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Patent Annuity Jobs in Reston, VA (NOW HIRING)

Patent Annuity information

See Reston, VA salary details

$59.3K

$120.1K

$175.8K

How much do patent annuity jobs pay per year?

As of Jul 29, 2026, the average yearly pay for patent annuity in Reston, VA is $120,111.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $115,000.00 and $119,600.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is the difference between Patent Annuity vs Patent Examiner?

AspectPatent AnnuityPatent Examiner
Required CredentialsLegal or patent office experience, knowledge of patent lawsLegal or technical degree, patent law knowledge
Work EnvironmentPatent firms, legal departments, patent agenciesPatent offices, government agencies
Industry UsageManaging patent renewals and feesExamining patent applications and prior art

Patent Annuity professionals focus on managing patent renewal payments, ensuring patent rights are maintained. Patent Examiners evaluate patent applications for novelty and compliance. While both roles require patent law knowledge, Patent Annuity specialists handle administrative tasks, whereas Patent Examiners are involved in the examination process.

What are patent annuities?

Patent annuities, also known as maintenance fees or renewal fees, are regular payments required to keep a patent in force. These fees must be paid to patent offices at scheduled intervals, typically annually, after a patent is granted. Failing to pay annuities on time can result in the lapse or expiration of the patent, meaning the patent owner loses exclusive rights to the invention. Patent annuities help encourage only valuable patents to be maintained and reduce the administrative burden of expired or unused patents.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a Patent Annuity Specialist, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Patent Annuity Specialist, you need strong attention to detail, organizational skills, and knowledge of patent law and renewal procedures, often supported by experience in intellectual property administration. Familiarity with patent management systems (such as CPI or Anaqua), docketing software, and understanding of global annuity payment processes is typically required. Excellent communication, problem-solving abilities, and the capacity to manage deadlines are valuable soft skills in this role. These competencies ensure accurate, timely annuity payments and compliance, which are critical to maintaining clients’ intellectual property rights worldwide.

What are the typical challenges faced by professionals managing patent annuities, and how can they be addressed?

Managing patent annuities often involves coordinating deadlines across multiple jurisdictions, each with its own rules and payment schedules. A common challenge is ensuring timely payments to avoid costly lapses in patent protection. Effective professionals rely on specialized software and maintain close communication with global agents and legal teams to track deadlines and regulatory changes. Staying organized and detail-oriented, as well as developing proactive workflows, are key to successfully managing the complexities of this role.
What are popular job titles related to Patent Annuity jobs in Reston, VA? For Patent Annuity jobs in Reston, VA, the most frequently searched job titles are:
What job categories do people searching Patent Annuity jobs in Reston, VA look for? The top searched job categories for Patent Annuity jobs in Reston, VA are:
What cities near Reston, VA are hiring for Patent Annuity jobs? Cities near Reston, VA with the most Patent Annuity job openings:
Technology Transfer & Patent Specialist (51998)

Technology Transfer & Patent Specialist (51998)

GAP SOLUTIONS INC

Bethesda, MD • On-site

Full-time

Posted 13 days ago


Job description

Position Objective:

The candidate will work under the direction of the Acting Director of the NHLBI Office of Technology Transfer and Development (OTTAD). The candidate will provide advice, guidance, and assistance on the development and management of intellectual property, registration and management of patents, terms and negotiation of collaborative agreements, management and administration of licenses and royalties, transfer of research materials, and interpretation of law, policies, rules and regulations, especially those related to the implementation of the Federal Technology Transfer Act of 1986 and other pertinent legislation. The candidate will propose and assist in the development of Institute policy and prepare and disseminate operating procedures and guidelines on matters related to assigned areas of responsibility, and review, analyze, negotiate, and execute planned collaborative agreements [e.g., Cooperative Research and Development Agreements (CRADAs), Clinical Trial Agreements, Research Collaboration Agreements, Material Transfer Agreements, and Confidential Disclosure Agreements, and License Agreements] to ensure that they are in accordance with applicable NIH and HHS policy and procedures and will also review exclusive and nonexclusive license applications; commercial development and access plans, and coordinates or provides status about patent and licensing matters. The candidate will serve as an information resource on licensing policies, regulations and procedures for the ICs it serves and coordinate or manage other activities as required in the management of the technology portfolio of the ICs it serves. In all activities above and assigned, the candidate will exercise discretion and maintain confidentiality while contacting OTTAD stakeholders.  The candidate will further ensure that policies and procedures are followed on a day-to-day basis in relation to assigned duties, including client special instructions and in accordance with established firm guidelines.

