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Head of Intellectual Property

1X Technologies· Legal
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San Carlos, CA$270k - $330kFull-timePosted 3mo ago

About the role

Lead the development and execution of 1X's intellectual property strategy from the ground up, turning robotics and embodied AI breakthroughs into a defensible patent and trade secret portfolio to protect freedom to operate and compound enterprise value as NEO scales.

Responsibilities

  • Own and execute a company-wide patent roadmap that prioritizes 1X's most defensible and commercially critical inventions across robotics, AI, and hardware
  • Drive invention capture by embedding directly with engineering, AI, and hardware teams to surface patentable technology early and convert it into high-quality filed patents
  • Build a portfolio that protects 1X's freedom to operate and creates leverage against competitors, measured by filing velocity, grant rate, and coverage of our core technology
  • Identify and recommend strategic patents to acquire - both offensively and defensively - through landscape and competitive analysis, and lead diligence on those acquisitions
  • Establish a trade secret protection program and decide, invention by invention, what 1X protects through patents versus trade secrets
  • Stand up the function hands-on, then build and grow the team as company and product milestones warrant - not on a fixed timeline

Qualifications

  • Demonstrated track record of building and managing patent portfolios in hardware, robotics, AI, or another deep-tech domain (typically 10+ years in intellectual property, in-house or at a top firm)
  • Hands-on patent expertise - drafting, prosecution strategy, and portfolio management - for complex technical inventions
  • Proven ability to run patent landscaping, freedom-to-operate analysis, and competitive assessments to inform offensive and defensive decisions
  • Experience setting trade secret protection strategy alongside patents in a technical organization
  • A technical degree (engineering, computer science, or a related field) with a working understanding of robotics, AI, mechatronics, or comparable systems
  • Experience partnering directly with engineering and product teams to capture inventions at the source

Skills

Required:Patent portfolio developmentInvention capture and draftingStrategic portfolio planning

Benefits

  • Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage
  • Generous paid time off, company holidays, and parental leave
  • 401(k) plan with company match (100% on the first 3% of contributions, 50% on the next 2%)
  • Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) and Health Savings Accounts (HSA) options
  • Commuter benefits (transit and parking)
  • Short-term and long-term disability, and life insurance
  • Employee Assistance Program (EAP) for mental health, financial, and personal support
  • Onsite snacks and catered lunches
Last updated Sep 27, 2026. Interested? Apply on the company site.
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About 1X Technologies

1X | Home Robots

We're an AI and robotics company based in Palo Alto, California. We create safe humanoid robots that do your chores and offer personalized assistance.

AIFactoryHome RobotsHumanoid RobotsLogsPersonalized AssistanceRobot FleetRobotics
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