Schneider Electric has a meaningful opportunity for a Sr. IP Counsel to work for a company consistently rated by Fortune as one of the “Great Places to Work”, by Forbes as “America’s Best Employers for Diversity”, and by Equileap as the “World’s Top 10 in Gender Equality”. In this opportunity you will help define way of working and establishing work and supporting culture.
Position Summary
- As an IP Counsel located in our North America office, you will join a talented and collaborative global group of in-house lawyers and legal professionals to support patent portfolio management and strategy for Schneider Electric’s Industrial Automation business
Roles & Responsibilities
This role will focus on patent and design procurement and portfolio management, strategy and development, including:
- Managing the invention disclosure submission and evaluation processes
- Coordinating filing new patent and design applications
- Managing international secondary application filings
- Supporting other IP group teams on a variety of issues including Open Source Software, Standard Essential Patents, IP Training, and/or IP Competitive Analysis
- Reviewing official actions and proposed responses based on feedback from the business
- Directing outside counsel, particularly in respect of externalization of the foregoing
- Developing and providing IP Training modules for the business in all forms of intellectual property, including recognition of protectable subject-matter and submission of ideas
- Assisting in defining intellectual property strategy in support of different lines of business related to Industrial Automation software and hardware
- Leading innovation identification sessions within selected projects
- Participating in innovation review meetings to assure protection of business initiatives in line with intellectual property strategy
- Performing competitive analysis operations pursuant to business needs
- Providing other assistance and support to R&D, marketing, and legal department staff as requested, including on pre-litigation and litigation matters
The primary responsibility of this role will be to support US-based Industry Automation business and some travel to R&D centers in the US will be required as will occasional travel outside of US for global activities.
Requirements
- Qualified professional representative before the US Patent & Trademark Office
- University degree in electrical or computer engineering, mechanical engineering, computer science, or physics
- At least 3+ years of experience in the field of intellectual property in developing patent portfolios
- Knowledge (relative to experience) of laws and practices under US patent laws, Paris Convention, European Patent Convention and Patent Cooperation Treaty
- Fluency/proficiency in English (oral & written)
Preferred
- At least 5+ years of experience in the field of intellectual property in patent procurement and portfolio management
- Familiarity with, knowledge of and demonstrated ability to work with technologies including computer software, computer hardware elements, IoT, data analysis, machine learning, AI, and/or embedded software/hardware systems;
- Admitted to practice law in at least one state having a Schneider Electric R&D center presence
- Professional experience in both private practice and in-house multinational teams, businesses, and environments
- Demonstrated ability to develop and implement standards ensuring procurement of patents and designs of the highest quality and business relevance
- Demonstrated ability to direct and manage external counsel
- Working knowledge of a language other than English, particularly French, German or Chinese
Skills & Abilities
- Strong organizational, analytical and project management skills with an attention to detail;
- Ability to identify issues and instances of when/how to escalate issues as appropriate;
- Ability to work independently and collaboratively with cross-functional teams;
- Strong analytic skills to identify risk, evaluate associated risk mitigation actions and clearly summarize complex topics and needs;
- Ability to define creative and flexible solutions to support global projects within a global team and balance risk, resources, and compliance;
- Ability to prioritize tasks, deadlines, and risks;
- Strong teamwork and interpersonal skills to support an inclusive and global team; and
- Commercial and strategic acumen
Benefits
- Schneider Electric offers a robust benefits package to support our employees such as flexible work arrangements, paid family leave, 401(k)+ match, and more.
Who will you report to?
- Assistant General Counsel – Industrial Automation Chief Patent Counsel
Let us learn about you! Apply today.
Schedule: Full-time
Req: 2024-75033
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Looking to make an IMPACT with your career?
When you are thinking about joining a new team, culture matters. At Schneider Electric, our values and behaviors are the foundation for creating a great culture to support business success. We believe that our IMPACT values – Inclusion, Mastery, Purpose, Action, Curiosity, Teamwork – starts with us.
IMPACT is also your invitation to join Schneider Electric where you can contribute to turning sustainability ambition into actions, no matter what role you play. It is a call to connect your career with the ambition of achieving a more resilient, efficient, and sustainable world.
We are looking for IMPACT Makers; exceptional people who turn sustainability ambitions into actions at the intersection of automation, electrification, and digitization. We celebrate IMPACT Makers and believe everyone has the potential to be one.
Become an IMPACT Maker with Schneider Electric – apply today!
€36 billion global revenue
+13% organic growth
150 000+ employees in 100+ countries
#1 on the Global 100 World’s most sustainable corporations
You must submit an online application to be considered for any position with us. This position will be posted until filled.
Schneider Electric aspires to be the most inclusive and caring company in the world, by providing equitable opportunities to everyone, everywhere, and ensuring all employees feel uniquely valued and safe to contribute their best. We mirror the diversity of the communities in which we operate, and ‘inclusion’ is one of our core values. We believe our differences make us stronger as a company and as individuals and we are committed to championing inclusivity in everything we do. This extends to our Candidates and is embedded in our Hiring Practices.
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