Associate Director, Patent Operations
$225k - $280kBuchanan Legal Professional Services
Director, Patent Operations
A prestigious, innovation-driven global law firm is seeking a Director, Patent Operations to lead the strategic and operational vision for its high-performing Patent Practice Group. This is a senior leadership role responsible for driving operational excellence, scaling global workflows, and partnering with firm leadership to shape the long-term infrastructure of a world-class IP practice. This role will be hybrid and can sit in Boston, DC, NYC, San Francisco, Palo Alto, Santa Monica, or Seattle.
Base pay range
$225,000 - $280,000 per year.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead and execute the operational strategy for the Patent Practice Group across all U.S. offices.
- Drive multi-year planning, workflow optimization, and scalable process design (including Patricia and 3rd-party tools).
- Oversee all patent operations teams—docketing, international filings, and legal support (13 total direct reports).
- Establish and enforce firmwide operational standards, metrics, and best practices.
- Lead major change initiatives involving technology implementation, restructuring, and process redesign.
- Partner with Finance, IT, HR, Risk, and IP leadership to ensure seamless operational integration.
- Manage patent technology platforms and key vendor relationships.
- Deliver executive-level reporting using KPIs and operational data to inform strategy and performance.
- Serve as a thought leader on industry trends, emerging technologies, and best practices.
Qualifications
- 10+ years in patent prosecution operations, with 5-7+ years in senior leadership.
- Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree or certifications (MBA, PMP, Lean Six Sigma) preferred.
- Deep expertise in U.S. and foreign patent processes, prosecution workflows, and docketing systems.
- Proven experience scaling and transforming operations for large, global IP teams.
- Strong leadership skills with success managing managers and multi-office teams.
- Exceptional communication, analytical, and stakeholder management capabilities.
Seniority Level
Director
Employment Type
Full-time
Job Function
Legal and Management
Industries
Law Practice and Legal Services
#J-18808-LjbffrVacancy posted 4 days ago
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