PATENT ENGINEER POSITION AT BD
GRENOBLE, FRANCE
I. About Becton, Dickinson and Company:
Becton, Dickinson and Company (BD) is a global medical technology company that manufactures and sells medical devices, instrument systems, and reagents.
Headquartered in Franklin Lakes, New Jersey, BD employs 65,000 people in more than 50 countries throughout the world.
BD is divided into three business segments:
- BD Medical specializes in the design, production, and sales of the following products: needles and syringes, intravenous catheters, safety-engineered and auto-disable devices, prefillable drug delivery systems, prefilled IV flush syringes, insulin syringes and pen needles, regional anesthesia needles, and trays;
- BD Life Sciences specializes in the design, production, and sales of the following products: integrated systems for specimen collection, safety-engineered blood collection products and systems, automated blood culturing systems, molecular testing systems for sexually transmitted diseases and HAIs, microorganism identification and drug susceptibility systems, liquid-based cytology systems for cervical cancer screening, rapid diagnostic assays, and plated media; and
- BD Interventional specializes in the design, production, and sales of products that aid in the diagnosis, treatment, repair, and long-term management of medical conditions associated with urology, oncology, and vascular disease, as well as surgical specialty areas.
Pharmaceutical Systems is a BD Medical business unit and specializes in the design, production, and sales of the following products for the pharmaceutical industry: needle technologies, prefillable syringe systems, safety and shielding systems, self-injection systems.
Pharmaceutical Systems is based in Pont-de Claix (near Grenoble).
II. About the Intellectual Property Team:
The IP team is comprised of approximately 20 patent attorneys and patent agents, supported by a team of paralegals and docketing specialists.
Each patent attorney or patent agent is responsible for all IP matters relative to one technology or group of technologies.
The IP team is a multicultural team, distributed in the US, Singapore and France.
The IP team is in charge of:
- Counseling: Provide counseling on intellectual property (IP) matters to each of BD’s business units.
- Project Support: Plan and lead IP activities for projects, including Invention Disclosure Record (IDR) management, implementation of strategic IP protection, conducting freedom to operate (FTO) activity.
- Prosecution: Manage patent application docket, including overseeing application filing and prosecution.
- Technology Landscape: Maintain an overview of relevant IP in technologies and products for the area of activities.
- Competitive IP: Collaborate in the evaluation and assessment of competitive patents, FTOs or new trends.
We are looking for a patent engineer that will be located in Pont-de-Claix (near Grenoble) to support Pharmaceutical Systems.
The successful candidate will report to BD’s Associate General Counsel-IP, located in Franklin Lakes.
The Associate General Counsel-IP leads a team of four patent attorneys and patent agents, two of which are located in the US, and two are located in Pont-de-Claix.
The successful candidate will drive IP strategy relative to Prefillable Syringes to enable and enhance innovation and business strategy, through:
- IP Protection:
- Protect BD’s innovation through identification and protection of patentable inventions;
- Processing of Invention Disclosure Records (IDRs);
- Solicit, review and challenge and process IDRs in collaboration with project leaders;
- Work with outside counsel to file patent applications accordingly, based on known prior art, commercial value, protection effectiveness;
- Work with outside counsel and foreign associate to deal with all aspect of patent prosecution;
- Manage the patent portfolio to retain only the patents of commercial value;
- Competitive IP assessment:
- Conduct FTO analysis and communicate conclusions to project and business leaders;
- Advise project and business leaders upon strategies to avoid infringement;
- Study IP landscape for relevant technology areas for determining protected areas, IP to license or acquire and areas available for unfettered innovation.
- Process Management and Training:
- Ensure appropriate IP processes are implemented and followed for effective and timely protection activity, IP assessments, training, etc.
- Actively teach and develop IP skills within R&D teams and other functions.
- Promote Innovation:
- Create and promote an environment in which innovation through IP can flourish through empowerment, encouragement, and support.
Qualification Required:
- Master’s degree, preferably in general engineering, materials science, physics, mechanical engineering;
- Master’s degree in Intellectual Property Law (CEIPI);
- A minimum 2 years’ experience in IP (gained in house or in a law firm);
- Fluent in French and proficient in English.
- Accountability: Demonstrate strong and clear accountability for the successful and timely completion of IP related matters.
- Action- and results-oriented. Skilled at handling a variety of matters at a time and capable of achieving favourable results as appropriate.
- Excellent interpersonal skills: Can work as part of a team; Demonstrate a strong collaborative mindset and the ability to contribute to an inclusive and supportive team;
- Strong communication skills: Hold and encourage frequent formal and informal communication within the teams and the rest of the organization to ensure dissemination of important information.
- Autonomous. Self-starter individual who can independently execute day-to-day tasks, yet knows when to seek assistance.
- Influence others: Intuitively and quickly assess people and situations and act accordingly. Demonstrate strong persuasion and timing skills. Remain open to be persuaded when appropriate.
- Inclusive work environment: Promote and leverage diversity to achieve best outcomes. Ensure all interested parties have opportunities to influence and contribute to decisions and outcomes.
- Flexibility: Demonstrate agility and action orientation when facing change. Effectively manage change and instil confidence.
To apply, send an E-mail to paul-henri.martin 'arobase' bd.com
