Intellectual Property Manager

Overview

This role supports intellectual property (IP) activities for the organization’s Medical Division, supporting a diverse portfolio of products and technologies. The IP Manager will manage the full patent lifecycle and collaborate with Research & Development (R&D) through product development, including IP risk assessments and coordination with external counsel.

Responsibilities

• Manage the full patent lifecycle, including invention intake, preliminary patentability assessments, patent application development, prosecution support, and maintenance/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 aligned with product development and business priorities, including management of related IP budgets.
• Coordinate with outside counsel to prepare, file, and prosecute U.S. and international patent applications and respond to patent office actions.
• Conduct patentability and competitive analyses (including prior-art, state-of-the-art, and competitive patent analyses) to support product development and IP strategy.
• Evaluate invention commercialization plans, patent utilization, and potential offensive/defensive value to inform international filing, maintenance, and abandonment decisions.
• Coordinate intellectual property risk assessments, including freedom-to-operate (FTO) 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 actionable insights to R&D and IP leadership.

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 monitoring.
• Experience collaborating with 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 IP 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.

Compensation & Benefits

United States of America Pay Ranges

• USN: $118,000 - $196,700 USD Annual
• US5: $123,900 - $206,500 USD Annual
• US10: $129,800 - $216,400 USD Annual
• US15: $135,700 - $226,200 USD Annual
• US20: $141,600 - $236,000 USD Annual
• US30: $153,400 - $255,700 USD Annual

Health benefits include: Medical and prescription drug insurance, dental insurance, vision insurance, critical illness insurance, accident insurance, hospital indemnity insurance, personalized healthcare support, wellbeing program and tobacco cessation program.

Financial benefits include: Health Savings Account (HSA), Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs), 401(k) plan, Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP), basic life and AD&D insurance, and short-term disability insurance.

Location & Work Arrangement

• Hybrid position based in Cary, Illinois.
• Onsite expectation: 2–3 days per week.
• Flexibility to work from home on other days based on business needs.
• Fully remote candidates considered in time zones within 1 hour of Central time.

Posted Date: 10/26/2026. This role will be posted for a minimum of 3 days.