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.

Key Responsibilities:

• Provide leadership and direction to a team of internal and external docketing professionals.
  • Oversee 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 productivity 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 documented 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 necessary 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 enhance operational efficiency and support Lilly IP Operations.

Basic Requirements:

• Bachelor Degree or High School Diploma/GED
• 3+ years of patent and/or trademark docketing management experience in a law firm or corporate setting
• Qualified applicants must be authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis. Lilly will not provide support for or sponsor work authorization and/or visas for this role.

Preferred:

• Proficient and experienced with IP management software
• Knowledge of global patent prosecution and laws
• Experience with patent and trademark annuity/renewal payments
• Excellent oral and written communication, facilitation, and project/stakeholder management skills
• Superior attention to detail, robust proofreading skills, and problem-solving capabilities
• Strong organizational skills and the ability to work effectively with minimal supervision in an atmosphere of multiple projects, shifting priorities, and deadline pressures
• Professional demeanor with ability to effectively represent the IP Operations team and maintain confidentiality
• Sound judgment and solution-oriented approach
• Experience in the pharmaceutical or healthcare industry
• Experience working effectively across a large portfolio in a fast-paced environment with competing priorities
• Experience implementing automated and/or AI solutions

Lilly is dedicated to helping individuals with disabilities to actively engage in the workforce, ensuring equal opportunities when vying for positions. If you require accommodation to submit a resume for a position at Lilly, please complete the accommodation request form (https://careers.lilly.com/us/en/workplace-accommodation) for further assistance. Please note this is for individuals to request an accommodation as part of the application process and any other correspondence will not receive a response.

Lilly is proud to be an EEO Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, religion, gender identity, sex, gender expression, sexual orientation, genetic information, ancestry, national origin, protected veteran status, disability, or any other legally protected status.

Our employee resource groups (ERGs) offer strong support networks for their members and are open to all employees. Our current groups include: Africa, Middle East, Central Asia Network, Black Employees at Lilly, Chinese Culture Network, Japanese International Leadership Network (JILN), Lilly India Network, Organization of Latinx at Lilly (OLA), PRIDE (LGBTQ+ Allies), Veterans Leadership Network (VLN), Women’s Initiative for Leading at Lilly (WILL), enAble (for people with disabilities). Learn more about all of our groups.

Actual compensation will depend on a candidate’s education, experience, skills, and geographic location.  The anticipated wage for this position is

Full-time equivalent employees also will be eligible for a company bonus (depending, in part, on company and individual performance). In addition, Lilly offers a comprehensive benefit program to eligible employees, including eligibility to participate in a company-sponsored 401(k); pension; vacation benefits; eligibility for medical, dental, vision and prescription drug benefits; flexible benefits (e.g., healthcare and/or dependent day care flexible spending accounts); life insurance and death benefits; certain time off and leave of absence benefits; and well-being benefits (e.g., employee assistance program, fitness benefits, and employee clubs and activities).Lilly reserves the right to amend, modify, or terminate its compensation and benefit programs in its sole discretion and Lilly’s compensation practices and guidelines will apply regarding the details of any promotion or transfer of Lilly employees.

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