Director, Intellectual Property

Supernus Pharmaceuticals is an award-winning biopharmaceutical company with more than 30 years of experience in developing and commercializing products that treat central nervous system (CNS) diseases. At Supernus, we develop innovative products that help treat neurological and psychiatric conditions. We currently have 8 products in the market that are making a real impact on patient outcomes.

Job Summary:

The Director of Intellectual Property is responsible for the management, development, and protection of Supernus' intellectual property (IP) portfolio which includes patents, trademarks, and copyrights. Incumbents in this role will oversee all facets of patent and trademark applications, including preparing and prosecuting US and worldwide patents and trademark applications, performing prior art searches, and oversight of outside counsel for prosecution activities.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities:

• Focuses on chemistry-based inventions and interacts with staff to assess research inventions.
• Manages invention disclosures and prepares and prosecutes patent applications.
• Conducts chemical structure searches and patentability.
• Conducts landscape analysis of prior art.
• Performs prior art searches and recommends and implements IP prosecution strategies.
• Drafts patent applications and responses to Office Actions.
• Conducts licensing due diligence, IP assessment of new technologies, managing and administering the IP docketing and annuity payment systems (CPI and CPA), and management of IP files.
• Acts as an IP liaison with internal departments and manages relationships with external law firms and third-party agencies and relevant organizations.
• Oversees IP operations, including tools, systems, and vendor relationships supporting global prosecution and maintenance.
• Assist in developing infrastructure and policies and educates/ trains relevant departments on IP best practices.
• Monitors and analyzes the IP landscape and IP trends to identify risks and opportunities.
• Other responsibilities and projects assigned.

Supervisory Responsibilities:

• N/A

Knowledge & Other Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in life sciences and a minimum of ten years of related experience; A Master's degree or PhD in life sciences and a minimum of seven years of related experience; Or a Juris Doctor (JD) with a minimum of seven years of related experience.
• Pharmaceutical/biotechnology patent law knowledge, transactional experience or a combination of law firm and biotech/pharmaceutical company experience is required.
• Previous experience working with Pharmaceutical or Biotechnology patent preparation and prosecution is preferred.
• In-depth understanding of the administrative rules of the PTO and PCT.
• Working knowledge of CPI and CPA docketing and annuity payment systems.
• In-depth understanding of the administrative rules of the PTO and PCT.
• Must be registered to practice before the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
• Ability to read, interpret, and follow-through documents such as business correspondence, operating and maintenance instructions, and procedure manuals.
• Ability to communicate effectively with visitors and employees of the organization.
• Detail-oriented, with excellent organizational skills, communication skills, and ability to multi-task.
• Strong working knowledge of MS Office products including PowerPoint, Word, Excel, Access, Outlook and Project.
• Ability to work both independently and in a team dynamic in a fast-paced environment.
• Ability to maintain a high level of confidentiality and discretion.

Other Characteristics:

• Ability to take direction, as needed.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team and maintain high ethical standards of integrity and quality.
• Ability to have an innovative and dynamic approach to work.
• A self-starter able to work independently but comfortable working in a team environment.
• Ability to consistently exhibit Supernus Values in interactions with employees at all levels of the organization, vendors, customers and others.
• Capable of performing other duties as assigned by Management.
• Authorized to legally work in the United States without visa sponsorship.

Physical Requirements/Work Environment/Travel Requirements:

• Sedentary work. Exerting up to 10 pounds of force occasionally and/or carrying objects. Sedentary work involves sitting most of the time.
• The worker is required to have close visual acuity to perform an activity such as preparing and analyzing data and figures; transcribing; viewing a computer screen, iPad, or other electronic device; and extensive reading.
• The worker is not substantially exposed to adverse environmental conditions.

Compensation:

At Supernus, we offer a competitive compensation package that reflects your experiences and contributions. The expected salary range for fully qualified candidates applying for this role is $200,000 to $258,000. This range is what the Company reasonably expects to offer for the position and is not reflective of the full compensation scale of the role. This range may be modified in the future. An individual's salary within the range is based on multiple factors, which may include and are not limited to education, relevant experience, knowledge, length of industry experience and organizational needs.

Base salary is one part of the overall compensation package, which includes the opportunity to participate in employee stock purchase programs and performance-based bonus programs.

Supernus Pharmaceuticals is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, age or any other characteristic protected by law.