Technical Specialist – Small Molecule Intellectual Property

The Company

Montai Therapeutics is a privately held, biotechnology company focused on harnessing AI to decode untapped diverse chemistry to develop breakthrough oral medicines that can address persistent unmet needs in chronic disease. With our CONECTA® platform, Montai has built the world’s leading foundation models for decoding the complex language between nature’s bioactive chemistry and human biology – supercharging the drug discovery process with unprecedented optionality and predictability.

The Role

We are looking for a highly motivated, detailed-oriented and personable team player to join our Intellectual Property team as a Technical Specialist. This role will support the development and execution of the company’s intellectual property strategy for small molecule drug discovery programs and innovative biotech AI. Working closely with patent counsel, medicinal chemists, biologists, and external patent attorneys, the Technical Specialist will assist with invention harvesting, patent drafting, prior art analyses, competitive intelligence, and IP AI tool design and implementation.

This position is ideal for an early-career scientist with a strong background in organic or medicinal chemistry who is interested in intellectual property. The successful candidate will receive mentoring and on-the-job training in patent law and patent practice, with the opportunity to develop toward becoming a registered U.S. Patent Agent. No prior IP experience is required.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with research teams to identify patentable inventions and support invention disclosure activities.
• Assist in preparing patent applications, including drafting technical descriptions, examples, compound tables, figures, and supporting documentation.
• Review patent applications, Office Action responses, and other patent documents prepared by outside counsel for technical accuracy, consistency, and completeness.
• Conduct literature and patent prior art searches using commercial and public databases.
• Monitor competitor's patent filings, scientific publications, conferences, and emerging technologies to identify competitive developments and potential collaboration or licensing opportunities.
• Assist with preparation of presentations and reports for senior management and cross-functional teams.
• Support implementation of AI-enabled tools and workflows for data gathering/QC and Markush claim drafting.

Basic Qualifications

• B.S., in Organic Chemistry or Medicinal Chemistry.
• 1–2 years of experience in a pharmaceutical, biotech, or related scientific setting.
• Strong working knowledge of small molecule chemistry, structure, and nomenclature.
• Exceptional attention to detail and commitment to producing accurate, high-quality work.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Excellent organizational and time management skills with the ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously.
• Proficiency in ChemDraw, Microsoft Excel, Word, and PowerPoint, including organizing and analyzing technical data.
• Ability to work independently while collaborating effectively within multidisciplinary teams.
• Demonstrated curiosity, initiative, and willingness to learn about intellectual property, AI tools, new technologies, and scientific disciplines. 

Preferred

• M.S. or Ph.D. in related field
• Experience preparing invention disclosures or supporting patent applications.
• Familiarity with U.S. patent law and international patent systems.
• Experience using patent databases such as SciFinder, USPTO, WIPO, Espacenet, and Google Patents.
• Familiarity with chemical structure searching and Markush analysis.
• Eligibility to sit for the USPTO Patent Bar and interest in pursuing registration as a U.S. Patent Agent.

The salary range for this role is $88,000 - $132,000. Compensation for the role will depend on a number of factors, including a candidate’s qualifications, skills, competencies, and experience. Montai Therapeutics currently offers healthcare coverage, annual incentive program, retirement benefits and a broad range of other benefits. Compensation and benefits information is based on Montai Therapeutics's good faith estimate as of the date of publication and may be modified in the future.