Chief Intellectual Property Officer

Reporting to the Chief Legal Officer and serving in a senior leadership role, the Chief Intellectual Property Counsel ("CIPC") will be responsible for overseeing all aspects of intellectual property protection for Alnylam, including patent strategy, prosecution and enforcement, litigation, publication review, due diligence, portfolio management, trademark matters, and opinion work. The CIPC will work in partnership with other senior leaders to design, develop, implement, and drive IP strategy aligned with Alnylam's overall strategic directives, and will also manage a team of experienced patent professionals including attorneys and non-attorney legal professionals.

The successful candidate will have a minimum of 15 years of intellectual property experience with a strong background in patent law and a proven track record of successfully navigating complex IP challenges. Broad senior level in-house legal experience within the biotechnology and/or pharmaceutical industries is required, including experience managing people/teams, significant patent litigation, high-volume intellectual property workflow, and a large and complex IP portfolio. A bachelor's degree in the life sciences, a JD with admission to at least one state bar in good standing and registration to practice before the USPTO are required; an advanced science degree (ideally PhD) in biology, biochemistry or chemistry and familiarity with oligonucleotide-based therapeutics are strongly preferred.

Alnylam accommodates remote and hybrid work styles; however, the expectations for this position require a successful candidate to be onsite in Alnylam's offices in Cambridge, MA on a regular basis. This is a national search and relocation is available.

Key Responsibilities

• Intellectual Property Strategy Development and Execution
  • Partner with senior leadership to drive intellectual property strategy aligned with Alnylam's business objectives.
  • Execute on the well-established comprehensive global patent strategy while continuing to evolve the strategy as needed.
  • Identify and assess new opportunities for patent protection in alignment with R&D initiatives.

• Commercial Organization Support
  • Maximize IP protection of all marketed products throughout their life cycle by using patent, trademark, copyright and trade secret protection.
  • Identify and obtain all available patent term extensions.

• Patent Prosecution and Management
  • Oversee the preparation, filing, and prosecution of patent applications in the United States and internationally.
  • Manage and optimize the Company's patent portfolio to maximize value and mitigate risks.

• Trademark Filing and Management
  • Oversee the preparation, filing, and prosecution of trademark applications in the United States and internationally to protect the Alnylam brand.
  • Manage and optimize the Company's trademark portfolio to maximize value and mitigate risks.

• Competitor Monitoring and Analysis
  • Monitor competitor activities and provide guidance where appropriate.

• IP Litigation and Disputes
  • Lead and manage patent litigation and disputes in conjunction with the internal team, including coordinating with outside counsel and internal stakeholders.
  • Develop strategies for resolving IP conflicts and enforcing patent rights.

• R&D/Corporate Development Collaboration and Cross-Functional Support
  • Collaborate closely with R&D, regulatory, and commercial teams to provide IP insights that support product development and commercialization, including overseeing IP due diligence projects, competitive landscape reviews and FTO analyses in support of potential strategic transactions, supporting corporate and business development from an IP perspective.
  • Educate and train internal stakeholders on IP matters, fostering a culture of IP awareness and innovation.

• Regulatory and Compliance
  • Ensure compliance with all relevant IP laws and regulations, including those related to patent filing and maintenance.
  • Monitor changes in IP law and policy to anticipate their impact on the Company's IP strategy.
  • Advise on emerging legal issues in intellectual property to ensure innovative and cutting-edge approaches.

• Team Leadership and Development
  • Serve as member of the Legal Leadership Team.
  • Lead and mentor the internal IP team.
  • Build and foster a high-performance culture with professional growth opportunities.

• Outside Counsel Management
  • Select, evaluate, and manage a strong network of external intellectual property counsel to support the Company's IP initiatives.
  • Manage significant IP-related budgets.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in life sciences. JD with admission in good standing to the bar of at least one state.
• Admitted to practice before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
• 15+ years of proven intellectual property experience with a strong background in patent law and a proven track record of successfully navigating complex IP challenges. In-depth early training and broad senior level in-house legal experience within the biotechnology and/or pharmaceutical industries required.
• Demonstrated success managing people/teams, a high-volume intellectual property workflow and a large and complex IP portfolio are required.
• Experience managing contested proceedings, including patent litigation, oppositions, and PGR/IPR's is required.
• Experience with product life cycle management, including patent term extension and ANDA related litigation under Hatch-Waxman, as well as monitoring current and potential competition from both innovator and generic companies.
• An advanced science degree (ideally PhD) in biology, biochemistry or chemistry and familiarity with oligonucleotide-based therapeutics are strongly preferred.

Interpersonal Competencies & Success Factors

• Outstanding presence, gravitas, and maturity, with exceptional written and oral communication skills and the ability to synthesize and present clearly complex issues at all levels within and external to the Company, including senior leaders in a clear, direct, and forthright manner.
• The ability to build relationships that foster a cohesive, committed team environment and to effectively collaborate with cross-functional teams.
• Exceptional leadership skills, with a track record of building and managing a high-performing team and fostering growth and development of team members.
• Clear alignment with and ability to exemplify Alnylam's Company Core Values - Commitment to People, Fiercely Innovative, Purposeful Urgency, Passion for Excellence, Open Culture.
• Demonstrated success working in a fast-paced, dynamic, and proactive culture with complexity and ambiguity and ability to maintain professionalism under pressure.
• Self-starter mindset with ability to handle multiple matters simultaneously; adept at adjusting priorities when required.
• Commitment to high business ethics and personal integrity and strong work ethic.
• Demonstrated ability to achieve results with a broad perspective and strong business acumen.
• Strong organizational skills and ability to think strategically and systematically.
• Meaningful ownership of IP expertise and the confidence needed to generate trust with internal stakeholders.
• Precision and attention to detail.
• Highly developed problem-solving skills.
• Strong scientific acumen and intellectual curiosity; demonstrated ability to successfully partner with R&D colleagues.

About Alnylam:Alnylam Pharmaceuticals (Nasdaq: ALNY) has led the translation of RNA interference (RNAi) into a whole new class of innovative medicines with the potential to transform the lives of people afflicted with rare and more prevalent diseases. Based on Nobel Prize-winning science, RNAi therapeutics represent a powerful, clinically validated approach to treating diseases at their genetic source by "interfering" with mRNA that cause or contribute to disease. Since our founding in 2002, Alnylam has led the RNAi Revolution and continues to turn scientific possibility into reality.

Our culture:Our people-first culture is guided by our core values: fiercely innovative, open culture, purposeful urgency, passion for excellence, and commitment to people, and these values influence how we work and the business decisions we make. Thanks to feedback from our employees over the years, we've been fortunate to be named a top employer around the world. Alnylam is extremely proud to have been recognized as the #1 Large Employer by Boston Globe Top Places to Work in 2023 for the third consecutive year, one of Science Magazine's Top Biopharma Employers, one of America's Most Responsible Companies for 2024 by Newsweek, a Fast Company Best Workplace for Innovators, and a Great Place to Work in Canada, France, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, and UK - among others.

At Alnylam, we commit to an inclusive recruitment process and equal employment opportunity. We are dedicated to building an environment where employees can feel that they belong, can bring their authentic selves to work, and achieve to their full potential. By empowering employees to embrace their unique differences at work, our business grows stronger with advanced and original thinking, allowing us to bring groundbreaking medicines to patients. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to their race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, ethnicity, marital status, protected veteran status, disability, or any other characteristics prohibited by law.