Job Description:Overview
We're looking for a Legal & Innovation Analyst to support our legal and finance functions. This role is designed for a recent college graduate - it offers hands-on exposure to IP and general legal work, plus the chance to build real AI-powered workflows that make the legal and finance teams more effective.
Employment type: Full-Time
Level: Entry-level
Reports to: Director, Patents & Innovation Strategy
Location: Palo Alto, CA
Why This Role Exists
Our legal and finance teams need support across patent research, general legal administration, and building AI-driven ways of working. This person will get broad exposure to how the legal and finance functions operate day-to-day, while also helping modernize both teams by designing and deploying AI tools and workflows.
Responsibilities
Patent & IP Research
- Conduct prior art and patent landscape searches (USPTO Patent Public Search, Google Patents, Espacenet)
- Summarize technical and legal findings into clear memos for attorneys
- Track filing deadlines, office action responses, and maintenance fee dates
- Assist with invention disclosure summaries and claim charts under attorney supervision
- Monitor competitor patent filings and flag relevant developments
General Legal Support
- Help review and organize contracts and legal records
- Support compliance initiatives and policy documentation
- Assist with special projects and administrative tasks as needed
AI Workflow & Tooling
- Build and refine AI-assisted workflows across legal and finance business processes
- Create and test prompts/templates for recurring tasks (e.g., document summarization, data triage, report generation)
- Document workflows so they're repeatable by the rest of the team
- Partner with legal and finance stakeholders to identify where AI can reduce manual work
Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree completed (any field; STEM/technical background a plus, not required)
- Interest in legal, IP, or finance operations
- Comfortable using AI tools (Claude, etc.) and interested in building workflows, not just using them ad hoc
- Excellent research, writing, and organizational skills
- Detail-oriented - deadlines and accuracy matter in legal, patent, and finance work
- No prior legal or finance experience required
What You'll Gain
- Direct mentorship from legal, patent, and finance stakeholders
- Real exposure to how legal, IP, and finance functions operate inside a company
- Practical experience building AI workflows across business functions - an increasingly valuable and differentiating skill
- A strong, specific resume line and reference for future career paths
- A low-stakes way to explore legal, IP, and finance work before committing to a specific path
Compensation
$39.43/hour
Schedule In office 3 days a week.
Hiring Pay Range:$81,700 - $102,100
Benefits: In addition to competitive base pay, this position also includes an annual incentive opportunity based on target achievement, pre-IPO stock options, benefits including medical, dental, vision, 401(k) with a match, and more, plus generous paid time off, paid holidays, paid day off for your birthday and other paid leave policies to support employees through all phases of life.
Location preference:USA - CA - Palo Alto
