Patent Docketing Specialist (Remote)

Overview

The organization is seeking an experienced patent docketing professional to take primary ownership of its U.S. and International patent prosecution docket.

This role involves independently owning the integrity, administration, monitoring, and day-to-day operation of the patent prosecution docket. As a core member of a three-person support team, you will be responsible for the docketing system, processes, controls, integrity, and execution. The position requires more than data entry or calendaring—you will review correspondence, identify and calculate deadlines, verify docket accuracy, spot inconsistencies, and ensure nothing falls through the cracks.

Responsibilities

• Docket Ownership & Deadline Management
  • Review and analyze incoming and outgoing correspondence relating to U.S., PCT, and foreign patent prosecution.
  • Identify, calculate, enter, update, and clear statutory and procedural deadlines.
  • Monitor upcoming deadlines and proactively ensure responsible team members are aware of required actions.
  • Docket and deadline management is in collaboration with BHIP Hills A.I.
• Correspondence Intake & Triage
  • Manage intake and triage of USPTO, WIPO, foreign associate, client, and practitioner correspondence.
  • Route information appropriately, docket accurately, and ensure timely action.
• Independent Docket Verification
  • Review prosecution status and official records using Patent Center, WIPO/PATENTSCOPE, EPO Register, foreign patent office resources, and other appropriate sources.
  • Verify bibliographic information, priority claims, application status, and outstanding deadlines.
• Quality Control & Auditing
  • Perform routine quality-control audits of docket entries, deadline calculations, bibliographic information, and matter status.
  • Reconcile the docket against official records and source documents.
  • Investigate discrepancies and drive resolution to prevent risk of abandonment or loss of rights.
• Docket Reporting & Follow-Through
  • Prepare and maintain reports showing upcoming deadlines, outstanding actions, portfolio status, and other information needed by practitioners and management.
  • Follow up when necessary rather than only generating reports.
• Matter Intake & Transfers
  • Establish and verify docket records for new applications, new clients, and transferred matters.
  • Reconstruct prosecution histories when necessary and independently identify outstanding obligations and deadlines.
• Process Ownership & Improvement
  • Improve docketing procedures, checklists, controls, and workflows.
  • Identify recurring sources of risk or inefficiency and help drive fixes.
• Patent Portfolio Support
  • Work with patent practitioners and prosecution paralegals to keep portfolio information accurate and current.
  • Help create meaningful portfolio insights for clients.
• Procure Signatures
  • Secure signatures on important filing and patent prosecution documents for the filing paralegal and outside law firms associated with clients.
• Patent Application & Prosecution Filings (as needed)
  • Prepare and file U.S. and international patent applications and prosecution documents, including declarations, assignments, powers of attorney, petitions, IDSs, and other supporting documents.

Requirements

• Experienced Patent Docketing Professional
  • Significant experience independently docketing U.S. and international patent prosecution matters.
  • Ideally, 4+ years of patent prosecution support experience, including substantial responsibility for docket management.
• Deadline Expertise
  • Ability to identify and calculate patent prosecution deadlines from source correspondence.
  • Understanding of statutory deadlines vs. reminders, including when extensions are and are not available.
• Prosecution Fluency
  • Comfort with lifecycle of U.S., PCT, and foreign patent applications.
  • Recognition of significance of key prosecution events (e.g., office actions, restriction requirements, notices to file missing parts, allowances, issue fees, continuation/divisional deadlines, PCT national-phase deadlines, priority deadlines, IDS obligations).
• Experience with Official Patent Systems
  • Working knowledge of Patent Center.
  • Experience researching using resources such as WIPO/PATENTSCOPE, EPO Register, Global Dossier, and foreign patent office databases.
• Quality-Control Minded
  • Ability to reconcile information against source documents.
  • Recognize issues, investigate discrepancies, and close the loop.
• Technology Comfortable
  • Experience with a dedicated IP docketing system is required.
  • AppColl experience is strongly preferred; training can be provided for an otherwise exceptional docketing professional.
  • Experience with Trello, Microsoft Office, Google Workspace, and modern project-management tools is helpful.
• Effective Sleuthing
  • Ability to locate bibliographic and prosecution information from many jurisdictions.
  • Ability to work with incomplete records and unfamiliar patent office materials.
• Highly Organized & Clear Communicator
  • Ability to manage many concurrent deadlines and communicate issues, risks, and required actions clearly.
• Autonomy and Proactivity
  • Ability to self-direct, prioritize, follow through, and take ownership of results.
  • Proactive approach to identifying and driving resolution of stalled, inconsistent, overdue, or at-risk matters.
• Detail-Focused and Accurate
  • Exceptionally high attention to detail and accuracy.
• Willing to Learn
  • In a backup capacity, ability to learn filing procedures to support critical statutory deadlines if there is overflow of filings or the filing paralegal is unavailable.
• Highly Collaborative and People-First
  • Enjoys supporting practitioners, inventors, clients, and fellow paralegals.
  • Thrives as part of the solution even when things aren’t perfect.

Preferred Qualifications

• AppColl experience is strongly preferred.
• Prior experience working remotely in a distributed environment is helpful.

Compensation & Benefits

• Employment type: Fully remote, full-time (W-2 team member)
• Work schedule: Flexible workweek; salaried for a guaranteed 40 hours per week.
• Overtime: Straight-time overtime is paid for any hours above 40.
• Salary range: $85,000-$100,000 (full-time)
• Part-time option: For the right candidate, the organization may consider a salaried, part-time role.
• Benefits: 401k with match, paid time off, and profit sharing.
• Medical insurance: Not currently offered.

Location

Fully distributed/remote within the U.S. You can work from any reasonably well-Internet-connected location in the U.S.