Sr. Director, Head of Portfolio Creation, Patents

About InterDigital

InterDigital is a global research and development company focused primarily on wireless, video, artificial intelligence (“AI”), and related technologies. We design and develop foundational technologies that enable connected, immersive experiences in a broad range of communications and entertainment products and services. We license our innovations worldwide to companies providing such products and services, including makers of wireless communications devices, consumer electronics, IoT devices, cars and other motor vehicles, and providers of cloud-based services such as video streaming. As a leader in wireless technology, our engineers have designed and developed a wide range of innovations that are used in wireless products and networks, from the earliest digital cellular systems to 5G and today’s most advanced Wi-Fi technologies. We are also a leader in video processing and video encoding/decoding technology, with a significant AI research effort that intersects with both wireless and video technologies. Founded in 1972, InterDigital is listed on Nasdaq.

InterDigital is a registered trademark of InterDigital, Inc.

For more information, visit: www.interdigital.com.

Position Summary

Interdigital is currently seeking a talented IP Professional as Head of Portfolio Creation to lead our internal prosecution team within the Patents Department.

This position will be based in one of InterDigital’s offices in the United States or France and will include periodic travel to other InterDigital locations.  The successful candidate will lead an international team of highly skilled IP professionals in support of InterDigital’s portfolio creation activities.  Reporting directly to InterDigital’s General Patent Counsel, this person will have responsibility for in-house patent prosecution and related patent administration functions within the Patents team.   Collectively, the Portfolio Creation team plays a central role in the preparation, filing, prosecution and maintenance of InterDigital’s global portfolio, which includes tens of thousands of patents and applications covering innovations in wireless communications, video coding, IoT and other related technologies.   This candidate will combine their significant legal and technical expertise in patent prosecution and administration with strong managerial experience in leading teams of attorneys, agents and administrators.

Responsibilities

• Establishing and tracking key performance metrics to drive the aligned department and company strategies and goals

• Optimizing productivity while ensuring exceptional work product

• Ensuring efficient and consistent processes across team members and across functions

• Working closely with senior leaders, including the Heads of Portfolio Strategy, Portfolio Transactions and Licensing Support

• Identifying, recommending and implementing improved efficiencies and output by evaluating internal and external tools that could automate or streamline tasks and processes

• Providing guidance, leading high performing teams, and ensuring collaboration between internal patent counsel and patent administrators

• Ensuring continued education, professional development, and proficiency of team members with respect to patent rules, regulations and legal decisions

• Ensuring accuracy and consistency of in-house prosecution data with respect to docketing prosecution events and deadlines, maintenance of documents and references, and all other portfolio-related data entry

• Overseeing and enforcing consistent use among patent counsel and administrators of the team’s IP management platform for patent prosecution and administration activities

• Providing expertise and serving as the key internal resource for all patent prosecution-related matters

• Serving as the primary internal expert on US, EP and PCT legal and administrative matters, including monitoring and advising on legislative, judicial and administrative developments relating to patent procurement

• Providing oversight and support for cost control and budgeting activities relating to in-house prosecution and administration

• Interfacing and cultivating collaborative relationships with key internal customers and peers, including Research & Innovation project leads, portfolio managers and inventors

• Working closely with the Portfolio Operations team to manage overall workloads for Portfolio Creation team members and supporting smooth transfers of patent families/applications between in-house and external prosecution resources

• Ensuring cost-effective and productive collaboration between Portfolio Creation team members and local agents from international patent firms

• Working with the Portfolio Strategy team to develop effective patent prosecution strategies by providing strategic inputs on portfolio development and patentability matters

Personal Characteristics:

The successful candidate will be results-driven while maintaining a steadfast commitment to integrity and the highest ethical standards.  In addition, the successful candidate will possess the following characteristics:

• Demonstrated effectiveness as a leader of highly skilled legal professionals

• Strong collaboration skills and the ability to build relationships with key stakeholders, within department and across company

• Detail-oriented and able to simultaneously manage multiple projects and day-to-day tasks   under deadline pressure

• Excellent interpersonal skills; must work well in fast-paced, highly collaborative, team environment 

• Excellent business judgment, ability to think strategically and give practical advice 

• Enduring curiosity in the intersection of technology and the law

• Committed to being at the forefront of legislative, judicial and administrative developments in intellectual property in the US and other major jurisdictions

• Culturally fluent in conducting business in an international setting

• Demonstrated ability to work effectively across all levels of a multinational corporation

• Excellent oral and written English communication skills

• Strong work ethic and excellent organizational skills

• Confident and respectful of others with an executive presence

• Personable and a team player

Required Experience:

• At least 10 years of relevant patent prosecution and management experience within a large corporate legal department or other professional legal environment and at least 5 years of other relevant work experience

• Experience providing patent prosecution expertise in the context of patent litigation and administrative patent proceedings  

• Bachelor’s and JD degree (or equivalent) required, with preferable concentration in relevant technology areas

• Experience in a patent intensive business is preferred

• Demonstrated ability to work effectively across all levels of global, multi-functional teams

• Strong collaboration skills and the ability to build relationships within department and across all members of the Company

• Experience leading a team of IP professionals, preferably with team members in multiple locations, within and outside of the US

• Self-starter willing to both handle and manage assigned projects and tasks, as appropriate

• Strong attention to detail and commitment to high-quality work product

• Excellent oral and written communication skills

• Strong work ethic and excellent organizational skills

• Personable and a team player

Location: US locations in Conshohocken PA, Wilmington DE, or France locations in Issy les Molineaux, Rennes

InterDigital is an equal employment opportunity employer. InterDigital will not engage in or tolerate unlawful discrimination with regard to any employment decision, policy or practice based on a person’s sex, gender, pregnancy (including childbirth, breastfeeding and related medical conditions), age, race, color, religion, creed, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, military status, veteran status, mental or physical disability, medical condition, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other factor protected by applicable federal, state or local  law. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including, but not limited to, recruiting, hiring, compensation, benefits, training, assignments, evaluations, coaching, promotion, discipline, discharge and layoff.