Intellectual Property Manager

You will be responsible for managing the full patent lifecycle including invention identification/intake, preliminary patentability assessments, liaising with patent counsel on drafting patent applications and office action responses, and maintenance/annuity decisions; this role will also collaborate with Research & Development (R&D) teams through all phases of the new product development process.

This role will coordinate new product IP risk assessments and support IP Counsel on third-party acquisition initiatives, as well as participate in cross-divisional development projects and support R&D personnel at multiple sites globally. The IP Manager will assist with managing portfolio metrics and presenting status and achievement updates to IP and R&D leadership. You will participate in evaluating and continuously improving the IP Management organization’s systems and practices to ensure effective and efficient operations.

Work arrangement: (Preferred) Hybrid position based in Cary, Illinois, with an expectation of working onsite 2–3 days per week and flexibility to work from home on other days based on business needs. Fully remote candidates will be considered in time zones within 1 hour of Central time.

What you will do

• Manage the full patent lifecycle, including invention intake, preliminary patentability assessments, patent application development, prosecution support, and maintenance and annuity decisions.
• Lead invention review boards, evaluate new inventions, and guide patent filing decisions in partnership with R&D stakeholders and IP counsel.
• Develop patent portfolio strategies and manage related IP budgets in alignment with product development and business priorities.
• Coordinate with outside counsel to prepare, file, and prosecute U.S. and international patent applications and responses to patent office actions.
• Conduct patentability, prior-art, state-of-the-art, and competitive patent analyses to support product development and intellectual property strategy.
• Evaluate invention commercialization plans, patent utilization, and potential offensive and defensive value to inform international filing, maintenance, and abandonment decisions.
• Coordinate intellectual property risk assessments, including freedom-to-operate analyses for new product launches, and support IP activities related to acquisitions, licensing, patent monetization, assertions, and defenses.
• Improve IP processes, systems, portfolio metrics, stakeholder reporting, and training to increase efficiency and provide R&D and IP leadership with actionable insights.

What you will need

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Biomedical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
• Minimum 8 years of relevant professional experience in engineering, intellectual property (IP), patent management, patent prosecution, or related technical and IP functions, including demonstrated experience managing intellectual property activities.
• Demonstrated experience in patent portfolio management, including invention disclosures, patentability assessments, patent searches, prior-art analysis, and competitive landscape and monitoring.
• Experience collaborating with Research & Development (R&D), engineering teams, patent counsel, or external legal partners to evaluate inventions, support patent filings, and manage intellectual property matters.
• Experience managing multiple intellectual property matters, patent portfolios, or technology development projects simultaneously.

Preferred Qualifications

• 3 or more years of experience in the medical device, medical technology (MedTech), healthcare technology, or related regulated product development industry.
• Experience managing complex patent portfolios, including invention intake, patent application development, prosecution support, portfolio maintenance, and patent filing strategies.
• Knowledge of U.S. and international patent filing and prosecution procedures, including USPTO processes, office action responses, and international patent protection strategies.
• Experience conducting or coordinating freedom-to-operate (FTO) assessments, patent landscape analyses, competitive patent intelligence, and intellectual property risk assessments.
• Experience partnering with R&D and product development teams to identify patentable innovations, evaluate technical inventions, and support new product development (NPD).
• Experience developing patent portfolio strategies, evaluating patent value, and supporting patent maintenance, abandonment, licensing, or acquisition decisions.
• Experience managing high-volume patent portfolios, multiple concurrent product development projects, and competing intellectual property priorities.
• Registration to practice before the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) as a Patent Agent or Patent Attorney.
• Experience using patent management systems, patent search databases, portfolio reporting tools, or intellectual property analytics to monitor portfolio performance and improve operational efficiency.