Intellectual Property Manager

About Camco Manufacturing:

Camco Manufacturing, founded in 1966, has evolved from a humble beginning with one employee and a single product to become a powerhouse in the outdoor recreation market. With a rich history spanning over 50 years, Camco has grown exponentially, boasting a workforce of over 1,000 employees, 140+ patents, and an extensive product line exceeding 5,600 offerings. The company's commitment to innovation is evident through its best-in-class, in-house development team, specializing in creating cutting-edge products for the RV, marine, ATV, and other outdoor recreation industries.


Headquartered in Greensboro, North Carolina, Camco operates eight separate manufacturing and warehousing facilities encompassing one million square feet. This extensive infrastructure allows Camco to efficiently meet the diverse needs of its customers, solidifying its position as a leading aftermarket parts and accessories manufacturer in the fast-growing outdoor recreation market. Focused on the RV, Marine, and Camping sectors, Camco's influence in these industries is significant, as it continues to lead the charge with a relentless pursuit of excellence and a commitment to delivering top-notch products and services.

Job Title: Intellectual Property Manager
Department: Product / Legal / Innovation
Reports To: Andrew Angel

Overview:
The Intellectual Property Manager is responsible for developing, implementing, and managing the company's intellectual property (IP) strategy with a focus on protecting and maximizing the value of the organization's products, innovations, and proprietary information. This role serves as the internal subject matter expert on intellectual property and will work closely with product development, engineering, operations, and leadership to ensure proper ownership, protection, and commercialization of the company's IP assets.

The Intellectual Property Manager will oversee IP-related documentation including NDAs, contracts, and licensing agreements, while establishing processes that ensure the organization maintains internal ownership and control of all proprietary technologies, designs, and product innovations.

Key Responsibilities

IP Strategy & Ownership

• Develop and implement a comprehensive intellectual property strategy that ensures internal ownership and protection of the company's innovations and product developments.
• Identify, document, and manage all intellectual property assets including patents, trademarks, trade secrets, product designs, and proprietary processes.
• Work closely with product development, engineering, marketing and operations teams to understand company products and innovations and ensure appropriate IP protections are in place.
• Establish processes and policies to ensure new product developments and innovations are properly evaluated for IP protection.
• Collaborate with leadership to align IP strategy including patents, trademarks, branding and supportive marketing strategies with overall business and product strategy

Contract & Agreement Management

• Review and manage Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs), licensing agreements, and other contracts related to intellectual property and product development.
• Ensure proper protections are in place when working with vendors, partners, contractors, and third parties.
• Identify IP risks within contracts and provide recommendations to leadership.
• Maintain documentation and records of all IP-related agreements and protections.

Product Integration & Collaboration

• Serve as the liaison between product teams, engineering, legal, and leadership regarding intellectual property matters.
• Maintain a deep understanding of the company's products, technologies, and development processes.
• Ensure IP considerations are embedded early in the product development lifecycle.
• Support innovation initiatives while ensuring proper protection of company assets.

Process Development & Compliance

• Build and implement internal processes for identifying, tracking, and protecting intellectual property.
• Educate internal teams on IP awareness, confidentiality obligations, and best practices.
• Ensure compliance with company policies and external legal requirements related to IP protection.

Risk Management

• Identify potential IP risks, conflicts, or infringements and escalate appropriately.
• Work with external legal counsel when necessary on patent filings, disputes, or enforcement.
• In addition to NPD, Innovation, & IP this role will also be responsible for product compliance & liability matters. Taking ownership of this process to align internal stakeholders and liaison external legal & insurance partners.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in business, Engineering, Law, or related field required. Advanced degree or legal background preferred.
• 5+ years of experience working with intellectual property, product development, contracts, or legal/compliance functions.
• Strong understanding of intellectual property concepts including patents, trademarks, trade secrets, and licensing.
• Experience reviewing contracts and NDAs related to product development or technology.
• Ability to translate complex product or technical information into IP protection strategies.
• Strong analytical, organizational, and documentation skills.
• Excellent cross-functional communication and collaboration skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working closely with engineering, manufacturing, or product teams.
• Familiarity with patent filing processes and working with external IP counsel.
• Experience building internal IP management processes or programs.

Compensation and Benefits:

We offer a wide range of career opportunities with excellent benefits. Above all, we are looking for passionate, talented, hard-working, nice people with great taste to help us build this brand we love.

• Competitive salary
• 401k with company match
• Participation in company health (medical, dental) insurance plans. Supplemental insurance offered
• Promote work/life balance including paid time off and paid holidays

Camco is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We consider all qualified applicants for employment without regard to any characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law and are committed to maintaining a workplace free from discrimination and harassment.