Intellectual Property Operations Manager Jobs in Houston, TX

Intellectual Property Manager

Location: Pearland, TX, US, 77047

Work Arrangement: Hybrid

DOVER PRECISION COMPONENTS:

Dover Precision Components ‘DPC’ (‘the Company’) is part of Dover Corporation’s ‘the Parent Company’ Pumps and Process solutions segment. DPC holds market leading positions globally and delivers performance‑critical solutions across the oil & gas, power generation, marine, industrial, chemical and general processing markets. We design and manufacture mission‑critical equipment components to deliver more affordable, cleaner energy solutions and enable manufacturers to operate more efficiently.

WE DELIVER CUSTOMER SUCCESS

Dover PrecisionComponents delivers products and services that enhance performance, improve safety, reduce carbon emissions, and accelerate clean energy adoption, through collaborative customer relationships, expert engineering, and an innovative culture. Our strong Company portfolio is comprised of long products and services offered under Cook Compression, Cook Mechanical Field Services, Waukesha Bearings, Waukesha Magnetic Bearings, Inpro/Seal, Bearings Plus, and FW Murphy Production Controls. Our global footprint reaches more than twelve locations in the Americas and more than six locations in Europe and China.

BUILDING POTENTIAL. SUSTAINING PERFORMANCE. BOOSTING FUTURES.

We are diligent in recognizing our employees’ needs and providing an enriching experience through professional developmental opportunities. Our authentic, collaborative company culture, combined with a competitive suite of health and welfare offerings, emulates who we are. We are Dover Precision Components, #LifeAtDPC

Job Summary

This role provides coordination and leadership for DPC’s intellectual property portfolio through strategic planning, the intellectual property committee, inventors, and legal counsel. The scope includes patents, trademarks, and trade secrets.

Responsibilities

• Work with key stakeholders in the organization to determine whether technology and inventions within each product line have commercial applications and recommend whether intellectual property protection should be sought.
• Foster and encourage DPC’s inventors to produce invention disclosures and other supporting documentation when the opportunity arises and guide patenting decisions.
• Initiate and manage patentability, right to use, and state of the art patent searches.
• Liaise with outside counsel to prepare, file, and prosecute patent applications and perform patent utilization and right‑to‑use analyses. Seek IP protection in key countries of focus for the business.
• Track progress and organize information pertaining to DPC’s IP portfolio of patents, trademarks, copyrights, and trade secrets.
• Identify, prompt decisions for, and notify outside agencies of patent prosecution decisions.
• Develop and manage trade secret identification and protection strategies.

New and Existing Trademark and Copyright Management

• Engage and liaise with marketing team to determine branding strategies including name clearances and filing strategies.
• Facilitate brand name clearance searches and support trademarking legal needs.
• Consult decision makers and execute trademark decisions.
• File copyright registrations as needed.

Managing Competitive IP Topics

• Facilitate IP clearances (freedom‑to‑operate) for new products and support to development and research teams.
• Lead competitive analysis of patent and commercial product landscapes.
• Lead early stages of infringement investigations and coordinate with outside counsel to perform evidence gathering and implement document holds.
• Monitor DPC brands for competitive trademarks filings; engage management and outside counsel to devise and execute strategies where necessary.

Internal Idea Generation and Technology Evaluation

• Manage the internal idea generation program that encourages innovation within engineering, operations, marketing, and business development.
• Lead cross‑functional technology evaluation and review to enable IP decision making.
• Curate existing ideas, IP, concepts, and other innovations so as to ensure visibility and training of engineers.
• Lead or co‑lead with outside counsel brainstorming sessions including targeted brainstorming, competitor product tear‑down, patent design-around sessions.

General Duties

• Coordinate efforts of innovators and legal council through the patenting process.
• Streamline all communications between external counsel and other stakeholders in the organization and minimize the non‑value added time spent by external counsel.
• Manage and facilitate monthly Global IP Committee meetings.
• Maintain strict document control practices.
• Lead development of IP strategies.
• Build and maintain working relationships with global IP contributors and legal counsel.
• Manage and coach outside counsel to ensure best quality of work and responsible use of resources.
• Oversee IP due diligence activities with respect to third‑party licensing and acquisition projects.
• Track monthly IP spend on outside counsel and other IP services; support DPC budget preparation and cost/benefit analysis as needed. Increase savings on IP spend year over year while driving value through technology adoption and increasing sales of new products.
• Coordinate payment of legal fees through automated payment system.
• Promptly notify outside agencies of patent annuity payment decisions.

Required Job Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in Engineering or Applied Sciences.
• Experience with IP and legal contractual agreements.
• Experience and knowledge of the patenting process.
• Experience with control of critical and time sensitive documents and correspondence.
• Demonstrated history of working directly with engineers and marketers in translating their concepts into a strategy resulting in solid legal protection.
• Demonstrated history of leading others or managing through influence.
• Analytical and critical skills.
• The ability to communicate complex technical matters on a breadth of topics.
• Willingness to take ownership, focused on results, has ability to prioritize and manage competing demands.
• Demonstrated verbal and written communication skills.
• Demonstrated ability to organize and prioritize.

Preferred Job Qualifications

• Registered Patent Agent in good standing to practice before the USPTO.
• Advanced degree.
• Previous industrial experience related to rotating and/or reciprocating machinery and understanding the function of critical components, such as sealing systems, bearings and advanced materials.

#SWE #LI-EO1

Benefits

Benefits for this position include: a 401(k) savings plan with employer contributions; medical, dental and vision insurance; wellness programs; health savings account, health care and dependent care flexible spending accounts; company paid short‑term disability and long‑term disability; company paid employee basic life and AD&D insurance; supplemental employee and dependent life insurance; optional accident, hospital indemnity and critical illness insurance; adoption, surrogacy, and fertility benefits and assistance; commuter benefits; parental, military, jury duty, and bereavement leaves of absence; paid time off, including business travel services; employee discounts; and an employee assistance program that includes company paid counseling sessions and legal services. Eligibility for benefits is governed by applicable plan documents and policies.

EEO Statement

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, disability, age, genetic information, or any other factors prohibited by law.

Attention Applicants

If you are an individual with a disability and require a reasonable accommodation to complete any part of the application process, please let us know. Likewise, if you are limited in the ability to access or use this online application process and need an alternative method for applying, we will determine an alternate way for you to apply. Please contact hr@doverprecision.com for assistance with an accommodation. Kindly specify Job Requisition Number / Job Title and Location in response.