Intellectual Property Manager

Overview

This role supports the organization’s Medical Division portfolio of products and technologies by managing intellectual property (IP) activities across the full patent lifecycle. You will partner with Research & Development (R&D) teams throughout the new product development process and help coordinate IP risk assessments and reporting.

Responsibilities

• 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 aligned 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 IP strategy.
• Evaluate invention commercialization plans and patent utilization, including potential offensive and defensive value, to inform international filing, maintenance, and abandonment decisions.
• Coordinate IP risk assessments, including freedom-to-operate analyses for new product launches.
• 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 IP matters.
• Experience managing multiple IP 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 IP 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 (Annual):

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

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
• Short-term disability insurance

Location & Work Arrangement

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

Additional Information

• Posted date: 10/26/2026 (posted for a minimum of 3 days)
• Depending on customer requirements, employees and new hires in sales and field roles that require access to customer accounts may be required to obtain various vaccinations as an essential function of their role.