Director Group Patents

Job Description:

About Ferring

Ferring Pharmaceuticals is a privately owned, research-driven biopharmaceutical company committed to helping people build families and live better lives. We develop innovative treatments in reproductive and women’s health, gastroenterology, urology-oncology, endocrinology and orthopaedics. Our approach is rooted in science that works with the body’s own biology to deliver meaningful patient outcomes.

The Opportunity

We are seeking a Director, Group Patents (Onsite) with deep patent expertise and a business-partner mindset. This is a global individual contributor role that shapes competitive positioning and long-term exclusivity strategy within an assigned therapeutic scopes.

The role partners across R&D, Regulatory, Legal, Franchise and Global Product Teams, as well as Pricing & Market Access, Finance, Commercial, Portfolio Strategy and Business Development, to deliver integrated, value-driven IP strategies.

Key Responsibilities:

Strategic IP Leadership

• Define and drive the global IP strategy for assigned franchises or therapeutic areas, fully aligned with corporate, R&D and commercial priorities

• Act as strategic IP business partner to Franchise Heads and Global Project Teams, shaping lifecycle, exclusivity strategy, including PTE, and competitive positioning

• Integrate patent, regulatory exclusivity and data protection levers into a coherent long-term exclusivity roadmap

• Lead high-impact portfolio, including filing strategy, geographic scope and investment level, based on business and strategic priorities

• Set strategic direction for global drafting and prosecution strategy

• Deliver clear and pragmatic legal & IP opinions on validity, infringement and exclusivity matters to enable informed, risk-based business decision making

Enterprise and Cross-Functional Engagement

• Partner beyond R&D and Legal with Franchise, Regulatory, Pricing & Market Access, Finance and Commercial leadership to ensure IP considerations are effectively represented in franchise and relevant enterprise-level discussions

• Provide IP counselling to franchise and commercialization teams on exclusivity, data protection and in-market risk positioning across the product lifecycle

• Contribute to early asset strategy discussions including clinical positioning, label expansion and value optimisation

• Support Business Development and other corporate transactions, including IP due diligence, risk assessment and deal structuring

• Provide IP input on licensing, collaboration and joint development agreements

Risk, Disputes and Competitive Strategy

• Provide senior-level strategic views on competitive threats including generic and biosimilar risk

• Lead franchise-level freedom to operate, validity and broader competitive risk assessments

• Shape enforcement, opposition and litigation positioning in alignment with business priorities

• Contribute to IP litigation strategy and support coordination with internal and external counsel on high-impact matters

Organisational Impact and Leadership

• Contribute input to the evolution of the global IP operating model

• Support budget planning and portfolio prioritisation within assigned scope

• Act as a role model and informal leader, fostering cross portfolio collaboration and breaking therapeutic silos

Candidate Profile:

Experience and Background

• Advanced scientific degree in life sciences preferred

• European Patent Attorney qualification required; additional national qualification is a plus

• Extensive experience in pharmaceutical patents with demonstrated exposure to full lifecycle and competitive defence strategy

• Proven experience influencing cross-functional senior stakeholders, not limited to R&D and Legal

• Demonstrated experience supporting IP due diligence in transactional contexts

• Demonstrated exposure to patent litigation matters; US patent litigation is a strong plus

Strategic and Enterprise Capabilities

• Strong business acumen with the ability to connect IP strategy to pricing, market access, finance and franchise value drivers

• Ability to influence enterprise-level decision-making and align IP strategy with broader business priorities

• Strategic mindset balancing long-term positioning with pragmatic execution

• Deep interest in competition assessments and strategic positioning, translating insights into actionable IP strategies

Leadership Profile

• Highly people oriented, with strong emotional intelligence and the ability to influence without formal authority

• Comfortable operating without direct reports while naturally assuming informal leadership and shaping team dynamics

Personal Attributes

• Senior stakeholder credibility and ability to communicate complex matters in a clear and business-focused manner

• Curious, externally oriented and proactive in understanding the competitive environment

• Diplomatic, mature and culturally agile in a multinational environment

Why Join Ferring

At Ferring, people come first. We are committed to building an inclusive and diverse workplace and to supporting employees in building families through our global Building Families at Ferring program.

This is a unique opportunity to shape how Intellectual Property enables value creation in a science-driven organization where innovation directly impacts patients’ lives.

You will influence strategic decisions at franchise and corporate levels, ensuring that scientific excellence is translated into sustainable competitive advantage and long-term exclusivity.

If you are motivated by impact, cross-functional collaboration and the ambition to elevate IP beyond its traditional boundaries, we look forward to your application.

Location:

Switzerland HQ - St-Prex