Patent Engineer Jobs in Tennessee (NOW HIRING)

Job Description:

What You'll Do

• Partner directly with engineers and technical leaders to identify potentially patentable inventions.
• Conduct invention-disclosure meetings with engineering teams to recognize innovations worth protecting and to describe them in writing.
• Oversee and review outside counsel drafts of U.S. patent applications.
• Conduct prior-art searches and patentability analyses.
• Evaluate invention disclosures and recommend appropriate protection strategies, including utility patents, design patents, trade secrets, and defensive publication where appropriate.
• Help develop patent portfolios around strategically important products and technology platforms.
• Work with outside patent counsel on domestic and international patent prosecution and manage matters for quality, consistency, cost, and strategic alignment.
• Support foreign filing decisions and coordinate international patent prosecution.
• Assist with freedom-to-operate, competitive patent landscape, and third-party patent analyses in coordination with legal counsel.
• Monitor relevant competitor patent activity and emerging IP trends in solar tracking and adjacent technologies.
• Maintain clear patent portfolio records, deadlines, invention disclosures, and prosecution status.
• Help establish practical IP processes and training that make intellectual property protection part of the engineering and product-development lifecycle.
• Support evaluation of Nextpower's existing portfolio and identify opportunities for continuations, divisionals, design protection, or additional claim coverage.
• Maintain portfolio in online management system.

What We're Looking For

• Registered to practice before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) as a Patent Agent.
• Bachelor's degree or higher in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechatronics, Civil/Structural Engineering, Physics, or equivalent relevant professional experience.
• Approximately 3+ years of patent preparation and prosecution experience, whether in-house, at a law firm, or in a combination of both.
• Demonstrated experience drafting/reviewing high-quality utility patent applications and responding to USPTO Office Actions.
• Strong ability to understand mechanical systems and communicate effectively with engineers and inventors.
• Excellent technical writing, analytical, and organizational skills.
• Ability to independently manage multiple patent matters and deadlines.
• Practical judgment about what should be patented and how patent claims can support business objectives-not simply how to obtain a patent.

Especially Valuable Experience

Experience in one or more of the following areas would be particularly useful:

• Solar trackers or utility-scale solar systems
• Power storage
• Power conversion
• IPfolio platform
• Solar foundations and related installation equipment.
• AI and Digital Twin modeling
• Design patents
• Patent portfolio development for manufactured products
• International patent prosecution
• Competitive patent landscaping and freedom-to-operate analysis

Nextracker offers a comprehensive benefits package. We provide health care coverage, dental and vision, 401(K) participation including company matching, company paid holidays with unlimited paid time off, generous discretionary company bonuses, life and disability protection and more. Employees in certain positions may be eligible for stock compensation. All plans are in accordance with relevant plan documents. For more information on Nextracker's benefits please view our company website at www.nextracker.com.

Pay is based on market location and may vary based on factors including experience, skills, education and other job-related reasons. The annual salary range for this position is $100,000 to $120,000(applicable in California)

At Nextpower, we are driving the global energy transition with an integrated clean energy technology platform that combines intelligent structural, electrical, and digital solutions for utility-scale power plants. Our comprehensive portfolio enables faster project delivery, higher performance, and greater reliability, helping our customers capture the full value of solar power. Our talented worldwide teams are redefining how solar power plants are designed, built, and operated every day with smart technology, data-driven insights, and advanced automation. Together, we're building the foundation for the world's next generation of clean energy infrastructure.

Nextpower is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.