Patent Attorney

At AstraZeneca, we turn ideas into life-changing medicines. Working here means being entrepreneurial, thinking big and working together with the utmost integrity to make the impossible a reality. We're passionate about the potential of science to address the unmet needs of patients around the world. We commit to those areas where we believe we can really change the course of medicine and bring big new ideas to life!



This role can be based at either our stunning campus in Gothenburg, Sweden - a site we've designed with collaboration in mind, which is the home to 2,500 employees, from 50 different nationalities - or Cambridge which is our vibrant head office in the UK.



Taking on a role that bridges science and legal practice, you'll be a global business IP advisor. This will entail managing patent portfolios for assigned projects and products, and keeping up to date with emerging legal and pharma developments to help set and implement the global IP strategy in your area in collaboration with the Senior Patent Director.



Key objectives will be to identify and manage all associated IP risks - presenting them to IP, legal and business teams. You'll craft strategies for the filing, prosecution, maintenance and defence of patents in your portfolio against third-party challenges. You may also work on business development deals or coordinate our response to legal changes in a particular country or region. Managing external spend to meet budget targets will also be part of your role.



Main Duties and Responsibilities

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Independently lead all aspects of build, maintenance and defence of specific patent portfolios
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Actively counsel members of Research & Development organizations to identify new inventions as well as devise and implement strategies for patent protection over the extended drug development life cycle
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Build and implement global strategic approaches toward building patent portfolios and contributing to increased business value
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Prepare and prosecute patent applications worldwide including effectively managing outside counsel as needed
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Lead all aspects of large intellectual property estates in AstraZeneca`s core and opportunistic therapeutic areas
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Evaluate and monitor patent portfolios of third parties
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Develop and communicate IP guidance to partners across the business, including within R&D, Business Development, commercial and legal
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Review and analyze license agreements and other contracts
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Provide IP and technical analysis in support of patent litigation



Essential Requirements

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Fully qualified UK or European Patent Attorney, with previous experience of handling pharmaceutical patent portfolios
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Excellent degree or equivalent in chemistry or biochemistry
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Strong core patent prosecution skills and ability to independently lead patent dockets and portfolios in multiple markets and jurisdictions



Desirable Requirements

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Education to Ph.D. level or equivalent, and/or several years of laboratory experience in the relevant scientific area, chemistry preferred
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At least three years of relevant experience in life science patent prosecution with global portfolios
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Experience in the biotech and/or pharmaceutical industry
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Combined in-house and law firm experience preferred
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Experience in leading external service providers
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First-hand experience of IP-related litigation
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High level of integrity and motivation, ability to work independently
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Ability to balance multiple tasks and projects with constantly evolving priorities
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Ability to be an enterprise leader for the organization



To get a feel for the great working environment at our Swedish sites, please see the testimonials "A life-changing day" by following this link: https://bit.ly/2TioMxP

So, what's next?



We encourage you with your application, no later than November 8th, 2020!