Job Details

Pattern is seeking a dynamic and business-minded Legal Counsel to build and lead the company's legal function. Reporting directly to the COO, this is Pattern's first in-house legal hire - a unique opportunity to shape the legal, governance, and operational foundations of a fast-growing company developing AI-designed, cell-specific cancer therapies. As a trusted business partner to the leadership team, you'll handle everything from contracts and IP strategy to financings, governance, and compliance while helping design processes that scale as the company grows. You'll bring both legal rigor and pragmatic business judgment, thrive in ambiguity, and enjoy working hands‑on to enable growth and innovation.

Primary Responsibilities

• General Counsel Functions: Lead all legal and compliance activities across the company and serve as a trusted advisor to leadership and the board.
• Corporate Governance: Manage board and equity matters, maintain corporate records, and support financings, subsidiary structures, and investor communications.
• Commercial & Operational Agreements: Draft and negotiate a wide variety of contracts (e.g., master service, material transfer, IP licensing, consulting, confidentiality, and vendor agreements).
• Strategic Transactions: Support partnerships, collaborations, and financings with academic, clinical, and corporate partners.
• Intellectual Property: Partner with R&D and outside counsel to develop and implement Pattern's IP strategy and ensure proper ownership and protection of company innovations.
• Employment & HR Support: Advise on offer letters, consulting agreements, policies, and employment compliance matters.
• Risk Management & Compliance: Develop scalable policies for data privacy, biosafety, and other regulatory frameworks relevant to biotech operations.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner with operations, finance, and R&D on transactions, taxes, insurance, grants, and procurement.
• Outside Counsel Management: Engage and manage external counsel efficiently across corporate, IP, employment, and other specialties.

Required Skills & Qualifications

• J.D. from an accredited U.S. law school; member in good standing of at least one state bar (California preferred).
• 6-10 years of experience, including time at a top law firm and at least 3 years in-house in life sciences or technology.
• Strong generalist skill set spanning corporate, commercial, and operational legal matters.
• Experience supporting financings, IP strategy, and vendor or collaboration agreements.
• Business-minded, pragmatic approach with a focus on enabling execution.
• Excellent communication, organization, and project management skills.
• Comfortable working in a dynamic, high-growth, resource-conscious startup environment.

At Pattern Bio, we design biological circuits at the intersection of synthetic biology and AI for cell-specific targeting of cancer tissue. By integrating data-driven design into every step—from DNA constructs to AAV-based delivery systems—we are building precise, rationally engineered, curative therapies. Our cohesive and driven team in South San Francisco is dedicated to curing cancer and saving lives.