Duties and Responsibilities:

  • Serve as an experienced Technical Licensing Specialist responsible for handling a complex caseload, of technology transfer transactions of public health significance, including licenses resulting from the determination of CRADA Subject Inventions, licenses resulting from intramural inventions, review and evaluation of extramural agreements, and transfers and licensing of biological materials.
  • Prepare analytical, evaluative the commercial potential and patentability of inventions through a thorough review of highly specialized information from patent applications, inventors, companies, artificial intelligence inquiries, and publicly available materials.
  • Engage in the marketing and licensing of the above referenced subject matter inventions and consistent with regulations covering government licensing activities.  Licensing plan may involve exclusive or nonexclusive contracts with companies, various types of royalty arrangements, grouping with other related technologies, etc.
  • Participate in review and oversight of domestic and foreign patent prosecution, including analyses of issues of potential patent infringement and interference, and the payment of annuity and maintenance fees.
  • Provide experienced information on availability of technology for licenses, as well as nature of proprietary protection.  Handle inquiries from companies seeking to license technologies that fit their business and access plans, reviews license applications from companies including, but not limited to,  compliance with applicable Federal and NIH policy, regulatory authorities, and guidelines, analyze product development proposals, and works with potential licensee to establish performance benchmarks for development of products under license.  Develop royalty proposals based on analyses of the stage of development of technology, size of market, and availability of competing technologies.
  • Formulate, develop, and negotiate license agreements, both royalty terms and legal terms of licensing agreements, consistent with federal law, government regulations, and NIH policy.  Monitor performance compliance of licenses within guidelines established by enabling statutes and/or executive policies.
  • Provide independent analyses, interpretation and evaluation of highly complex, controversial, or abstract information on licensing agreements involving competing interests among various research institutes, inventors, legal, technical and business concerns.
  • Engage in meetings and communications with NIH officials, intramural/extramural scientists, corporate legal counsel, business executives, and university technology transfer officers, for the purpose of facilitating OTTAD's technology transfer programs with PHS components, industry and academia.

Basic Qualifications:

  • Master’s Degree in related field. Two (2) years of specialized experience plus a BA/BS degree is equivalent to a Master’s degree.
  • Thirteen (13) years of experience functioning in a management capacity in a specialized field.

Preferred Qualifications:

  • Extensive service/marketing experience and a high degree of analytical skills. 
  • Research laboratory experience, USPTO experience and/or a relevant advanced degree in science, business, or law, plus knowledge of automated information systems.
  • Substantive experience in business development, including strategic planning related activities.
  • Substantive knowledge of the laws, rules, and regulations applicable to patents, royalties, and licensing.
  • Business management experience and/or policy development experience in biotechnology/medical/general science-based industries or government offices.
  • Capable of working independently as well as coordinating with others involved in technology transfer at OTTAD, the ICs and other business and nonprofit institutions.
  • Thorough knowledge of the Steven-Wydler and Federal Technology Transfer Acts and the Cooperative Research and Development Agreements.
  • Knowledge of conflict-of-interest regulations, Freedom of Information Act, and Privacy Act provisions as well as negotiating techniques and procedures.

*This job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required by this position.  

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed above are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

GAP Solutions provides reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities. If you need an accommodation to apply for a job, email us at recruiting@gapsi.com. You will need to reference the requisition number of the position in which you are interested. Your message will be routed to the appropriate recruiter who will assist you. Please note, this email address is only to be used for those individuals who need an accommodation to apply for a job. Emails for any other reason or those that do not include a requisition number will not be returned.

Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, protected veteran status or other characteristics protected by law.