Work Flexibility: Hybrid or Onsite

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.

Travel Percentage: 10%

Stryker Corporation is an equal opportunity employer. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, ethnicity, color, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, or protected veteran status. Stryker is an EO employer – M/F/Veteran/Disability.

Stryker Corporation will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor’s legal duty to furnish information.