Senior Patent Portfolio Manager

LGC Ltd (www.lgcgroup.com) is an international life sciences company working with customers in the government, academic, pharmaceutical, agricultural biotechnology, food, environment, security and sports sectors.  

LGC’s Grant Management Group (GMG) works with UK government departments and arm’s length bodies to support medical and health research across the UK. Our activities include funding call management, contract management and Intellectual Property management. We work with senior level stakeholders in academia, the NHS, government and industry to promote improvements in medical and health care in the UK and overseas.

As part of our expanding services to government customers, LGC is expanding its expertise in technology transfer. We are looking for for a Senior Patent Portfolio Manager to join our team to manage a complex and exciting portfolio of patents owned by a customer focused on new innovative new ideas from medical research.

Job Purpose 
To manage the patent portfolio owned by the customer to ensure that intellectual property is protected and maintained to allow licensing and other commercial activities 

Job Activities 

• Oversight of the IP portfolio to deliver high quality outcomes within agreed timelines
• Working with colleagues to support patent related analysis for invention harvesting activities with the various customer sites to capture all IP
• Review invention disclosures for patentability and manage ongoing patent drafting, filing and prosecution
• Conduct thorough patentability search and analysis to enable robust patent filing with maximum commercial potential
• Work with external Patent Attorneys to ensure all innovations are captured and protected appropriately
• Manage external Patent Attorneys to resolve complex IP and commercialisation cases
• Working with colleagues to ensure that IP assets are protected as required for agreed commercialisation strategies
• Ensure management of IP delivers maximum value to the customer by conducting IP asset audit and due diligence on a regular basis
• Ensure IP risk is minimised through ongoing due diligence, thorough FTO search and analysis and by capturing and protecting IP adequately
• Creation, maintenance and ongoing review of accurate records of all IP assets
• Manage IP renewals to ensure IP rights are maintained in accordance with the IP strategy
• Maintain a Trade Secret register as required
• Facilitate and deliver training for customer staff on IP and commercialisation
• Support team members with complex technology transfer activities
• Support, as required, in negotiations with inventors, potential licencees and investors to agree terms that ensure the customer has a robust position and financial reward
• Manage internal and external legal advice to review and resolve contractual and collaboration agreement issues 

Required Criteria

• Degree (BSc, MSc or PhD) qualified in life sciences/chemistry
• Qualifications or comparable experience in an IP Law and Practice
• Knowledge of IP management databases such as Wellspring Sophia and Astria
• Extensive experience in utilising patent searching databases such as Patsnap, PatBase or Clarivate to conduct IP searching and analysis
• Significant experience in managing IP portfolios
• Ability to communicate complex information regarding intellectual property and commercialisation to a range of audiences using appropriate style and format of messages

Desired Criteria

• Experience in commercialisation of IP in the medical and life sciences sector
• Experience of working with industry, researchers and government to identify mutually beneficial outcomes for commercialisation of IP   

Key Competencies 

• Excellent attention to detail
• Exceptional organisational skills due to various IP deadlines 

Salary & Benefits 
£59,500 pa 
Bonus - subject to company performance
25 days annual leave, plus public holidays (UK)
Enhanced contributory pension scheme
Life Insurance
Benenden Healthcare
Season Ticket Loan

Please note: This is a hybrid, office-based role with an expectation for all employees to attend our Victoria, London office, typically one day every week. This requirement may increase in line with business needs. The role will also require occasional travel to customer sites in Cambridge, London, and Oxfordshire.

Application
If you are excited about the prospect of joining our team and believe you possess the relevant skills and background, we invite you to apply. Please submit your CV along with a 'Statement of Suitability' that showcases your key skills and experiences in relation to the 'Required Criteria' outlined in the job description. Additionally, share your enthusiasm for working with the LGC Group. 

Inclusion and Diversity
LGC strongly believes that every job applicant and employee should be valued for their individual talents regardless of age, disability, race, colour, ethnic or national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, marital or civil partnership, pregnancy or maternity, religion, or belief. Short listing, interviewing and selection will always be carried out without regard to gender, sexual orientation, marital status, colour, race, nationality, ethnic or national origins, religion or belief, age, or trade union membership.