Associate Director - Docketing, IP Operations

At Lilly, we unite caring with discovery to make life better for people around the world. We are a global healthcare leader headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana. Our employees around the world work to discover and bring life-changing medicines to those who need them, improve the understanding and management of disease, and give back to our communities through philanthropy and volunteerism. We give our best effort to our work, and we put people first. We’re looking for people who are determined to make life better for people around the world.

At Lilly, we unite caring with discovery to make life better for people around the world. We are a global healthcare leader headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana. Our 35,000 employees around the world work to discover and bring life-changing medicines to those who need them, improve the understanding and management of disease, and give back to our communities through philanthropy and volunteerism.

Throughout the IP (Intellectual Property) Department we believe people are fundamental to success and our ability to deliver the best IP for Lilly. This is underpinned by the performance and capabilities of our employees, including those within the IP Operations (Patent and Trademarks Support) group.

This position will provide leadership and direction to a team of internal and external docketing professionals. They will lead all aspects of workload distribution, task allocation, vendor resources, and ensure team members meet performance objectives.

• Identify training needs and develop and conduct training sessions for team members on docketing procedures, best practices, and new processes.

• Lead process improvement initiatives to drive team efficiency and effectiveness.

• Anticipate and resolve key issues related to management of global IP correspondence and data management.

• Develop and implement policies and procedures related to incoming communication and docketing to ensure that they are streamlined, efficient, and tasks are assigned to the appropriate docketer.

• Assess the potential impact of industry changes on workflow and detailed procedures.

• Maintain up-to-date knowledge of intellectual property (IP) industry rules and regulations.

• Research and provide requested information directly to the originator where appropriate.

• Identify areas for improvement in the communication and task assignment processes and implement changes as vital to increase efficiency and accuracy.

• Supervise and influence the creation of new matter records, adhering to strategies defined by the appropriate business unit general patent counsel.

• Collaborate with and influence cross-functional teams to support Lilly IP Operations.

• Maintain docketing playbook and other work instructions to ensure team practices are up to date.

• Take on other related duties as needed to improve operational efficiency and support Lilly IP Operations.

Basic Qualifications:

• B.A. or B.S. degree

• 5+ years of experience as a patent and/or trademark docketer or docketing manager

• 5+ years leadership experience.

• Qualified candidates must be legally authorized to be employed in the United States. Lilly does not anticipate providing sponsorship for employment visa status (e.g., H-1B or TN status) for this employment position

Preferred:

• Knowledge of United States, EP, and PCT patent rules and patent prosecution. Knowledge of other jurisdictional rules would be preferred.

• Experience handling an active team mailbox.

• Experience in the pharmaceutical or healthcare industry.

• Experience working effectively across a large portfolio in a fast-paced environment with challenging priorities is essential.

• Patent and/or trademark docketing experience in a law firm or corporate setting.

• Knowledge of United States, EP, and PCT patent rules and patent prosecution. Knowledge of other jurisdictional rules would be preferred.

• Proficient and experienced with IP management software (e.g., Anaqua).

• Experience with electronic research tools and patent prosecution filing systems (i.e., WIPO, USPTO, LexisNexis).

• Excellent oral and written communication, facilitation, and project/stakeholder leadership skills.

• Outstanding