Senior Counsel - Intellectual Property (Defense Technology)

Location: Onsite in Washington, D.C. or Los Angeles, California; occasional travel to company locations and business meetings.

Base salary: $250,000–$300,000 per year, excluding bonuses, equity, and benefits.

Company

hirify.global develops defense products powered by Coherent Distributed Networks for warfighters, commercial air operators, and border protection teams.

What you will do

• Build and lead the company’s IP legal function and own its overall IP strategy.
• Lead invention harvesting with engineering teams and determine whether to pursue patents, trade secrets, or publication.
• Manage outside counsel handling domestic and international patent and trademark prosecution, budgets, deadlines, and quality.
• Establish processes for invention disclosures, IP ownership, confidentiality, trade secrets, and employee training.
• Advise Legal, Contracts, engineering, product, and business teams on licensing, development agreements, supplier arrangements, and customer contracts.
• Advise on government contract IP provisions, third-party technology, open-source software, disputes, enforcement, and IP diligence.

Requirements

• J.D. from an accredited law school and active membership in good standing in at least one U.S. state bar, with eligibility to practice in the role’s location.
• Substantial experience advising technology businesses on IP strategy and managing patent portfolios and outside prosecution counsel.
• Experience identifying inventions with engineers and recommending commercially appropriate protection.
• Experience with trademarks, trade secrets, confidentiality, IP ownership, and licensing provisions.
• Working knowledge of FAR and DFARS requirements for technical data and computer software rights.
• Experience establishing IP processes, managing outside counsel budgets, and prioritizing complex legal and business needs.

Nice to have

• Experience as the first or lead IP attorney at a growing technology company.
• Defense technology, aerospace, radar, robotics, autonomy, or related hardware and software experience.
• Engineering or scientific degree.
• Experience with government data rights licenses, Other Transaction agreements, international IP portfolios, litigation, or acquisition-related IP diligence.

Culture & Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision benefits fully paid by the company.
• 401(k) with a 50% company match up to 6% of pay, plus FSA, HSA, and life insurance.
• Unlimited paid time off, casual dress code, and free daily lunch while working onsite.
• Relocation assistance, pre-IPO stock option grants, and planned annual bonuses.
• 500+ employees across five global offices.