Careers that Change Lives

This position is an exciting and new opportunity that is currently part of Medtronic and will move to a to-be-named company we are calling “NewCo”. NewCo will be an independent company with equal partners, Medtronic & DaVita. It will be established in calendar 2023 as a new company (NewCo) formed from Medtronic’s Renal Care Solutions Operating Unit focused on providing innovative technologies to support kidney care patients. While you will start your employment with Medtronic, upon establishment of NewCo your employment will transfer to NewCo and you will no longer be employed by Medtronic.

NewCo is uniquely poised to transform renal care and dialysis, building on Medtronic’s innovation and technology pipeline. The business will have the singular focus, financial commitment, deep domain expertise, and global footprint needed to accelerate the development and commercialization of affordable and scalable life-saving renal care technologies — particularly our transformative home dialysis platform technologies

We’re looking for a leader who is a collaborative, values-driven team player who enjoys new challenges and has a continuous learning mindset. We need you to bring your passion, fresh thinking, and unique perspective to support our mission of helping people live better, fuller lives.

A Day in the Life

NewCo’s Director of Intellectual Property will provide global strategic legal support and advise the Chief Legal Officer on all matters related to intellectual property. As part of a collaborative team, the successful candidate will be responsible for implementing global IP strategies, developing strategic IP portfolios for medical technologies and supporting product development and research through proactive IP counseling and education, supporting M&A activities, supporting related licensing transactions, and advising clients in R&D and the business on various IP matters. The individual will be responsible for delivering clear, concise, and actionable legal advice. Comfort and confidence in communicating intellectual property advice in a clear and succinct way to management is essential.

We believe that when people from different cultures, genders, and points of view come together, innovation is the result —and everyone wins. Medtronic walks the walk, creating an inclusive culture where you can thrive.

This is a remote role. Travel requirement -20% (some international)

Responsibilities may include the following and other duties may be assigned .

Protect NewCo’s Pipeline and Ability to Compete

• Execute all aspects of creation and management of intellectual property
• Prepare and prosecute a patent portfolio worldwide in support of global business and IP strategies. Tasks include leading a global intellectual property strategy, managing, and reviewing outside counsel work, diligently managing dockets using the corporate docketing systems, and implementing patent maintenance decisions
• Interface with the R&D and business development teams for proactive development and implementation of IP strategies that align with business strategy and objectives
• Protect NewCo’s highest value R&D investments by managing invention disclosures and prioritizing filings with the highest level of impact
• Leverage existing patent applications (i.e., mine) to develop IP assets that accommodate an evolving competitive landscape
• Support management of IP risk for NewCo’s pipeline, including performing global freedom-to-operate evaluations and overseeing the preparation of opinions of counsel when necessary
• Provide support on patent litigation, pre-suit assessments, and patent office proceedings, including USPTO post grant proceedings and EPO patent oppositions
• Support IP due diligence for mergers/acquisitions with solution-focused approach
• Assist in drafting and negotiating IP agreements, such as, for example, patent licensing agreements, joint-development agreements, material transfer agreements, acquisition agreements
• Determine if invention should be protected as a patent or trade secret
• Direct, develop, and analyze thoughtful patent searching strategies for patentability, invalidity, and competitive landscape
• Ensure ongoing awareness of competitors’ products, activities, and IP portfolio
• Operate within budget constraints for outside counsel and third-party vendor spend

Be a Strategic and Inclusive IP Partner

• Develop strategic relationships with business unit leaders, marketing, business development, and R&D to integrate IP into the overall company strategy and provide IP advice and counsel
• Manage stakeholder expectations through proactive and clear communications
• Direct brainstorms and make filing decisions to ensure expansive protection of new technologies and therapies, including ensuring coverage of whitespace
• Partner with portfolio strategy, upstream marketing, business development, and competitive intelligence functions to perform landscaping activities for future opportunities
• Educate key internal stakeholders on IP activities, competition, and outcomes of IP strategy execution
• Develop strategic relationships and manage outside counsel to accomplish key deliverables on time and on budget
• Work with outside counsel and other service providers to share and leverage insights and best practices and deliver optimal outcomes to the operating unit
• Partner with other members of the Legal and Compliance Team to coordinate and align on a cohesive legal strategy for NewCo
• Model the Medtronic Mindset – act boldly; compete to win; move with speed and decisiveness; foster belonging; and deliver results the right way

Must Have: Minimum Qualifications

• Juris Doctor degree required
• Minimum of 8 years of relevant Intellectual Property (IP) Legal experience with 7+ years of managerial experience

Nice to Have

• Juris Doctor (J.D.) from a nationally accredited law school with strong academic credentials
• 8+ years of experience as an attorney in intellectual property law discipline
• Licensed to practice in at least one US state or the District of Columbia
• Registered to practice before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
• Strong leadership skills, including strategic planning, effective communication, and high emotional IQ.
• Excellent judgment, strong strategic and analytical thinking, and ability to work on multiple projects at the same time
• Medical device experience
• Both in-house and law firm experience
• Bachelor's Degree in Biomedical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or similar scientific disciplines
• Ability to prioritize across multiple tasks and demands while remaining organized
• Able to thrive in ambiguity and make decisions amidst multiple, competing demands and activities
• Proficiency in engineering, strong creative abilities, and scientific principles.
• Understanding of basic business concepts, strategies, and risks
• Broad IP experience, including patent prosecution, freedom-to-operate, opinion preparation, licensing, and IP transactions
• Litigation experience
• Data science and AI experience
• Ability to develop compelling presentation, engage senior leaders with confidence, and distill complex information into business language
• Possess a strong commitment to company values
  

About Medtronic

Together, we can change healthcare worldwide. At Medtronic, we push the limits of what technology, therapies and services can do to help alleviate pain, restore health and extend life. We challenge ourselves and each other to make tomorrow better than yesterday. It is what makes this an exciting and rewarding place to be.

We want to accelerate and advance our ability to create meaningful innovations - but we will only succeed with the right people on our team. Let’s work together to address universal healthcare needs and improve patients’ lives. Help us shape the future.

Physical Job Requirements

The physical demands described within the Responsibilities section of this job description are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. For Office Roles: While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to be independently mobile. The employee is also required to interact with a computer and communicate with peers and co-workers. Contact your manager or local HR to understand the Work Conditions and Physical requirements that may be specific to each role. (ADA-United States of America)