Senior Patent Counsel

Hello. We're Haleon. A new world-leading consumer health company. Shaped by all who join us. Together, we're improving everyday health for billions of people. By growing and innovating our global portfolio of category-leading brands - including Sensodyne, Advil, Voltaren, Theraflu, and Centrum - through a unique combination of deep human understanding and trusted science. What's more, we're achieving it in a company that we're in control of. In an environment that we're co-creating. And a culture that's uniquely ours. Care to join us. It isn't a question.

We are looking for an experienced and proactive Senior Patent Counsel to join our Intellectual Property (IP) team, and to be based in Richmond, Virginia. The Senior Patent Counsel will report to the Head of Patents (based in London) and will primarily provide patent and related IP support to Haleon stakeholders.

Role Responsibilities

In addition to providing global patent and related counselling and advice to the R&D scientists, legal, business, and commercial teams, the Senior Patent Counsel will be:

• Responsible for IP matters relating to invention harvesting, protection of inventions, patent drafting, prosecution and enforcement, freedom-to-operate and competitive landscape analyses, patent validity, infringement matters, IP risk management, and post grant proceedings at the US patent office for a set of global brands.
• Providing the global patent team and Haleon business with specialist US IP knowledge and support.
• Supporting complex patent and patent related projects
• Handling IP related aspects of contractual agreements with external partners.
• Handling brand or trademark issues relating to US R&D projects.
• Supporting IP due diligence projects i.e., M&A, and litigation.
• Face to face with R&D teams in Haleon's largest R&D technical centre providing technical support and advice to maximise the commercial value of Haleon's developments.

Who You'll Work With
As a Senior Patent Counsel at Haleon, you will join a team who reports to the Head of IP. Your role involves close interaction with other IP group professionals located around the globe, including brand rights attorneys and patent and IP operations staff. You will also be in close contact with R&D scientists, legal experts, and other business stakeholders. Additionally, you'll build strong relationships with external partners. Haleon is a global business, and you will be expected to interact with colleagues all over the world.

What You'll Do

• Invention harvesting within Haleon's global R&D teams, primarily in Richmond, Virginia.
• Prepare and file registered designs to protect the visual appearance of Haleon's products.
• Manage all aspects of a given global IP portfolio, including conducting utility patent drafting and prosecution work, and providing IP advisory service to the R&D and business units.
• Support, devise and implement IP strategy for new products on a global level.
• Set up creative IP strategies to protect Haleon assets.
• Establish, negotiate and provide counselling on all IP aspects for a wide variety of transactional matters: R&D agreements, licensing agreements, business acquisitions and divestments, confidentiality agreements, etc.
• Provide patent validity, and infringement advice to R&D and the relevant business units.
• Support and promote IP awareness within Haleon's global R&D community and business teams.
• Manage relationships and work extensively with external counsel - where required.
• Participate in a variety of departmental activities, including meetings, aimed at key information-sharing, general case law awareness and discussion of departmental practices and policies.

Why you?

Basic Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Science or related course of study.
• Fully qualified US patent attorney able to practice before USPTO.
• Minimum of 5 years' experience working as an attorney within an in-house IP department or a reputable private practice firm supporting Consumer Healthcare, Food & Beverage, Chemistry, FMCG and/or life science clients.
• Capable of working independently without direct local attorney support.
• Understanding and experience with trademarks and wider IP rights, beyond patents
• Strong commercial understanding and business acumen required.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience of previous in-house is a plus.
• Leadership and ability to influence and collaborate cross-functionally to co-create and deliver shared goals.
• Excellent oral and written communications skills, stakeholder management and enjoys working in multidisciplinary teams.

Location: This role is hybrid based in Richmond, VA

Please save a copy of the job description, as this may be helpful to refer to once the advert closes.

Haleon offers a robust Total Reward package that consists of competitive pay and a comprehensive benefits program. This includes a generous 401(k) plan, tuition reimbursement and time off programs including 6 months paid parental leave. On day one, you are eligible for benefits, including our healthcare programs where the company pays for the majority of your medical coverage for you and your family. We also offer the opportunity to receive a discretionary bonus based on the achievement of key business performance and other incentive/recognition programs as part of the offering. The salary range for this role is: $149,269.60 to $199,717 plus an 18% bonus.

#Li-Hybrid

Care to join us. Find out what life at Haleon is really like www.haleon.com/careers/

At Haleon we embrace our diverse workforce by creating an inclusive environment that celebrates our unique perspectives, generates curiosity to create unmatched understanding of each other, and promotes fair and equitable outcomes for everyone. We're striving to create a climate where we celebrate our diversity in all forms by treating each other with respect, listening to different viewpoints, supporting our communities, and creating a workplace where your authentic self belongs and thrives. We believe in an agile working culture for all our roles. If flexibility is important to you, we encourage you to explore with our hiring team what the opportunities are.

As you apply, we will ask you to share some personal information, which is entirely voluntary. We want to have an opportunity to consider a diverse pool of qualified candidates and this information will assist us in meeting that objective and in understanding how well we are doing against our inclusion and diversity ambitions. We would really appreciate it if you could take a few moments to complete it. Rest assured, Hiring Managers do not have access to this information and we will treat your information confidentially.

Haleon is an Equal Opportunity Employer and, in the US, we adhere to Affirmative Action principles. This ensures that all qualified applicants will receive equal consideration for employment without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, pregnancy, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, age, disability, genetic information, military service, covered/protected veteran status or any other federal, state or local protected class.

Please note that if you are a US Licensed Healthcare Professional or Healthcare Professional as defined by the laws of the state issuing your license, Haleon may be required to capture and report expenses Haleon incurs, on your behalf, in the event you are afforded an interview for employment. This capture of applicable transfers of value is necessary to ensure Haleon's compliance to all federal and state US Transparency requirements.

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