Intellectual Property Paralegal

RELOCATION ASSISTANCE: No relocation assistance available

CLEARANCE REQUIRED FOR START: No

CLEARANCE TYPE: None

TRAVEL: Yes, 10% of the Time

Description

At Northrop Grumman, our employees have incredible opportunities to work on revolutionary systems that impact people's lives around the world today, and for generations to come. Our pioneering and inventive spirit has enabled us to be at the forefront of many technological advancements in our nation's history - from the first flight across the Atlantic Ocean, to stealth bombers, to landing on the moon. We look for people who have bold new ideas, courage and a pioneering spirit to join forces to invent the future, and have fun along the way. Our culture thrives on intellectual curiosity, cognitive diversity and bringing your whole self to work — and we have an insatiable drive to do what others think is impossible. Our employees are not only part of history, they're making history.

Northrop Grumman is seeking an Intellectual Property Paralegal to join the Intellectual Property,  Technology, & Information team within its Law Department, working from the company’s Northern Virginia location. The paralegal will report to the Director and Corporate Counsel for Intellectual Property (IP) and Information Governance,  support the corporate licensing practice, and serve as a key partner for the administration, upgrade, and migration of the department’s electronic IP management tools.  They also will work as a critical part of a team assisting IP legal counsels and collaborating with other IP paralegals on core IP activities, including capture, review, and docketing, outside counsel management, budget and invoice review and processing, metrics, reporting, and general administrative support.

The paralegal’s responsibilities may include, among other things: 

• Supporting IP Counsels on IP docketing, management, licensing and transactional matters

• Serving as a primary point of contact for IP and portfolio management tools (e.g., IP registration, docketing, licensing, and reporting), including handling support requests with vendors.

• Managing maintenance fee/annuities in collaboration with other company IP paralegals and sector business partners

• Assisting IP counsel with managing outside counsel handled patent/trademark filings

• Supporting IP counsel on transactional matters, including IP licensing administration and management

• Administering internal IP related databases and using them to generate, schedule, and automate reports for metrics, budgets, and dashboards

• Collaborating with sector business partners and other IP paralegals to provide requested information regarding matters in IP portfolio

• Working on trademark renewals and use declarations, specimen collection

• Performing preliminary trademark searches using US, EP, and Int’l databases

• Collaborating with and providing general support for patent and trademark activities to assigned IP counsel

• Setting up matters in IP management software and billing systems

• Reviewing and confirming outside counsel invoices

• Supporting recurring metrics and reporting

• Collaborating with other company IP paralegals and IP portfolio management practice leader (attorney) in IP asset management, enterprise portfolio operations and related strategic initiatives

• Developing and maintaining standard operating procedures and training materials for users of electronic IP management tools

• Perform administrative duties (up to 20% of time) to support attorneys and facilitate department operations, including managing correspondence and calendars, scheduling travel and meetings, coordinating logistics and other arrangements, preparing and submitting expense reports, maintaining files and records, and handling routine client and vendor communications

To succeed in the role, a candidate must:

• Proactively identify and solve problems independently

• Manage competing priorities to complete work reliably in a fast-paced environment

• Demonstrate excellent communication, collaboration, and interpersonal skills

• Work comfortably with technology

• Consistently show strong organizaional skills and attention to detail

• This position may be filled at a higher level based on the requirements below.

Basic Qualifications:

• High school diploma and at least 4 years of relevant experience (law firm or corporate legal department)

• Expertise in Microsoft Office software (Word, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Excel), SharePoint (or equivalent), and document review platforms

• Experience using complex electronic databases, such as budget analysis and billing systems (e.g., Serengeti Legal Tracker or equivalent)

• Strong written and oral communication skills, with the ability to express complex ideas clearly to various audiences across a large organization and with government agencies

• Ability to execute tasks and projects independently

• Demonstrated ability to build and foster effective, collaborative relationships with others

• US citizenship

Preferred Qualifications:

• Familiarity with IP docketing policies and procedures, IP management software, and IP licensing practices

• Exposure to database administration, including data migration and upgrade activities

• Exposure to working on a project management team, including project planning, scheduling and execution

• Familiarity with USPTO procedures

• Bachelor’s Degree

• At least 4 years of experience (law firm or corporate legal department) specializing in intellectual property

Primary Level Salary Range: $72,600.00 - $121,000.00

The above salary range represents a general guideline; however, Northrop Grumman considers a number of factors when determining base salary offers such as the scope and responsibilities of the position and the candidate's experience, education, skills and current market conditions.

Depending on the position, employees may be eligible for overtime, shift differential, and a discretionary bonus in addition to base pay. Annual bonuses are designed to reward individual contributions as well as allow employees to share in company results. Employees in Vice President or Director positions may be eligible for Long Term Incentives. In addition, Northrop Grumman provides a variety of benefits including health insurance coverage, life and disability insurance, savings plan, Company paid holidays and paid time off (PTO) for vacation and/or personal business.

The application period for the job is estimated to be 20 days from the job posting date. However, this timeline may be shortened or extended depending on business needs and the availability of qualified candidates.

Northrop Grumman is an Equal Opportunity Employer, making decisions without regard to race, color, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, national origin, age, veteran status, disability, or any other protected class. For our complete EEO and pay transparency statement, please visit http://www.northropgrumman.com/EEO. U.S. Citizenship is required for all positions with a government clearance and certain other restricted positions.