Intellectual Property Associate Counsel

Qualifications

To succeed in this position, an individual must be able to perform each job duty satisfactorily and productively.  The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skills, and/or abilities required.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to address gaps in experience for an otherwise qualified candidate who is willing to learn.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential duties. 

In addition to the PolyOne Competencies required for all jobs, the following qualifications are required for this job:

Required Education & Special Qualifications:

• Juris Doctor degree from ABA accredited Law School
• Bachelor and/or advanced degree(s) in Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Materials Science, Polymer Science, or similar fields
• Licensed to practice law in the State of Ohio (or another state and qualified for corporate counsel registration in Ohio)
• Registered to practice before the United States Patent and Trademark Office

Required Length & Type of Experience:

• 5+ years of intellectual property legal experience, including a balance of patent preparation and prosecution for chemical technologies, IP-related agreements and transactions, and IP-related counseling and opinions
• Demonstrated knowledge of or familiarity with all aspects of intellectual property law with a focus in and substantial experience with patents, trade secrets, and confidential information; at least some experience with trademarks is preferred
• Demonstrated knowledge of and experience with the Patent Cooperation Treaty and familiarity with patent practice and procedure in Europe (EPO) and China (SIPO)
• Experience with polymer technologies is preferred   
• Experience with a global, publicly-traded organization is preferred

Required Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:

• Strong legal, business, and technical acumen
• Detail-oriented, motivated, confident, and approachable
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, including the ability to interface and communicate effectively at all levels of the organization
• Excellent business judgment, problem solving, negotiation, follow-through, and time management (including docket management) skills
• Excellent analytical skills, including an ability to review technical information and data to identify patentable subject matter
• Exceptional document drafting skills (candidate should be prepared upon request to provide a writing sample including at least one published patent application and at least one publicly available office action response that were principally authored by the candidate) 
• Ability to provide timely and pragmatic legal advice that guides the business to successful outcomes
• Ability to quickly learn and comprehend complex technical subject matter
• Ability to function autonomously while possessing sufficient judgment to understand when to seek assistance from or provide updates to management and/or stakeholders
• Ability to function in a fast-paced environment and operate efficiently and effectively to manage time pressures and meet deadlines
• Ability to take on progressively greater responsibilities
• Awareness of cultural differences between the United States and other countries; familiarity with a language other than English is a plus

Competencies

• Each position at PolyOne focuses on 12 competencies in the areas of Personal and Strategic Skills as well Thought Rigor and demonstrating an Action Bias. Each position ties to specific competencies and levels of proficiency which help individuals excel at their current role as well as chart their growth path with the company through our Career Planning process.

Scope

This position is global in scope.

Physical/Environmental Demands

The characteristics listed below are representative of the physical and environmental demands required by an individual to successfully perform the essential duties of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential duties.

• Requires standing and sitting for prolonged periods of time, talking, listening, and thinking
• Typical work is in an office environment where the noise level is low to moderate

Equal Opportunity Employer

We offer a competitive salary, incentive and benefit plan to eligible employees. Benefits include medical, dental, vision, life insurance, disability, spending accounts, and 401(k).

PolyOne Corporation is a drug free workplace.  PolyOne is an equal opportunity employer. We maintain a policy of non-discrimination in providing equal employment to all qualified employees and candidates regardless of race, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, color, religion, national origin, disability, genetic information, protected veteran’s status, or other legally protected classification in accordance with applicable state and local law. *LI-BS1