Senior Patent Agent

Cytokinetics is a specialty cardiovascular biopharmaceutical company, building on its over 25 years of pioneering scientific innovations in muscle biology, and advancing a pipeline of potential new medicines for patients suffering from diseases of cardiac muscle dysfunction.

The Senior Patent Agent will report to the Senior Director, Intellectual Property and play a key role in developing, protecting, and advancing Cytokinetics' intellectual property portfolio. This individual will serve as a strategic partner to Research and Development (R&D), and Legal leadership, helping identify and protect innovations that support the company's scientific and business objectives.

Responsibilities

• Prepare and prosecute patent applications for Cytokinetics, focusing on small molecules (e.g., composition of matter, crystalline forms, compositions, methods of treatment, etc).

• Identify patentable inventions through frequent interactions with project teams.

• Conduct and analyze patentability and freedom to operate searches related to compounds including small molecules and their use.

• Prosecute patent applications in the US and instruct outside and foreign counsel.

• Support IP diligence and provide other IP support for licensing, collaboration, and business development opportunities.

• Review and advise on proposed company scientific and medical publications and disclosures.

• Attend research team meetings to provide guidance and counsel on patent strategy.

• Communicate with internal stakeholders to understand business needs and ensure IP protection aligns with those needs.

• Identify IP risks and communicate those risks to internal stakeholders for discussion and resolution.

• Participate in and contribute to broader Legal department projects and initiatives beyond IP subject matter.

Qualifications

• Registered Patent Agent admitted to practice before the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

• Bachelor’s degree in a life science discipline, preferably chemistry. Master or Ph.D. in organic chemistry preferred. Experience as a medicinal chemist is a plus. 

• At least 5 years of patent preparation and prosecution experience supporting pharmaceutical or biotechnology companies. In-house biotechnology or pharmaceutical industry experience is preferred.

• Experience preparing and prosecuting patent applications involving small molecule therapeutics.

• Demonstrated experience partnering directly with scientists and multidisciplinary research teams.

• Strong understanding of U.S. patent law and global patent prosecution practices.

• Excellent analytical, communication, and project management skills.

• Experience supporting business development transactions and IP due diligence.

• Familiarity with and interest in the deployment of AI-driven patent tools is a strong plus. Willingness to evaluate and use AI tools is required.

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Pay Range:

Our employees come from different backgrounds, and we celebrate those differences. We are looking for the best candidates for our open roles, but do not expect applicants to meet every qualification in order to be considered. If you are excited about what you could accomplish at Cytokinetics and believe you can add value to our team, we would love to hear from you.

Please review our General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) policy PRIOR to applying.  

Our passion is anchored in robust scientific thinking, grounded in integrity and critical thinking. We keep the patient front and center in all we do – all actions and decisions are in service of the patient and their caregivers. We champion integrity, ethics, doing the right thing, and being our best selves.

Fraud Warning: How to Identify Impersonated Cytokinetics Job Postings and Offers

Recently, there have been fraudulent employment offers being sent to candidates on behalf of Cytokinetics. Please be advised that all legitimate offers from Cytokinetics will come directly from our official email domain (Cytokinetics.com) and will only be made after completing a formal interview process.

Here are some ways to check for authenticity:

• We do not conduct job interviews through non-standard text messaging applications

• We will never request personal information such as banking details until after an official offer has been accepted and verified

• We will never request that you purchase equipment or other items when interviewing or hiring

• If you are unsure about the authenticity of an offer, or if you receive any suspicious communication, please contact us directly at talentacquisition@cytokinetics.com

Please visit our website at: www.cytokinetics.com

Cytokinetics is an Equal Opportunity Employer