Intellectual Property Attorney - UKIFS Ltd.
* Full-time
* Salary: £66,436 + excellent benefits including outstanding pension
* Division: UKIFS - Commercial
* Site Location: West Burton or Culham
* Confirmed Grade: Level 6*
* Department: UKIFS - Commercial and Supply Chain
The UK Government has established UK Industrial Fusion Solutions (UKIFS) Ltd., a subsidiary of UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA), to lead the charge in delivering fusion energy through design and delivery of the Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production (STEP) prototype fusion plant. UKIFS is establishing itself, setting up the company, attracting talent, engaging with industry, developing a supply chain, and planning and constructing of the STEP prototype.
Fusion energy, crucial for combating climate change and ensuring energy independence, is expected to be commercially viable by mid-century. The UK, led by UKIFS, aims for a prototype fusion plant, targeting first operations around 2040. UK Industrial Fusion Solutions Ltd. will lead delivery, collaborating with industrial partners and building a fusion supply chain with an estimated global sector value of £7tn per year. Join UKIFS and the STEP programme to be involved in this ground-breaking journey.
As an employee of UKIFS, you will benefit from:
* Outstandingdefined benefit pension scheme,details of which can be found at the end of this advert.
* Corporatebonus schemeup to 7%and aRelocationallowance (if eligible).
* Flexible working optionsincluding family friendly policies and the right to request flexible working from the start of your employment.
* Employee Assistance Programmeand trained Mental Health First Aiders,
* Generous annual leaveallowance starting with 25 days, plus 3 days Christmas closure and 2.5 privilege days, in addition to UK bank holidays
The salary for this role is£66,436, and ourhybrid working policy/onsite working is expected for3 days each week. We actively support requests for flexible working.
Employees of UKIFS can be based at any of our following sites: Culham, Oxfordshire, Rotherham, Yorkshire, or West Burton, Nottinghamshire.
This role requires employees to complete an online Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS), including The Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS) checks for criminal convictions and possibly a search of open source data.
STEP is a bold and ambitious programme, developing pioneering new technologies to achieve its goals. We generate considerable intellectual property, which we will use to inspire and enable the fusion industry, strengthening the UK’s leadership in this field.
As the programme progresses and our whole plant partners come on board, you will have responsibility for leading on a range of intellectual property matters generated by one of the STEP technology streams.
The role involves identifying, protecting, and managing IP generated by the STEP technology stream, performing landscape and risk analysis, and advising the technology and engineering teams on all aspects of intellectual property.
Key Accountabilities
Client Counselling
* Advise technologists and engineers on IP matters.
* Ensure that IP decisions are made in alignment with the IP strategy, always leading to the best outcomes for the programme.
* Develop collaborative relationships with technical and engineering teams.
* Act as the go-to person for the specific technology stream.
Identifying & Protecting Innovation
* Engage with project teams to support the identification of potentially protectable intellectual property.
* Advise on protection options aligned with the IP strategy.
* Support the capture of intellectual property and records in the IP register.
* Determine patentability of protectable inventions.
* Draft and prosecute patent applications and/or engage with external counsel to support the drafting and prosecution of patent applications.
* Identify suitable IP commercialization opportunities and engage the innovation technology transfer team to enable and drive the commercialization of the IP assets.
* Produce IP register reports documenting and communicating IP portfolio growth, value, and commercialization opportunities.
Landscape & Risk Analysis and Management
* Perform landscape and freedom-to-operate searching or engage with external expert search services.
* Review and assess landscape search results, prioritizing and mapping relevance, then communicate the results to the technology workstream.
* Identify intellectual property risks, analyze potential impacts on the programme, and generate a freedom-to-operate opinion with external counsel support where necessary.
* Communicate potential IP risks and management strategies with stakeholders.
* Develop an annual IP portfolio management process, set and agree KPIs with stakeholders, and define and control an annual technology stream IP budget.
* Manage the IP portfolio in line with the IP and technology transfer strategy, always aiming for the best programme outcomes.
IP Training
* Prepare and deliver IP training materials suitable for different levels of experience within the technology workstream.
* Respond to additional IP training requests as necessary.
* Manage the IP training register.
The above is not an exhaustive list; other reasonable tasks or duties may be assigned.
* Patent Attorney UK and/or European qualified with PQE.
* Proven experience advising clients (technologists and engineers) and managing IP matters.
* Experience in invention identification, prior art review, and assessment.
* Extensive patent drafting and prosecution experience.
* Experience managing an IP portfolio aligned with strategy, generating breadth, and controlling costs; producing concise, informative reports.
* Experience working as an IP expert in a matrix and project-based environment, managing multiple projects simultaneously.
* Ability to build, collaborate, and maintain effective stakeholder relationships across technical and executive levels.
* Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and strategic thinking skills.
* Effective written and verbal communication skills, with attention to detail.
* Strong technical background with a degree in a Scientific or Engineering discipline.
* Experience managing IP in an industry setting.
* Knowledge of IP risk assessment, freedom-to-operate analysis, and opinion generation.
* High-quality prior art, landscape, and freedom-to-operate searching skills.
We welcome applicants from all backgrounds and are committed to diversity and inclusion. We encourage applications from under-represented groups, including women in STEM, ethnic minorities, people with disabilities, and neurodiverse individuals. Our leadership actively promotes inclusion and evaluates recruitment practices to remove barriers to success.
Please note: Vacancies are typically advertised for 4 weeks but may close earlier if we receive many applications. For international applicants or those who have recently spent time outside the UK, please review the criminal records check information at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/criminal-records-checks-for-overseas-applicants. If your country is not listed or the UK has no information on obtaining a criminal records check from your country, we cannot process your application.
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