Why join Stryker? We are proud to be named one of the World’s Best Workplaces and a Best Workplace for Diversity by Fortune Magazine! Learn more about our award-winning organization by visiting stryker.com The Director Intellectual Property (IP) will lead and manage the IP program for the several business units within the Medical division.  The IP program activities include: working with the business units to develop/maintain patent portfolios, performing patent searches, collaborating with the R&D teams throughout the product development process by performing right-to-use analysis and supporting third party business development M&A process.  Identify and lead continuous improvement of the department’s systems and procedures to ensure effective/efficient operations. Education

• Bachelor’s Degree required.  Mechanical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering or Electrical Engineering preferred.  

Qualifications and Experience

• 10 years of experience; Prefer 3+ years of experience managing direct reports.
• 5+ years of experience managing intellectual property matters, which may include: prosecution, right-to-use and due diligence activities.
• Demonstrated ability to effectively manage personnel and identify and lead IP business process improvements across a wide range of responsibilities.
• Prefer 5+ years’ experience in the medical device industry.
• Demonstrated understanding of USPTO patent prosecution processes.
• Demonstrated ability to perform IP searches.
• Demonstrated verbal and written communication skills.
• Demonstrated ability to influence others and be appropriately assertive in order to challenge concepts and inspire innovation.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently and make difficult decisions.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

• Provide leadership, mentoring and priorities to IP staff under direct supervision to ensure customer groups are supported in all matters involving intellectual property management.
• Review invention disclosures and guide patenting decisions.
• Work with outside counsel in preparation, filing and prosecution of patent applications.
• Investigate product development status and commercialization plans to develop patent filing strategies
• Support new product development by leading right to use analysis. 
• Analyze and work with IP counsel to respond to Office Actions.
• Investigate patent utilization, commercial offensive and defensive value to help make patent annuity/maintenance fee decisions
• Lead patentability, right to use and state of the art patent analyses
• Lead and/or support third party business development M&A process and licensing opportunities
• Recommend terms and support negotiations for IP purchases and licensing.
• Support IP litigation team with aspects of patent assertions and defenses.

Location

• You must live within 2.5 hours of either Cary, IL or Kalamazoo, MI in order to drive to either location on a semi-regular basis.

About Stryker Our benefits:

• 12 paid holidays annually
• Health benefits include: Medical and prescription drug insurance, dental insurance, vision insurance, critical illness insurance, accident insurance, hospital indemnity insurance, personalized healthcare support, wellbeing program and tobacco cessation program.
• Financial benefits include Health Savings Account (HSA), Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs), 401(k) plan, Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP), basic life and AD&D insurance, and short-term disability insurance.

For a more detailed overview of our benefits or time off, please follow this link to learn more: US Stryker employee benefitsAbout StrykerStryker is a global leader in medical technologies and, together with its customers, is driven to make healthcare better. The company offers innovative products and services in MedSurg, Neurotechnology, Orthopaedics and Spine that help improve patient and healthcare outcomes. Alongside its customers around the world, Stryker impacts more than 130 million patients annually. More information is available at stryker.com.Know someone at Stryker?Be sure to have them submit you as a referral prior to applying for this position. Learn more about our employee referral program on our referral pageStryker is driven to work together with our customers to make healthcare better. Employees and new hires in sales and field roles that require access to customer accounts as a function of the job may be required, depending on customer requirements, to obtain various vaccinations as an essential function of their role.