--- title: 'Senior Patent Counsel / Director, Intellectual Property at Altos Labs' canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/senior-patent-counsel-director-intellectual-property-altos-labs-san-diego-rqa72w59efpg' type: 'job' last_seen: '2026-10-15' --- # Senior Patent Counsel / Director, Intellectual Property at Altos Labs - **Company:** Altos Labs - **Location:** San Diego, CA - **Posted:** 2026-10-08 - **Last confirmed live:** 2026-10-15 - **Apply:** https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/altoslabs/jobs/6218766004 ## Job description ## Our Mission Our mission is to restore cell health and resilience through cell rejuvenation to reverse disease, injury, and the disabilities that can occur throughout life. For more information, see our website at [altoslabs.com.](https://altoslabs.com/) Our Value Our Single Altos Value: Everyone Owns Achieving Our Inspiring Mission. Diversity at Altos Altos Labs has been named one of the Top 3 Biotech Companies and ranked for the second year on the Forbes 2026 Best Startups in America list.  At Altos, exceptional scientists and industry leaders from around the world work together to advance a shared mission. Our intentional focus is on Belonging, so that all employees know that they are valued for their unique perspectives. We are all accountable for sustaining a diverse and inclusive environment. ## What You Will Contribute To Altos We are seeking a creative and engaged patent lawyer or patent agent to join a dynamic legal department.  The person in this role will create and manage global patent portfolios that protect our groundbreaking innovations in cellular programming, computational biology, and ultimately  novel transformative therapeutics for patients. This position report to the Vice President, IP and is an onsite role in San Diego, California. ## Key Responsibilities - Prepare, prosecute, and maintain global patent portfolios for various therapeutic modalities including small molecules, large molecules and gene therapy.  Includes the drafting and filing patent applications, managing and successfully resolving patent office actions such as inter partes reviews, reexaminations, post grant reviews, and oppositions. - Identify and evaluate data for patentability and invention capture. - Conduct due diligence assessments and provide pragmatic and actionable advice based on those assessments. - Counsel business stakeholders on freedom to operate analyses, patentability, and global regulatory exclusivities. - Provide advice and counsel on trade secrets, copyrights and trademarks as needed. - Review, draft, and negotiate IP terms in collaboration with transactional legal team. - Identify, assess, and communicate IP risks to business stakeholders. - Develop and maintain effective partnerships across the business and within the legal and compliance functions to provide advice, risk assessment, and strategy on IP matters. - Maintain current knowledge of IP case law and emerging industry trends. - Effectively manage outside counsel work product and budget. Core Competencies To succeed in our highly dynamic environment, the ideal candidate must demonstrate: - High Integrity:  You act with honesty, keep commitments, and take full accountability for your actions. You are a role model for our organizational values and adhere to ethical guidelines even under pressure. - Dealing with Ambiguity: You thrive in the "grey areas." You effectively cope with change, shift gears comfortably, and make strategic IP decisions particularly when the underlying science or legal precedents are still emerging and undefined. - Bias to Action:  You willing to roll up your sleeves to get into the details and drive creative solutions, while also being able to think on the fly and enable fast decision making. - Courage: You lean into smart risk taking and cutting-edge approaches to creating IP value.  You embrace healthy conflict and do not shy away from difficult conversations. - Teamwork and Collaboration: You are a natural bridge-builder, think pragmatically, and use sound judgment.  