Senior Counsel, Intellectual Property (Patent)

Perplexity AI, Inc.

Job Overview

Location

Remote

Job Type

Full-time

Full Job Description

📋 Description

• As a rapidly growing leader in the Artificial Intelligence space, Perplexity AI is seeking a highly motivated and experienced Senior Counsel, Intellectual Property (Patents) to establish and lead our comprehensive patent strategy. This is a unique and pivotal opportunity to be the foundational patent attorney within one of the world's fastest-growing AI companies, directly shaping how we protect our groundbreaking innovations.
• You will be instrumental in building our intellectual property program from the ground up, focusing on critical areas such as AI search, advanced reasoning capabilities, retrieval-augmented generation (RAG), and enterprise AI infrastructure. Your role will be central to safeguarding the unique technological advancements that differentiate Perplexity in the market.
• The core of your responsibility will be to develop and execute a robust patent portfolio strategy that accurately reflects the pace and depth of our engineering and product development. This involves a proactive approach to identifying, securing, and leveraging patent protection for our most valuable intellectual assets.
• You will lead proactive patent harvesting initiatives. This includes organizing and conducting regular invention disclosure sessions, fostering a culture of innovation, and collaborating closely with our brilliant engineering, research, and product teams. The goal is to identify patentable innovations at the earliest stages of the development cycle, ensuring we capture and protect novel concepts before they are widely known.
• Managing the entire patent prosecution lifecycle will be a key function. From the initial invention disclosure and drafting to filing, prosecution before the USPTO and foreign patent offices, and ultimately to grant, you will oversee the process. This will involve strategic engagement with and management of outside patent counsel to ensure the highest quality, efficiency, and alignment with our overarching business objectives.
• A critical aspect of your role will be evaluating patent applications for eligibility, novelty, and relevance. You will assess the potential for meaningful competitive protection and tangible business value, ensuring that our patent portfolio is not just extensive, but strategically impactful.
• You will serve as the primary advisor on complex AI-specific intellectual property considerations. This includes navigating the patentability of inventions implemented using machine learning and AI, conducting thorough freedom-to-operate (FTO) analyses to mitigate infringement risks, and staying abreast of the constantly evolving USPTO and global regulatory landscape for AI patents.
• You will play a key role in negotiating and managing intellectual property transactions. This includes patent licenses, cross-licenses, and the IP-related provisions within commercial and partnership agreements. You will collaborate closely with our Commercial (Enterprise) team to ensure our IP interests are well-protected in business dealings.
• Building and maintaining a comprehensive open-source software (OSS) compliance program will be another significant responsibility. This involves working in partnership with our Engineering and Security teams to implement OSS scanning, develop risk mitigation strategies, and ensure proper attribution and compliance with relevant licenses.
• You will be responsible for conducting internal training sessions for our engineering and product teams. These sessions will focus on IP best practices, the importance of invention identification, and educating teams on the strategic value and impact of our patent program.
• Monitoring the competitive patent landscape is essential. You will provide strategic intelligence on competitor filings, identify emerging technology trends relevant to our business, and proactively flag potential IP risks and opportunities.
• Finally, you will establish scalable IP processes, tools, and policies. These foundational elements will be crucial for supporting Perplexity AI's rapid growth trajectory and our expanding global presence, ensuring our IP infrastructure can keep pace with our ambitions.

🎯 Requirements

• A technical undergraduate degree (or equivalent experience), preferably in Computer Engineering (CE) or Computer Science.
• A minimum of 10 years of relevant legal experience, including significant in-house experience in patent preparation and prosecution, strategic portfolio development, foreign filing, and IP licensing.
• A Juris Doctor (JD) degree and admission to practice law in at least one US state, with a current active bar membership.
• Registration to practice before the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
• Exceptional interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills, with strong organizational abilities and a meticulous attention to detail.
• Proven ability to analyze complex legal issues, distill them into actionable advice, balance risk with business needs, and ask critical questions.
• A hands-on, proactive attitude with a low-ego approach to collaboration across all levels of the organization.
• A positive, collaborative mindset, comfort with rapid change, and a high degree of integrity and intellectual curiosity.

🏖️ Benefits

• Competitive salary and equity package commensurate with experience and impact.
• Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance.
• Generous paid time off (PTO) and holidays.
• Remote work flexibility, allowing you to work from anywhere within the US.
• Opportunity to build and shape the IP function at a high-growth, category-defining AI company.
• Direct impact on the company's strategic direction and protection of its core innovations.

Skills & Technologies

Senior

Remote

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Perplexity AI, Inc.

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About Perplexity AI, Inc.

Perplexity AI operates an AI-powered conversational search engine that answers queries by synthesizing live web information. The platform combines large language models with real-time retrieval, citing sources for transparency. Founded in 2022, the San Francisco-based company offers free and subscription tiers, mobile apps, and browser extensions, targeting consumers and enterprises seeking accurate, verifiable answers instead of traditional link lists.

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