Head of Intellectual Property

About 1X

We're building humanoid robots that work in home - doing the chores, handling the tasks, and giving people their time back. Simple, but it's not.

To do this right, we have to solve robotics, AI, manufacturing - at the same time, at scale, in a form factor that has to be safe enough to live with your family. If you're inspired by this, you'll thrive here. We've been at this since 2014 and we're at the point where the hard problems are behind us and the hard work is in front of us.

NEO is our flagship - a home robot designed to move, learn, and operate in the real world alongside real people. We're not demoing it - we're shipping it. We're excited to meet you, if this excites you.

If you've spent your career working on problems that matter and want to see them actually reach the world - this is that moment. We're scaling, we're hiring with intention, and we need people who want to build something that will genuinely change how humans spend their time - safely creating abundance for all.

About the Team

Our Legal team protects and compounds the value of everything 1X invents - the robotics, AI, and hardware breakthroughs that make a safe home humanoid possible. As our first dedicated intellectual property hire, you will stand up the function from the ground up, do the work hands-on, and build a team only as our milestones demand it. Few companies offer the chance to build an intellectual property portfolio this foundational, this early, in a field this new.

Your Charter

The mission of this role is to build and execute 1X's intellectual property strategy from the ground up - turning our breakthroughs in robotics and embodied AI into a defensible portfolio of patents and trade secrets that protects our freedom to operate, deters competitors, and compounds enterprise value as we ship NEO at scale. As our first intellectual property hire, you will do the work yourself today and build the team as our milestones warrant it.

Key Outcomes

• 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

Key Competencies

• Deep technical fluency in hardware, AI, or robotics - able to sit with engineers, grasp novel inventions, and translate them into strong, enforceable claims
• A hands-on operator who drafts and shapes patents directly and protects trade secrets, not only by delegating to outside counsel
• A strategic portfolio builder who ties every intellectual property decision to a business outcome - freedom to operate, competitive moats, and acquisition strategy
• A strong cross-functional partner who earns trust with engineers, executives, and external counsel alike
• Comfort building from zero in ambiguity - setting prioritization and process where none exists, and scaling a team only when the work demands it

Minimum Requirements

• 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

Preferred Skills

• Experience with intellectual property in humanoid robotics, autonomous systems, or embodied AI
• Registered to practice before the USPTO (patent bar), as a patent agent or patent attorney
• Familiarity with trademark, brand, copyright, and open-source compliance strategy
• Experience building an inventor disclosure and incentive program
• Experience managing international filing strategy (PCT and priority markets)

What does a successful 1X Team Member look like

Team members at 1X who thrive here are builders. They move fast, own their work completely, and treat time like it's the one thing you can't get back - because it is. They say what they mean, finish what they start, and hold themselves to a standard before anyone has to ask. We push each other to be better, and we do it with honesty and respect.

Compensation Range

$270,000 - $330,000

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

Equal Opportunity Employer

1X is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, age, marital status, medical condition, genetic information, disability, military or veteran status, justice system impact, or any other characteristic protected under applicable federal, state, or local law.