Patents Counsel

Join Our Mission to Improve Lives Worldwide

We are looking for a Patent Counsel with a strong scientific background in Life Sciences and a solid foundation in European patent practice to join our in‑house Intellectual Property team. This role offers the opportunity to work closely with Bial’s R&D and business teams across multiple therapeutic areas, contributing directly to the protection and value creation of the company’s innovation pipeline. Beyond technical excellence, we are seeking a collaborative, business‑minded professional with strong interpersonal skills and the potential to grow into broader responsibilities over time.

The Impact You’ll Make

• Proactively identify, capture and shape patenting opportunities at all stages of the pharmaceutical R&D lifecycle, in close collaboration with R&D, Regulatory, Legal, Commercial and other internal teams.
• Provide clear, pragmatic patent advice to multidisciplinary stakeholders, supporting informed decision‑making.
• Draft, file and manage the prosecution of patent applications worldwide, in alignment with company IP and business strategy.
• Independently manage and oversee patent portfolios for products and development candidates.
• Work closely with external patent attorneys and service providers, ensuring quality, efficiency and strategic alignment.
• Conduct and coordinate third‑party IP assessments (e.g. freedom‑to‑operate, validity and risk analyses) to support development and commercialization decisions.
• Contribute to the development and implementation of IP strategies that strengthen Bial’s competitive position.

What You’ll Bring:

• Strong technical background (preferably PhD) in Chemistry, Biochemistry, Biology, Pharmaceutical Sciences or a related Life Sciences field.
• Minimum of 5 years’ experience in patent matters, preferably within the pharmaceutical or biotech industry (in‑house and/or private practice).
• European Patent Attorney qualification, or active progress towards EQE qualification, is highly valued.
• Strong ability to build trust and work effectively with scientists and non‑IP stakeholders, influencing outcomes through expertise rather than authority.
• Demonstrated analytical thinking and sound judgment, with the ability to balance legal, scientific and business considerations.
• Team‑oriented mindset, combined with initiative, curiosity and the ambition to grow beyond a purely technical role.
• Strong communication skills, written and oral, particularly in English.
• Organized and resilient, able to manage multiple priorities in a dynamic R&D environment.
• High standards of integrity, responsibility and professional ethics.

Create Your Path@BIAL

“At Bial there is no such thing as "luck". There is commitment, dedication, and involvement with the Bial project and my team is part of this journey.”
Nuno Costa (Senior Manager Qualifications & Projects, Portugal) 

JOIN US!

To know more about BIAL, visit us on www.bial.com. Follow us on LinkedIn and Facebook