Director, IP Counsel

About Formation Bio

Formation Bio is a tech and AI driven pharma company differentiated by radically more efficient drug development. 

Advancements in AI and drug discovery are creating more candidate drugs than the industry can progress because of the high cost and time of clinical trials. Recognizing that this development bottleneck may ultimately limit the number of new medicines that can reach patients, Formation Bio, founded in 2016 as TrialSpark Inc., has built technology platforms, processes, and capabilities to accelerate all aspects of drug development and clinical trials. Formation Bio partners, acquires, or in-licenses drugs from pharma companies, research organizations, and biotechs to develop programs past clinical proof of concept and beyond, ultimately helping to bring new medicines to patients. The company is backed by investors across pharma and tech, including a16z, Sequoia, Sanofi, Thrive Capital, Sam Altman, John Doerr, Spark Capital, SV Angel Growth, and others. 

You can read more at the following links:

• Our Vision for AI in Pharma
• Our Current Drug Portfolio
• Our Technology & Platform

At Formation Bio, our values are the driving force behind our mission to revolutionize the pharma industry. Every team and individual at the company shares these same values, and every team and individual plays a key part in our mission to bring new treatments to patients faster and more efficiently.

About the Position

As Formation Bio’s dedicated IP Counsel at the Director level, you will own the IP function for our rapidly growing pharma company. Reporting to the Senior Director, you will operate autonomously to create and execute proactive IP strategies that add value both to our existing and future assets. This role is essential in enhancing our diligence efforts and driving successful asset negotiations in a competitive, evolving market.

Responsibilities

• IP Strategy & Execution:
• Develop and lead IP strategies to maximize the value of both current and prospective assets.
• Proactively identify opportunities to enhance our IP portfolio’s competitive position.
• Diligence & Asset Negotiation:
• Conduct thorough initial and confirmatory due diligence for potential in-licensing, acquisition, or partnering transactions.
• Prepare comprehensive assessments of the IP landscape to support accurate deal assumptions and negotiations.
• Operations & Management:
• Establish and scale our IP operations to align with business growth.
• Oversee global patent prosecution, trademark registrations, and related payments.
• Manage, delegate, and oversee the work of external IP counsel, ensuring high-quality, cost-effective support.
• Collaboration & Communication:
• Distill complex IP concepts for legal and non-legal stakeholders across the organization.
• Work cross-functionally to integrate IP strategy with broader business objectives.
• AI Proficiency:
• Apply AI tools and methodologies to enhance IP strategy and due diligence processes.
• Demonstrate a strong curiosity about AI, leveraging its potential to drive innovative IP solutions.

About You

• You are a qualified attorney with a degree from a top-tier law school and licensed to practice (or willing to take the New York State Bar).
• You bring 7+ years of IP experience, ideally a mix of law firm and in-house work, with significant exposure to due diligence, asset negotiations, and IP portfolio management.
• You possess strong conceptual, analytical, and critical thinking skills, paired with the ability to operate independently and manage multiple priorities in ambiguous environments.
• You have demonstrated experience in managing outside counsel, ensuring they deliver high-quality work within deadline-driven settings.
• You are an agile, proactive, and strategic thinker who thrives in a fast-paced, evolving environment.

Nice-to-Haves

• Experience working with Chinese pharmaceutical or biotech companies, or a background involving partnerships with Asian markets.
• Prior experience in both law firm settings and in-house roles, evidencing a balanced perspective on deadline-driven and autonomous work environments.

Why Join Us?

At Formation Bio, you will have the opportunity to shape the IP strategy of a growing company at the forefront of pharma innovation. You’ll work alongside a dynamic team, contribute to critical asset acquisitions, and be empowered to drive value creation through your expertise and curiosity about emerging technologies like AI.

Formation Bio is headquartered in New York City, with plans to build a larger team and presence in Boston. We are prioritizing hiring in these areas, with an expectation for NYC-based employees to work in the office at least two days per week. While our primary focus is on candidates in NYC (including the Tri-state Area) and Boston, we may consider remote candidates from specific geographies based on qualifications, skills, and business needs. We believe that in-person collaboration is essential for breaking down silos, fostering cross-functional teamwork, and embedding our company values into daily work. All employees located outside of the NYC Metro Area will be expected to travel to the NYC office at least four times per year for company events and team-specific meetings or activities.

Compensation:

Salary ranges are informed in part by geographic location, in addition to other factors. The target salary ranges for this role are: 

• NYC Metro Area, Boston Metro Area, SF Bay Area: $237,000 - $300,000
• All Other Eligible Remote Locations: $226,000 - $285,000

The ranges provided above include base salary only. In addition to base salary, we offer equity, generous perks, hybrid flexibility, and comprehensive benefits.

If this range doesn’t match your expectations, please still apply because we may have something else for you.

**Eligible Remote Locations:
Alabama (AL), Arizona (AZ), California (CA), Connecticut (CT), Florida (FL), Georgia (GA), Illinois (IL), Indiana (IN), Maryland (MD), Massachusetts (MA), New Hampshire (NH), New Jersey (NJ), North Carolina (NC), Ohio (OH), Pennsylvania (PA), South Carolina (SC), Texas (TX), Utah (UT), Virginia (VA), and Washington, D.C. (DC).

You will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status.

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