Vice President, Intellectual Property

Sumitomo Pharma Co., Ltd., is a global pharmaceutical company based in Japan with operations in the U.S. (Sumitomo Pharma America, Inc.), focused on addressing patient needs in oncology, urology, women's health, rare diseases, cell & gene therapies and CNS. With several marketed products and a diverse pipeline of early- to late-stage investigational assets, we aim to accelerate discovery, research, and development to bring novel therapies to patients sooner. For more information on SMPA, visit our website https://www.us.sumitomo-pharma.com or follow us on LinkedIn.

This position reports to the Chief Legal Officer and is part of the Legal Department. The Vice President, Intellectual Property leads the IP function—setting patent, trademark, and trade secret strategy in partnership with the global IP team; and directing complex global patent litigation—and works closely with R&D, Business Development, Regulatory, Commercial, and global partners to ensure effective collaboration and alignment.

Essential Functions Required for Job:

• Lead and support the enterprise-wide intellectual property strategy for Sumitomo Pharma America, aligning global patent, trademark, and trade secret strategy with corporate priorities and pipeline assets.
• Lead, and mentor the IP team and ensure high-quality work product, effective succession planning, and continued talent development.
• Oversee complex l patent litigation and adversarial proceedings setting strategy and managing outside counsel, budgets, and outcomes.
• Advise executive leadership and cross-functional partners on all IP matters, including freedom-to-operate (FTO), patentability, inventorship, and portfolio exclusivity from patent, FDA regulatory, and antitrust considerations.
• Support business development and corporate transactions, leading IP due diligence and negotiating IP terms for licensing, collaboration, asset acquisition/divestiture, and research agreements.
• Partner with R&D to identify and protect new innovations, and counsel scientists and product teams on IP strategy and best practices.
• Provide ongoing support to any relevant regulatory, development and commercial activities that may impact IP.
• Provide transactional IP support across a range of agreements, including licensing, clinical trial, sponsored research, material transfer, CRO agreements, university licenses, and CDAs.
• Support product lifecycle management
• Oversee management of the company’s trademark and domain portfolio and advise on copyright and related matters.
• Establish IP policies, processes, and governance that scale with a growing organization and ensure consistent, high-quality execution.
• Work closely with the AI governance committee to monitor and protect innovation that uses AI.
• Manage the IP function’s budget and external counsel spend, ensuring efficient allocation of resources against business priorities.
• Monitor U.S. and international IP developments and market developments, and advise leadership on changes that may impact the business.
• Global coordination and governance : The role must align U.S. IP priorities with global strategy, and follow escalation protocols, decision rights, and governance for material IP matters.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (general & technical):

• Recognized expertise in pharmaceutical/biotech intellectual property law—including patent prosecution, litigation, and transactional IP—with the ability to set and execute enterprise strategy.
• Sound judgment, independent thinking, business acumen, and an unwavering commitment to ethical conduct.
• Ability to understand and digest highly complex scientific, legal, and business scenarios, identify the relevant issues and risks, and communicate clear, actionable solutions to lawyers and non-lawyers alike.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills and executive presence, including the ability to influence and advise senior leadership on high-stakes matters.
• Proven ability to build, lead, and develop high-performing legal teams and to manage outside counsel and budgets effectively.
• Strong collaborative and cross-functional leadership skills, with the ability to organize, coordinate, and motivate teams across the enterprise.
• Demonstrate coaching skills to develop and grow the team.
• High degree of organizational awareness, ability to connect the dots to understand all the interdependency and big picture.

Education & Experience Requirements:

• J.D. from an accredited law school required; must be admitted and in good standing to at least one U.S. State Bar (or the District of Columbia Bar) and registered to practice before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
• Advanced scientific degree strongly preferred (Ph.D. or M.S.) in chemistry, biology, biochemistry, or a related life-science field.
• Minimum 15+ years of progressive patent/IP law experience in the pharmaceutical/biotech industry, including substantial in-house experience.
• Demonstrated experience leading an IP function and managing a team of attorneys and other professionals.
• Deep experience across patent prosecution, patent litigation (, and transactional IP.
• Preferred Qualifications:
• Experience supporting both small-molecule and cell therapy assets.
• Prior experience advising executive leadership and boards on enterprise IP strategy and high-stakes transactions.
• Demonstrated leadership in managing a team and working on a global scale

Other Requirements (licenses, certifications, specialized training, and physical or mental abilities required):

• Must maintain active membership in good standing with at least one U.S. State Bar and active registration to practice before the USPTO.

Travel Requirements:

Primarily remote role with periodic on-site meetings in office. Must be able to travel domestically and internationally as needed.

Mental/Physical Requirements:

Fast-paced environment handling multiple demands is involved. Must be able to exercise appropriate judgment as necessary. Requires a high level of initiative and independence. Excellent written and oral communication skills required. Requires ability to use a personal computer for extended periods of time.

People Management:

This position includes people‑management responsibilities, including day‑to‑day supervision, workload planning, and ensuring team members have the resources and support needed to succeed.

The base salary range for this role is

Base salary is part of our total rewards package which also includes the opportunity for merit-based salary increases, short incentive plan participation, eligibility for our 401(k) plan, medical, dental, vision, life and disability insurances and leaves provided in line with your work state.  Our robust time-off policy includes flexible paid time off, 11 paid holidays plus additional time off for a shut-down period during the last week of December, 80 hours of paid sick time upon hire and each year thereafter.  Total compensation, including base salary to be offered, will depend on elements unique to each candidate, including candidate experience, skills, education and other factors permitted by law.

Disclaimer: The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to this classification. They are not to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required of personnel so classified. All personnel may be required to perform duties outside of their normal responsibilities from time to time, as needed.

Confidential Data: All information (written, verbal, electronic, etc.) that an employee encounters is considered confidential, in accordance with applicable law.

Compliance: Achieve and maintain Compliance with all applicable regulatory, legal and operational rules and procedures, by ensuring that all plans and activities for and on behalf of Sumitomo Pharma America (SMPA) and affiliates are carried out with the "best" industry practices and the highest ethical standards.

It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

Mental/Physical Requirements:

Fast-paced environment handling multiple demands is involved. Must be able to exercise appropriate judgment as necessary. Requires a high level of initiative and independence. Excellent written and oral communication skills required. Requires ability to use a personal computer for extended periods of time.

Travel Requirements:

Primarily remote role with periodic on-site meetings in office. Must be able to travel domestically and internationally as needed.

Drug Screening Requirements
Applicants for sales/field, manufacturing, or other designated roles will be required to submit to a pre-employment drug test.

Sumitomo Pharma America (SMPA) is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) employer

Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race; color; creed; religion; national origin; age; ancestry; nationality; marital, domestic partnership or civil union status; sex, gender; affectional or sexual orientation; disability; veteran or military status or liability for military status; domestic violence victim status; atypical cellular or blood trait; genetic information (including the refusal to submit to genetic testing) or any other characteristic protected by law.

Sumitomo Pharma America (SMPA) endeavors to make its application process accessible to all. If you would like to contact us regarding the accessibility of our website or need assistance completing the application process, please contact SMPA at reasonableaccomodations@us.sumitomo-pharma.com. This contact information is for accommodation requests only and cannot be used to inquire about the status of applications.