Assoc Dir, IP Technology Management & Operations

Job Description

Position Description:

The Office of General Counsel is seeking an Associate Director IP Technology Management & Operations to provide application administration and technology management support to the Intellectual Property (IP) organization. Primary responsibilities are to oversee and manage the cloud-based IP management system and cloud-based IP document management system; enhance IPs tools and technology portfolio and information governance programs; and design and lead technology-related solutions to further the strategic goals of the department. This position has a flexible hybrid office schedule based in Rahway NJ.

A successful candidate should possess prior application administration experience strong project management skills and a curiosity for applying emerging technology. This is a people manager role and is responsible for managing two legal support professionals.

Job responsibilities include but are not limited to:

IP Application Administration

• Product owner and application administrator of the cloud-based IP management system (TIPMS) and cloud-based IP document management system (First-to-File)

• Responsible for the configuration administration and continuous enhancement of above systems

• Evaluate test and provide training for database version releases and new features manage data migration and improvement projects

• Apply country law updates to the IP management system and create custom rules and codes

• Design and deliver new process workflows or data-related projects and other process improvements

• Design and manage custom forms emails and automated reporting

• Prepare and generate statistical and ad hoc reports and design and manage custom dashboards

• Prepare and generate audit and data integrity reports to identify investigate and resolve anomalies

• Ensure compliance with all corporate and departmental IT risk management policies and practices

Technology Management

• Design and implement a long-term technology roadmap that furthers the strategic goals of the IP department

• Assess existing and emerging technology capabilities (e.g. Microsoft 365 applications generative AI machine learning predictive coding etc.) to improve technology utilization and operational efficiency

• Evaluate new vendors suppliers and solutions to make determinations on where to build where to buy and where to wait

• Evaluate test deploy and support technology initiatives ensuring efficient implementation and ongoing functionality; develops standard processes procedures and reports for such projects

• Create sustain and strengthen vendor relationships to understand and influence their product roadmaps

• Maintain strong working relationships with the IT organization while taking a customer point of view when examining implications of systems process or workflow changes

Operational Excellence

• Actively engage with members of the IP department to develop a deep understanding of the departments needs and align technology initiatives with organizational priorities

• Continuously assess and identify opportunities to improve operational effectiveness through process reengineering standardized reporting and automation

• Automate manual processes digitize physical tasks and improve speed and quality through effective change management and the strategic deployment of technology solutions

• Leverage cross-functional relationships to influence the development and adoption of new processes/technologies to make a significant impact across the broader legal organization

• Participate in industry/corporate legal operations roundtables user conferences industry benchmarking studies to provide best practices and recommendations to IP Senior Leadership

Information Governance

• Enhance and support the companys records management strategy and framework including e-discovery legal hold and information review and preservation activities

• Ensure appropriate security for official records and information and oversee access to all sensitive confidential and restricted information

• Support and enhance the IP departments internal and company-facing SharePoint collaboration tools and sites

• Enable efficiencies by ensuring seamless access to departmental institutional knowledge through the organization and centralization of key templates policies processes memos and other learnings

Position Qualifications:

Commute/Location:

This role is based at our Headquarters site in Rahway (NJ) with a Hybrid setup (combination of 3 days in-office & 2 days off-site/remote). This position cannot be 100% remote.

Education Minimum Requirement:

• Bachelors degree required

Required Experience and Skills:

• Five (5) years of relevant legal technology experience in a law firm corporate legal department or other legal services provider environment

• Familiarity with different IP practice areas including terminology roles work product and technology preferred

• Strong technical skills; advanced knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite; familiarity with legal technologies (e.g. deal management rights management e-billing contract and document management e-signature knowledge management)

• Experience maintaining a legal database testing software patches and updates configuring new features managing user access onboarding and offboarding and training users on new features

• Experience in legal technology assessments requirements gathering system design configuration implementation testing and deployment

• Experience negotiating and reviewing vendor contracts renewals and statements of work

• Proven track record of dissecting complex processes identifying critical pain points and implementing solutions that meet stakeholders expectations

• Excellent project management skills with experience improving operational efficiencies through automation and technology solutions

• Strong organizational analytical problem-solving and communication skills (both oral and written) with experience presenting and concisely communicating complex information to all levels of an organization

• Strong interpersonal and teamwork skills ability to foster and maintain good working relationships with stakeholders different functional areas and external partners

• Demonstrated ability to organize and prioritize work to meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment

• Demonstrated ability to quickly learn and utilize new software programs and tools

• Flexible to evolving in line with advancing legal technology landscape

Preferred Experience and Skills:

• Experience as a patent paralegal and/or IP database administrator

• Experience as a Microsoft SharePoint site Owner

• Experience creating computer macros in Microsoft Word Microsoft Excel and Visual Basic

• Experience utilizing low-code development tools specifically Microsoft Power Platform

• Experience utilizing business intelligence software specifically Crystal Reports and Sisense

Required Skills:

Preferred Skills:

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U.S. Hybrid Work Model

Effective September 5 2023 employees in office-based positions in the U.S. will be working a Hybrid work consisting of three total days on-site per week Monday - Thursday although the specific days may vary by site or organization with Friday designated as a remote-working day unless business critical tasks require an on-site Hybrid work model does not apply to and daily in-person attendance is required for field-based positions; facility-based manufacturing-based or research-based positions where the work to be performed is located at a Company site; positions covered by a collective-bargaining agreement (unless the agreement provides for hybrid work); or any other position for which the Company has determined the job requirements cannot be reasonably met working remotely. Please note this Hybrid work model guidance also does not apply to roles that have been designated as remote.

The salary range for this role is

This is the lowest to highest salary we in good faith believe we would pay for this role at the time of this posting. An employees position within the salary range will be based on several factors including but not limited to relevant education qualifications certifications experience skills geographic location government requirements and business or organizational needs.

The successful candidate will be eligible for annual bonus and long-term incentive if applicable.

We offer a comprehensive package of benefits. Available benefits include medical dental vision healthcare and other insurance benefits (for employee and family) retirement benefits including 401(k) paid holidays vacation and compassionate and sick days. More information about benefits is available at can apply for this role through (or via the Workday Jobs Hub if you are a current employee). The application deadline for this position is stated on this posting.

San Francisco Residents Only:We will consider qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records for employment in compliance with the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance

Los Angeles Residents Only:We will consider for employment all qualified applicants including those with criminal histories in a manner consistent with the requirements of applicable state and local laws including the City of Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance

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