Senior Intellectual Property Counsel (Semiconductor)

Location: Santa Clara, California, United States

Salary: $195,000–$268,000 per year

Company

hirify.global develops and services materials engineering equipment used to manufacture semiconductor chips and advanced displays.

What you will do

• Advise engineering and business teams on patents, trade secrets, and other intellectual property matters.
• Conduct IP landscape analyses, freedom-to-operate assessments, and risk evaluations.
• Develop and execute IP strategies aligned with product and business objectives.
• Manage patent portfolios, including invention capture, prosecution strategy, foreign filing decisions, and outside counsel coordination.
• Support patent-versus-trade-secret decisions, trade-secret protection practices, licensing and collaboration agreements, and ecosystem engagements.
• Support IP enforcement and defensive activities through claim analysis, prior-art review, dispute strategy, training, and process improvements.

Requirements

• Juris Doctor degree from an accredited law school.
• Active U.S. state bar membership in good standing and registration to practice before the USPTO.
• Technical degree in engineering, physics, computer science, chemistry, materials science, or a related field.
• 6–10 years of intellectual property legal experience in a law firm or in-house setting.
• Experience with U.S. and international patent portfolio management, freedom-to-operate assessments, and IP matters in Asia, including China, Korea, and Taiwan.
• Strong technical communication, stakeholder-management, ownership, and collaboration skills.

Nice to have

• Advanced technical degree such as an MS or PhD.
• Experience supporting advanced R&D or CTO organizations and early-stage or pre-product technologies.
• Experience with semiconductor, advanced packaging, photonics, optoelectronics, or quantum-related technologies.
• Experience with IP enforcement, invalidity and infringement analysis, global patent operations, budgeting, and outside counsel oversight.

Culture & Benefits

• Supportive work culture focused on learning, development, and professional growth.
• Comprehensive employee benefits and health and wellbeing programs.
• Potential eligibility for bonus and stock award programs, as applicable.
• Travel is required approximately 25% of the time.
• Regular full-time employment; relocation assistance is not available.