growing company
• Forward thinking mindset with the ability to manage multiple projects, and identify and resolve issues
• Broad experience in an emerging, publicly traded company environment is a plus

The successful candidate will also embody our values:

Our purpose is to create value for those we have the privilege to serve:

• We take pride in our work
• We keep our promises and deliver
• We are driven to meaningfully innovate
• We succeed through inclusion and teamwork

Karuna Therapeutics is committed to equal opportunity in the terms and conditions of employment for all employees and job applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age, gender identity or gender expression, national origin, disability or veteran status.