Senior IP Counsel

Who We Are 

Nuro is a self-driving technology company on a mission to make autonomy accessible to all. Founded in 2016, Nuro is building the world’s most scalable driver, combining cutting-edge AI with automotive-grade hardware. Nuro licenses its core technology, the Nuro Driver™, to support a wide range of applications, from robotaxis and commercial fleets to personally owned vehicles. With technology proven over years of self-driving deployments, Nuro gives the automakers and mobility platforms a clear path to AVs at commercial scale, empowering a safer, richer, and more connected future.

About the Role
As Senior IP Counsel, you will work with our business, product, and engineering teams to harvest patentable ideas, draft, file, and review patent and trademark applications, and manage our IP portfolio.  Principal duties include documenting business, product, and engineering team ideas, taking strategic decisions on managing patent and trademark filings and managing outside counsel, providing expert advice to other teams within Nuro on protecting company IP in our commercial and other matters, and supporting a patent strategy for long-term leadership in the autonomous vehicle and robotics sectors.  This role requires self-direction, impeccable attention to detail, and the proven drafting quality and efficiency that stems from having helped leading technology companies draft multiple groundbreaking patents that led to significant commercial value.

About the Work

• You will dive in on day one, executing on legal work across a wide range of areas, including:
• Leading patent harvesting sessions with technical teams, including working hands-on with inventors to prepare and to submit invention disclosure forms, reviewing invention disclosure forms, and providing feedback to inventors
• Generally, educating engineers and business teams on IP issues and providing advice on IP terms in commercial and corporate matters
• Conducting highly efficient and effective invention interviews with engineers, and efficiently preparing high-quality patent applications appropriately   
• Manage outside patent counsel on preparing, filing, and prosecuting patent applications, including preparing and timely filing provisional patent applications for inventions captured in invention disclosure forms and handling responses
• Managing and updating our trademark and other IP portfolios
• Cross-functional advice for protecting IP in commercial and other matters 
• Actively contribute to others’ success.  You will support the initiative to educate and motivate internal teams on how to turn their ideas into patent applications, and provide tips and tricks for getting quality patent applications drafted and ultimately allowed.
• Collaborate cross-functionally. You will collaborate with cross-functional teams, including technical teams, to ensure that our innovative products and services are protected, documenting and shaping the ideas from key stakeholders and their teams.
• Minimize the amount of time needed to go from idea to filed patent application.  As the translator between the world of patent law and technical robotics, you will work to support employees with very limited bandwidth outside of their core responsibilities to rapidly turn their ideas into the subjects of patent applications.

About You

• You’re experienced. You have a law degree and an engineering degree, and 7+ years of experience as a patent lawyer in an environment where you were responsible for end-to-end drafting and filing.  You have worked at an IP law firm or in-house, or both.  You’ve ideally had experience working across hardware, software, and services-related technologies.  Experience with robotics, artificial intelligence, or autonomous vehicles is a plus!  Experience with trademarks and trade secrets is also a plus.
• You’re relentless in getting to the core of a patentable idea. You are as much a master of the technical patent process as you are a creative and collaborative decision-maker, focused on finding the most efficient way to draft high-quality patent applications for filing both in the U.S. and internationally.
• You’re renowned for your technical skills and your judgment. You have a proven combination of great legal instincts, engineering know-how, and business acumen.  
• You thrive in fast-paced environments, expertly juggling educating new team members, helping inventors go from idea to drafting, and driving the patent strategy. You are excited about serving as a team player, working cross-functionally in a fast-paced startup.
• You’re a self-starter and get things done. The opposite of a bottleneck, you are known for driving process, have a highly efficient communication style, and are widely known for your ability to get patents allowed.
• You see opportunity in ambiguity. You have experience in taking ideas that may be only partially formed and drawing out the inventive step in that idea. You are able to identify not just patentable ideas, but spot opportunities to lead the industry and define new technological breakthroughs.
• You do your best work within diverse, collaborative teams. You see the patent portfolio as an integral and integrated part of the company's mission and commercial success.  You proactively engage and provide input to matters outside of your core area of responsibility.
• You know how to engage with teams and their leaders. You are an expert in helping others separate the important or problematic from the merely urgent, helping team leaders deliver on their priorities on account of your rigor and hustle.
• You’re a fast and precise writer. You are comfortable taking first pen on drafting and quickly produce a written product that is polished and ready for filing.
• You are very organized. You are able to keep track and execute on all the different upcoming deadlines with regards to our patent portfolio.
• You care deeply about impact. You are passionate that your work makes a significant impact on the lives of millions of people, and recognize the responsibility that comes with it.
• You’re a registered U.S. patent attorney and ideally a member of the California Bar. Admission in other jurisdictions is also a plus.

At Nuro, your base pay is one part of your total compensation package. For this position, the reasonably expected base pay range is between $193,930 and $291,150 for the level at which this job has been scoped. Your base pay will depend on several factors, including your experience, qualifications, education, location, and skills. In the event that you are considered for a different level, a higher or lower pay range would apply. This position is also eligible for an annual performance bonus, equity, and a competitive benefits package.

At Nuro, we celebrate differences and are committed to a diverse workplace that fosters inclusion and psychological safety for all employees. Nuro is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and expressly prohibits any form of workplace discrimination based on race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, genetic information, disability, veteran status, or any other legally protected characteristics. #LI-DNP