Associate Director, IP Docket Management

Job Description

Position Description:

The Office of General Counsel is seeking an Associate Director, IP Docket Management to provide docketing and legal operations support to the Intellectual Property (IP) organization. Primary responsibilities are to oversee and manage the IP Docket & Maintenance team and ensure all patent prosecution activities are accurately and timely entered in the docketing system in accordance with U.S. and international patent law and procedure. This position has a flexible hybrid office schedule based in Rahway, NJ. 

Job responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Actively participate as member of the IP Docket & Maintenance team to accomplish established goals and meet all deadlines

• Oversee patent annuities ensuring that all maintenance payments are made on time, data verification checks are performed and discrepancies resolved

• Oversee IP docketing system to ensure data integrity, accuracy, and compliance with rules and departmental procedure across worldwide jurisdictions

• Work collaboratively with the IP Systems Administrator ensuring appropriate testing of country law updates, system releases, and enhancements

• Serve as a point of contact and escalation point for the docketing team, attorneys, and staff

• Immediately reports all risk management-related concerns to Senior Leadership

• Responsible for the compilation of information for the Docket Manual and for accuracy, completeness and maintenance of the Manual

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

• Actively engage with the patent practice committees to develop a deep understanding of the department’s needs

• Design and lead strategic and process improvement initiatives to drive team efficiency and effectiveness

• Maintain up-to-date knowledge of IP industry rules and regulations

• Review and triage acquired portfolios, audit file histories, and docket bibliographic details and accompanying deadline information in support of Business Development & Licensing activities

• Design and generate general and/or specialized reports upon request

• Leverage cross-functional relationships to influence the development and adoption of new processes/technologies to make a significant impact across the broader legal organization

• Participate in industry/corporate legal operations roundtables, user conferences, and industry benchmarking studies to provide best practice recommendations to Senior Leadership

Position Qualifications:

Commute/Location:

This role is based at our Headquarters site in Rahway (NJ), with a Hybrid setup (combination of 3 days in-office & 2 days off-site/remote). This position cannot be fully remote.

Required Experience and Skills:

• Bachelor’s degree required

• Five (5) years of IP docketing experience (U.S., WIPO, and foreign) in a law firm or corporate legal department

• Three (3) years leading or supervising an IP docketing or paralegal team

• Experience in legal operations, including strategic planning, project management, financial management, and technology implementation

• Advanced proficiency of foreign and domestic patent legal concepts and practices, including experience docketing foreign and domestic patent term extensions (PTE)

• Advanced proficiency in utilizing foreign and domestic Patent and/or Trademark Office websites and other paid database platforms to conduct research and locate data

• Advanced proficiency with evaluating patent file histories with strong ability to audit patent records to verify critical details

• Working knowledge using and maintaining common IP docketing systems; including appropriate system policies, procedures, controls, and U.S./WIPO rules

• Strong computer skills, with an advanced proficiency with MS Office Suite (Outlook, Word, Excel and SharePoint) and Adobe Acrobat Pro

• Strong project management skills, including the ability to lead and oversee complex large-scale legal projects, allocate resources, delegate tasks, monitor progress, overseeing the work of staff, and ensure that projects are completed within scope, on time, and within budget

• Ability to maintain knowledge of trends, developments, legislative and USPTO/WIPO rulings impacting practice procedures. Strong change management leadership.

• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment with demonstrated ability to coordinate multiple competing tasks and demands an