What you can expect 

As our next IP Assistant, you are responsible for the administrative support of our small but powerful Intellectual Property team. You join 2 patent attorneys and a senior paralegal colleague in the IP team, and you will also provide support to our Group Trademark Manager. 

You act as the backbone of all our IP work, ensuring a smooth and timely flow of administrative and business processes in close cooperation with an external IP firm. Together with our external renewal fee payment firm, you make sure that business-critical annual patent and trademark payments are handled with care. In your day to day, you also provide administrative support to your colleagues and to the IP Board. You act as a backup for your paralegal colleague. Thanks to your critical eye and process-mindset, you are ready to suggest process improvements and flag any issues to your internal team.  

This is a hybrid role for 24 hours per week (3 days), based out of Apeldoorn, the Netherlands. To ensure close collaboration, you are invited to work on-site in Apeldoorn 1-2 days per week. We support your home office set-up, travel costs, and provide flexibility regarding hybrid work. 

What you’ll do 

• Handle internal administration of IP portfolio using IP Management Software, including digital case file administration and deadline administration, in cooperation with the external IP firm.  

• Handle administrative correspondence both internally and with external firms, including IP renewal/annuity payments administration.  

• Support the daily work of 2 Patent Attorneys and a Group Trademark Manager in close collaboration with your paralegal colleague. 

• Give organizational support to the IP Board (including listing upcoming Portfolio decisions, preparing monthly meetings). 

• Conduct queries and short research in online databases, evaluations of internal databases for the creation of listings and reports, as well as create overviews and presentations. 

• Support the improvement of internal processes. 

What you bring 

• Work experience in a support or administrative role; ideally, this is from an IP or legal environment. 

• Knowledge and experience with patent and trademark procedures.  

• Experience working with IP management software. 

• A collaborative attitude: you enjoy working in a small, clo