R&T Intellectual Capital Manager

R&T Intellectual Capital Manager

Requirements

• BA/BS degree and 10 years of industry technical experience in chemistry, materials science, physics, chemical engineering, or related field. Candidate must be able to demonstrate mastery of technical fundamentals within their field.
• At least 5 years of experience working closely in/with an intellectual property team performing patent prosecution, drafting, strategy and/or competitive analysis in a materials/specialty chemicals-related field. Candidate should have a strong working knowledge of patent and trade secret law and patent prosecution tactics.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills to both technical individual contributors and leadership.
• Meticulous attention to detail, with strong organization and time management skills.
• Curiosity and a passion for innovation
• Strategic mindset

Responsibilities

• Collaborate closely with the R&T team to identify, develop and protect intellectual property (IP) to maximize technology and commercial success.
• Conduct patent and prior art searches to assess patent landscapes, patentability, and strategic opportunities.
• Work with internal and external attorneys to prioritize patent applications, establish inventorship, and coordinate Office Action responses.
• Implement a competitor monitoring program and incorporate real-time competitive intelligence into IP strategy. Perform technical analysis of third-party patents and activities to identify and develop competitive intelligence.
• Engage in-house and outside counsel to develop freedom to operate, infringement, and validity opinions.
• Manage the patent portfolio to align with business strategy and technology trends.
• Develop, implement and continuously improve a comprehensive framework for managing trade secrets that promotes internal and external collaboration while protecting high-value assets.
• Educate R&D staff on how to anticipate and recognize the creation of IP, how to best protect IP, how to write strong patents, how to understand patents, how to maximize success of the patenting process, and how to navigate prior art and the patent landscape.
• Guide innovation by meeting with project teams, conducting 1-on-1 meetings with scientists/engineers, and participating in R&T portfolio and Stage Gate reviews.
• Communicate summaries and updates regarding the IP portfolio to the R&T organization and to executive leadership.
• Work with the R&T and commercial organizations to identify and pursue monetization opportunities where relevant.
• Support contractual negotiations for external agreement, including non-disclosure agreements, memoranda of understanding, joint development agreements, IP licensing agreements, and strategic commercial agreements. Also support mergers and acquisition activities, including IP due diligence.
• Stay up to date on developments in patent law and Albemarle’s technologies.

Preferred Qualifications

• PhD in a relevant technical discipline (chemistry, materials science, physics, chemical engineering, etc) and/or law degree
• Direct experience working in an industrial research environment.
• Experience as a Patent Attorney, Registered Patent Agent, Patent Liaison or Patent Engineer.
• Prior experience in a commercial or marketing organization would be a plus.
• Strong understanding of technologies for lithium-ion batteries, polymers, and/or flame retardants.
• Demonstrated ability to work cross-functionally between research, legal and business organizations.