You break down silos. You foster a culture of shared success and ensure IP is experienced as a strategic partner. ## Who You Are ## Qualifications Education & Credentials: - PhD in Chemistry or related science. - Registered before United States Patent and Trademark Office is required. - If lawyer, - Juris Doctorate from an ABA-accredited law school - Admitted to California Bar or ability to qualify as Registered In-House Counsel. Experience & Technical Skills: - 7+/12+ years of experience as patent prosecutor, preferably including law firm and industry experience. - Experience in global pharmaceutical drug development and commercialization is required. The salary range for San Diego: - Director, IP: $286,300 - $367,000 ## #LI-NN1 Exact compensation may vary based on skills, experience, and location. For UK applicants, before submitting your application: - Please click here to read the Altos Labs EU and UK Applicant Privacy Notice ([bit.ly/eu_uk_privacy_notice](https://bit.ly/eu_uk_privacy_notice)) - This Privacy Notice is not a contract, express or implied and it does not set terms or conditions of employment. ## Equal Opportunity Employment We value collaboration and scientific excellence. We believe that a culture of belonging are foundational to scientific innovation and inquiry. At Altos Labs, exceptional scientists and industry leaders from around the world work together to advance a shared mission. Our intentional focus is on Belonging, so that all employees know that they are valued for their unique perspectives. We are all accountable for sustaining an inclusive environment. Altos Labs provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment, without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. Altos prohibits unlawful discrimination and harassment. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training. Thank you for your interest in Altos Labs where we strive for a culture of scientific excellence, learning, and belonging. Note: Altos Labs will not ask you to download a messaging app for an interview or outlay your own money to get started as an employee. If this sounds like your interaction with people claiming to be with Altos, it is not legitimate and has nothing to do with Altos. Learn more about a common job scam at https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-spot-avoid-online-job-scams-biron-clark/ ## About Altos Labs ## Company Overview - **One-liner**: Altos Labs is a biotechnology company pioneering cellular rejuvenation programming to reverse disease, injury, and disabilities by restoring cell health and resilience. - **Entity Type**: Private (believed to be well-funded by high-profile investors including Jeff Bezos and Yuri Milner; no public funding rounds listed) - **Headquarters**: San Francisco Bay Area, CA, USA (also major sites in San Diego, CA and Cambridge, UK) - **Founded**: 2021 (publicly launched in January 2022) - **Founders**: Hal Barron (CEO), Hans Bishop (President), Rick Klausner (Chief Scientific Advisor) ## Core Business - **Primary industry**: Biotechnology / Longevity & Cell Rejuvenation / Drug Discovery - **Target customers**: B2B/Institutional (partners, academic collaborators); ultimate end-users are patients with age-related diseases - **Mission statement**: “To restore cell health and resilience through cell rejuvenation to reverse disease, injury and the disabilities that can occur throughout life.” ## Products & Services Currently in the research and preclinical/early clinical stage. No marketed products yet. Major initiatives include: - **[Cell Rejuvenation Programming Platform]**: Proprietary technology based on partial cellular reprogramming (building on Yamanaka factors and Belmonte lab discoveries) to reset epigenetic age and restore cell function. - **[Institute of Computation]**: Developing multi-scale generative AI models to decode the “language of cell health” and accelerate discovery of rejuvenation-based therapies. - **[Institute of Medicine]**: Translational arm focused on converting fundamental biology into potential breakthrough medicines for age-related diseases. - **[Discovery Engine]**: Integrated platform combining experimental biology, high-quality internal data generation, and computational modeling to identify novel targets and therapies. ## Market Standing - **Valuation/Market Cap**: Not publicly disclosed; widely reported to have raised over **$3 billion** in initial financing (one of the largest biotech startup financings ever). Investors include Jeff Bezos, Yuri Milner, and others. - **Key Metric**: **$3+ billion total funding** (reported launch round) - **Notable Investors/Partners**: Jeff Bezos (via Bezos Expeditions), Yuri Milner (via DST Global), and other undisclosed high-net-worth individuals; partnerships with leading academic institutions including the Salk Institute and Cambridge University. - **Growth Signals**: Rapidly scaling headcount (26 open roles listed on Greenhouse as of mid-2026); expansion of computational and AI teams; launched Institute of Computation; appointed Joan Mannick (M.D.) as Chief Medical Officer in 2025 to lead early clinical development. ## Competitive Advantages - **Massive capital base**: Over $3 billion in funding provides long runway for high-risk, long-horizon science. - **World-class scientific leadership**: CEO Hal Barron (ex-GSK, ex-Roche), President Hans Bishop (ex-Juno Therapeutics), Chief Scientific Advisor Rick Klausner, and founding scientist Juan Carlos Izpisua Belmonte (pioneer of partial reprogramming). - **“Academic freedom meets industry focus” model**: Combines the freedom of academic inquiry with the discipline and resources of a biotech company. - **AI-first approach**: Dedicated Institute of Computation with a focus on generative AI and foundational models for biology, differentiating from traditional drug discovery. - **Multi-site global footprint**: Operations spanning US (Bay Area, San Diego) and UK (Cambridge) attract top talent from both sides of the Atlantic. ## Strategic Focus - **Near-term**: Advancing first therapeutic programs into clinical trials; building out the Institute of Computation and AI models; scaling drug discovery and development capabilities. - **Long-term**: Transform medicine by developing therapies that address the root cause of disease—cellular aging—rather than just symptoms. ## Why Work Here - **Mission-driven culture**: Focus on a single, ambitious goal—reversing disease through cell rejuvenation—unites the organization. - **Unique work model**: Blends academic freedom (pursue deep questions, publish, collaborate openly) with industry urgency (focus on medicines, milestones, patient impact). - **Computational focus**: Heavy investment in AI/ML (machine learning scientists, AI engineers, computational biology) makes it appealing for those interested in the intersection of tech and biology. - **Work environment**: Collaborative, interdisciplinary, and global; values diverse perspectives. Described as “a unique and inspiring place to work” with “many ways to contribute to our mission.” - **Currently hiring across multiple disciplines**: Discovery Science, Drug Development, Computation, Technology, and Operations—with roles in San Francisco Bay Area, San Diego, and Cambridge, UK. - **Perks/culture highlights**: Not explicitly detailed on careers page, but the emphasis on “freedom to collaborate broadly” and “big questions” suggests a high-autonomy, high-trust environment. ### Company Website & Careers 1. [altoslabs.com](https://www.altoslabs.com/) – Official company site (overview, science, about, careers) 2. [altoslabs.com/careers](https://www.altoslabs.com/careers) – Careers page (mission, culture, job listings) 3. [altoslabs.com/about](https://www.altoslabs.com/about) – About page (leadership, institutes, model) 4. [altoslabs.com/science](https://www.altoslabs.com/science) – Science page (founding science, partial reprogramming) ### Job Board 5. [job-boards.greenhouse.io/altoslabs](http://job-boards.greenhouse.io/altoslabs) – Greenhouse job board (26 open positions as of mid-2026) ## Other roles at Altos Labs - [Manager / Senior Manager Genomics Hub](https://feeny.ai/job/manager-senior-manager-genomics-hub-altos-labs-cambridge-2c83teqhdrg9) — Cambridge, MA - [Senior Knowledge Engineer, Ontology and Data Standards (Contract)](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-knowledge-engineer-ontology-and-data-standards-contract-altos-labs-san-0gj7kggw8sq9) — San Francisco Bay Area, CA - [Deputy General Counsel and Vice President, Intellectual Property](https://feeny.ai/job/deputy-general-counsel-and-vice-president-intellectual-property-altos-labs-san-rfncypwagg9c) — San Francisco Bay Area, CA - [Director / Senior Director, Lab-in-the-Loop](https://feeny.ai/job/director-senior-director-lab-in-the-loop-altos-labs-san-francisco-bay-area-x0r6dn63de1j) — San Francisco Bay Area, CA / San Diego, CA - [Senior Manager/Manager, CRO and KOL Alliances (Contract to Hire)](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-manager-manager-cro-and-kol-alliances-contract-to-hire-altos-labs-san-vw71whqxekvc) — San Diego, CA - [Scientist / Sr. Scientist In Vivo Translational Sciences](https://feeny.ai/job/scientist-sr-scientist-in-vivo-translational-sciences-altos-labs-san-francisco-89z998pb5r1a) — San Francisco Bay Area, CA - [Scientist / Senior Scientist, Membrane Biochemistry](https://feeny.ai/job/scientist-senior-scientist-membrane-biochemistry-altos-labs-san-francisco-bay-2as6grjx00j9) — San Francisco Bay Area, CA - [Scientist, Neurodegeneration](https://feeny.ai/job/scientist-neurodegeneration-altos-labs-san-francisco-bay-area-ptan9vfe9dfh) — San Francisco Bay Area, CA - [Senior Research Associate, Drug Discovery](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-research-associate-drug-discovery-altos-labs-san-francisco-bay-area-es0k39mddn6n) — San Francisco Bay Area, CA - [Director / Senior Director, Machine Learning for Biology](https://feeny.ai/job/director-senior-director-machine-learning-for-biology-altos-labs-san-diego-tav9vfz1h2qf) — San Diego, CA / San Francisco Bay Area, CA