Sr Manager, IP Research

Abbott is a global healthcare leader that helps people live more fully at all stages of life. Our portfolio of life-changing technologies spans the spectrum of healthcare, with leading businesses and products in diagnostics, medical devices, nutritionals and branded generic medicines. Our 114,000 colleagues serve people in more than 160 countries.

     

JOB DESCRIPTION:

Working at Abbott

At Abbott, you can do work that matters, grow, and learn, care for yourself and your family, be your true self, and live a full life. You’ll also have access to:

• Career development with an international company where you can grow the career you dream of.
• Employees can qualify for free medical coverage in our Health Investment Plan (HIP) PPO medical plan in the next calendar year.
• An excellent retirement savings plan with a high employer contribution
• Tuition reimbursement, the Freedom 2 Save student debt program, and FreeU education benefit - an affordable and convenient path to getting a bachelor’s degree.
• A company recognized as a great place to work in dozens of countries worldwide and named one of the most admired companies in the world by Fortune.
• A company that is recognized as one of the best big companies to work for as well as the best place to work for diversity, working mothers, female executives, and scientists.

The Opportunity

This position works out of our Abbott Park: Lake County IL location (optional locations: Santa Clara, CA, Alameda, CA, Chicago, IL, Plymouth, MN, or St. Paul, MN.)

As a Sr Manager, IP Research, you will lead a team of expert IP researchers, supporting Abbott businesses in the achievement of business objectives by communicating advice of the Legal Department and managing legal risks to the corporation. As part of the Abbott Research Center (ARC), Abbott’s corporate library, you will work closely with other ARC functions as well as the Legal IP department on IP projects that require searching, discovering, and analyzing data from clinical, biomedical, and patent literature sources.  You will collaborate with IP attorneys to develop and implement patent search strategies, manage and communicate results, and ensure effective coordination with cross-functional teams to support Abbott's innovation and business goals.

What You’ll Do

• Lead and set strategy for a team of IP researchers in assessing third party patents with respect to Abbott products by coordinating and conducting Freedom to Operate (FTO) and patentability analyses as well as other IP research projects for Abbott business units.
• Collaborate with the IP legal department to develop search strategies, organize results, and communicate analyses to IP attorneys and other relevant stakeholders.
• Provide patent support for Abbott businesses, including prosecuting patent applications and assessing and landscaping technologies and patent portfolios.
• Work with cross-functional teams to assess threats to Abbott products.
• Integrate the latest IP tools, including AI technologies where appropriate, into IP workflows to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of IP research, data management, knowledge sharing, and insights generation.
• Collaborate with other Abbott Research Center functions to compile, analyze, and present research deliverables that support decision-making across Abbott’s businesses.
• Determine team priorities, define what work should be accomplished, and decide how work should be accomplished.

Required Qualifications

• Possess a Bachelor’s degree or higher in science or engineering
• Registered patent agent with the USPTO
• Minimum 5 years of relevant industry experience
• Minimum 5 years of experience with patent prosecution
• Minimum 5 years of experience with assessing competitor products and IP
• Minimum 5 years of experience analyzing competitive intelligence and developing corresponding IP strategy

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience managing people
• Patent and/or scientific literature searching experience in the biotechnology, pharmaceutical, medical device, healthcare, or related industry with a strong interest in learning and developing this skillset
• Experience working in-house in a highly matrixed environment
• Medical device or other health care business experience, especially involving digital/software solutions
• Ability to understand applicable