About Pivot Bio: 

Fueled by an innovative drive and a deep understanding of the soil microbiome, Pivot Bio is pioneering game-changing advances in agriculture. Our products harness the power of naturally occurring microbes to provide nutrients to crops and new sustainable ways for farmers to reduce the usage of fertilizers as they work to help feed the world’s growing population.

Read/Hear more about Pivot Bio on Forbes or PBS News Hour. 

Pivot Bio is seeking an experienced Patent Agent to develop IP arising from Pivot Bio’s R&D activities. The Patent Agent will work cross-functionally to support the patent needs of Pivot’s technical teams. The Patent Agent will be adept at evaluating and protecting new inventions and will be experienced with handling a wide variety of patent matters in support of product and platform technology development programs, including directly drafting, filing, and prosecuting patents.

Responsibilities:

• Act as primary patent support for one or more areas of Pivot’s business.
• Independently prepare and prosecute business relevant, high quality patent applications, including managing a global docket. Most patent drafting and prosecution will be handled in-house.
• Work with technical and commercial teams to identify new inventions and develop strategies for protecting products and platform technologies.
• Partner with R&D teams to learn development cycles and participate in planning to generate data.
• Perform prior art searches and analyze third-party patents. Familiar with patent and scientific databases.
• Establish regular monitoring and assessments of competitor patent portfolios.
• Support patent due diligence and disputes.
• Train and educate research team members on patent issues.
• Work with internal and external legal counsel as necessary, work with foreign patent attorneys. 

Qualifications and Experience

• Registered to practice before the USPTO.
• Advanced degree in chemistry, life sciences, microbiology, or related fields. Ph.D. preferred.
• 5+ years of relevant patent preparation and prosecution experience, with significant recent experience directly handling patent drafting and prosecution. (More experienced candidates will be considered for a Senior Patent Agent position.)
• Experience in U.S. and foreign intellectual property law relevant to chemical or biotechnology inventions at a law firm or corporation.
• Excellent interpersonal skills with ability to work independently or in teams. Able to communicate about complex patent matters with team members at all levels of the organization, with a wide range of scientific backgrounds.
• Able to work efficiently, to prioritize workflow, to meet deadlines, and to manage multiple priorities.
• Experience in row crop agriculture is a plus.

*Must be authorized to work in the United States * 

What we offer: 

• Competitive package in a disruptive startup 
• Stock options 
• Health/Dental/Vision insurance with employer-paid premiums 
• Life, Short-Term and Long-Term Disability policies 
• Employee Assistance Program with free referrals and discounts 
• 401(k) plan, 3% Match 
• Commuter benefits 
• Annual Training & Development support 
• Flexible vacation policy with a generous holiday schedule 
• Exciting opportunity to work with a talented and fun team