Head Of Intellectual Property

Abingdon Road, Culham, UK
Full-time
Salary: £82,815 (inclusive of MPP) + excellent benefits including outstanding pension
Site Location: UKAEA Culham, Oxfordshire or Rotherham, Yorkshire
Confirmed Grade: Level 7

Company Description

By 2050, the planet could be using twice as much electricity compared to today. Are you interested in contributing and helping to shape the future of the world’s energy? If so, read on.

Fusion, the process that powers the Sun and Stars, is one of the most promising options for generating the cleaner, carbon-free energy that our world badly needs.

UKAEA leads the way in realising fusion energy, partnering with industry and research for ground-breaking advancements. Our goal is to bring fusion electricity to the grid, supported by tomorrow's power stations. In pursuit of our mission, UKAEA embraces core values: Innovative, Committed, Trusted, and Collaborative.

Job Description

As an employee of UKAEA, you will benefit from:

- Outstanding defined benefit pension scheme, details of which can be found at the end of this advert.
- Corporate bonus scheme of up to 7% and a Relocation allowance (if eligible).
- Flexible working options, including family-friendly policies and the right to request flexible working from the start of your employment.
- Employee Assistance Programme and trained Mental Health First Aiders.
- Generous annual leave allowance starting with 25 days, plus 3 days of Christmas closure and 2.5 privilege days, in addition to UK bank holidays.
- Wide range of career development opportunities.
- A vibrant culture committed to equality and being fully inclusive.

The salary for this role is £82,815 (including a Market Premium Payment (£7,400 MPP)), and the market premium payment is non-contractual and non-pensionable.

Please Note: Hybrid work is offered, possibly primarily remote, with onsite presence as needed.

The Role

Are you looking for an exciting opportunity to make a difference? In this role, you will lead Intellectual Property activities at UKAEA and join a dynamic team supporting the commercialisation of fusion energy. This is an opportunity to dive into a wide range of technical and commercial areas, from Plasma Physics to Robotics and Advanced Computing to Material Science. You will work with departments and programmes across UKAEA, such as the ambitious STEP programme, which targets 2040 to deliver a prototype fusion power plant.

You will lead the IP team and be responsible for ensuring the IP strategy and its implementation support UKAEA in achieving its goals. The role has a strong focus on collaborating with technical and business colleagues, external patent attorneys and external partners to accelerate the exploitation of IP. This role is an opportunity to expand experience and knowledge in both technical and commercial areas and to develop a team in the same way. This role will help lead the development of an innovation pipeline to create impact, including commercialisation from the fantastic ideas and technologies being developed to solve fusion challenges.

Additional Responsibilities

- Working with Directors and Programme leads across the business to help set IP strategy, strengthening the overall business and devising asset-specific protection strategies.
- Have responsibility for managing a broad and technically diverse IP portfolio (activities include leading on patent and trademark prosecution).
- Responsible for Corporate IP risks and mitigations.
- Lead the IP team, directing work prioritising where needed and providing line management to the members of the IP team.
- Manage the resolution of IP disputes with third parties.
- Advising teams across the business on IP terms in third-party agreements.
- Raising IP awareness in the organisation by creating a strategy and delivering training.
- Utilise technical background to review invention disclosures and advise on the best protection strategies.
- Apply critical thinking and problem-solving skills to conduct focused and comprehensive searches for prior art.
- Direct and conduct high-quality patent landscape investigations and inform on potential IP risks and opportunities.

Qualifications

Essential Requirements

- Experience managing an IP team in a technical environment and with a broad IP portfolio.
- Strong communication skills to engage with stakeholders, from scientists to executive members and external parties.
- Self-motivated with the ability to motivate a dynamic team.
- Significant experience with reviewing and strategically advising on IP terms in contracts.
- Experience supporting patent prosecution and Office Action activities.
- Ability to manage various activities and prioritise according to business needs.
- Significant demonstrable experience in patent searching.
- Familiarity with different patent analytics tools and platforms.
- Strong technical background with a degree in science or engineering.

Additional Information

For a full list of benefits and to apply, select the apply button to be taken through to the UKAEA careers pages.

We welcome applications from under-represented groups, particularly individuals from black and other ethnic minority backgrounds, people with disabilities, and women. Our Executive team, supported by our 'Equality, Diversity and Inclusion' (EDI) Partner and Inclusion Ambassadors, actively promotes EDI and takes steps to increase diversity within our organisation. We reinforce best practices in recruitment and selection and evaluate approaches to remove barriers to success.

Please note that vacancies are generally advertised for 4 weeks but may close earlier if we receive a large number of applications.