Job title: Intellectual Property Manager (IP Manager)

Reports to: Chief Evolution Officer

Direct reports: N/A

Salary: up to £80,000

Hours: Full-time

Location: Office-based, South Bermondsey, London, UK

This is an extraordinary opportunity for you to make a real contribution to the circular economy, decarbonising the built environment, and support Biohm’s leadership team as they manage and scale one of the UK’s fastest growing startups.

Why Biohm is exciting…

Biohm is a multi-award-winning London-based company that develops biomimetic systems, processes, and biotechnologies through biofabrication, bioutilisation, synthetic biology, and advanced material science to commercialise market-leading and ground-breaking products, services, and solutions for the built environment.

At Biohm, we allow nature to lead innovation and strive only to have a regenerative impact on everything we touch.

Biohm’s ever-growing range of products is underpinned by two core biotechnologies; mycelium, or the root-structure of fungi, and Orb (organic refuse biocompound). The company has a strong stream of exciting products in the pipeline and a wide range of opportunities to partner with major multinationals from various sectors to commercialise its products globally.

Biohm's ultimate aim is to harmonise cultural and natural systems and provide the future of humanity with the best biomimetic solutions in the shortest possible time. The 'Innovation' team is central to this aim as it is within this function that ideas and concepts are developed into viable and scalable biomimetic solutions.

Biohm has a diverse team of passionate scientists, engineers, designers and business innovators. We are looking for like-minded individuals to join us and help change the world for the better.

About the role…

The IP Manager will occupy a key position within the innovation team at Biohm, managing the wide range of intellectual property. At Biohm, IP is one of our most valuable and important assets and is a key driver of the industrial and economic transformation that lies at the heart of the organisation’s aim. This is an opportunity to secure and enable the commercialisation of the company’s innovations in a way that maximises impact and protects the independent efforts that the team has invested into developing these novel biotechnologies.

Biohm is driven to achieve impact on a global scale and it is critical that we deploy the highest level of diligence and rigour when it comes to protecting its valuable intellectual property. Biohm currently provides major global stakeholders access to its biotechnologies through exclusive licences and partnerships that ensure an uncompromising approach to maintaining the company’s ethos and delivering real social, environmental, and economic impact.

The role covers the management of the full spectrum of IP, from patents and trademarks to trade secrets and publications, and requires someone with experience in industry and comfortable working in a startup/scaleup environment. The IP Manager will also be a key member of Biohm’s negotiation strategy team and will work directly with senior leaders and potential partners during negotiations.

Key Responsibilities:

• Build and evolve Biohm’s IP strategy in relation to the company’s current and future product universe and commercial plans.
• Manage the development, documentation, and maintenance of all IP generated across the company’s functions with an emphasis on IP generated within the innovation function.
• Identify various types of IP generated within Biohm’s innovation function and work with the functional (commercial, operations, and innovation) leadership teams to strategically determine whether the IP generated is to be patented, published, or considered a trade secret.
• Build an ever-evolving awareness of the IP landscape, in which Biohm's product universe sits, by tracking all external and internal developments, and maintain a high level of protection over prior art and newly protected IP.
• Work with Biohm’s external IP counsel to draft and file patents, manage and address patent examinations, and generally manage Biohm’s patent portfolio as it grows.
• Build appropriate internal systems to manage IP as it is being developed to streamline patenting processes.
• Identify, protect, and track the development of trade secrets and maintain their protection throughout the licensing and sale of Biohm's IP.
• Drafting contracts with partners to establish terms for use of intellectual property, such as patents or trademarks.
• Lead on the valuation of Biohm’s IP assets, taking a global view on its application in line with applicable laws and regulations, both domestically and internationally.
• Lead on developing and implementing Biohm’s IP strategy as a member of the company’s negotiation strategy group and negotiation team.
• Manage the transfer of IP to Biohm’s licensees and partners, ensuring a strategic balance between disclosing required information and maintaining a high level of protection.
• Build and maintain company-wide confidentiality protocols and integrate them into the company’s policies, general ways of working, communication channels, and approval structures.
• Work alongside the commercial function’s leadership team to identify and file trademarks required to protect Biohm’s brand, identity, and product universe.
• Ensure the security and protection of Biohm's digital and physical assets from an IP perspective throughout all operations.
• Develop, maintain and regularly review Biohm's IP register.
• Manage and review the company's and its employees' intellectual property assignments.
• Ensure that all relevant team members have a sufficiently in-depth fluency of IP boundaries, confidentiality levels, development protocols, protection approaches, and assignments.
• Actively promote social and environmental performance within your role at Biohm Ltd.
• Integrate sustainability principles into business practices and decision-making to align with the company's commitment to environmental stewardship and social responsibility.
• Supporting or developing strategies to minimise negative environmental footprint, including waste reduction, resource conservation, and promotion of regenerative practices throughout the organisation.
• Fostering a culture of corporate social responsibility by engaging with stakeholders to address material social and environment issues and promote initiatives that positively impact communities.
• Contribute to Biohm's mission of creating a more regenerative and socially responsible future by incorporating social and environmental performance into your job responsibilities.

Key Requirements & skills:

• Minimum of 5 years experience in IP protection and/or management;
• Minimum of Master’s level qualification in intellectual property law, relevant sciences (chemistry, biology, environmental sciences, earth system science, etc.), or business management;
• Experience in working on managing patents, trademarks, and trade-secrets related to scientific innovations, supported by evidence of individual contributions;
• LPC qualified candidates preferred;
• Minimum of 3 years experience as a patent attorney or IP counsel preferred;
• Strategic oversight and management of IP transfer through licensing and IP sale models;
• Experience in managing patents throughout the full lifecycle from drafting, through examination, grant, maintenance, and prosecution, to expiry;
• Exposure to or involvement in IP negotiations between partners, licensors and licensees coupled with experience in the development and amendment of partnership/licensing agreements;
• Exposure to or involvement in IP litigation negotiations;
• Demonstration of excellent record keeping and presentation skills;
• Experience working in environments with professionals and researchers from different disciplines or technical backgrounds;
• Capable of working independently, exercising a high degree of initiative and demonstrating a proactive and flexible approach to work;
• Ability to work under pressure and meet agreed milestones;
• Ability to contribute ideas and initiate new ways of working;
• Excellent organisational skills and attention to detail;
• Strong interpersonal, analytical and problem-solving skills.

Benefits

• Potential access to Biohm's employee share option scheme - dependent on impact and value created
• Flexible working hours
• 28 days holiday in addition to public holidays (pro rata based on FTE)

At Biohm, we pride ourselves on the value-enriching and compassionate culture we have created within our team, enabling each of us to rise to our full potential.