Country: Ireland
City: Dublin
Req ID: 489997

About CRH

We are CRH, and we are committed to contributing to a more resilient and sustainable built environment. We understand the wider impact our businesses can make in supporting human activity. We continue to do this through the delivery of unique, superior building materials and products for use in road and critical utility infrastructure, commercial building projects and outdoor living solutions.

CRH is the leading provider of building materials solutions that build, connect and improve our world. Employing c.75,800 people at c.3,160 locations in 29 countries, CRH has market leadership positions in both North America and in Europe.

Without you noticing our products, we are everywhere you live, work, and relax.

Our project portfolio includes some of the most sustainable and cutting-edge building projects around the world. Think of the asphalt on the Silverstone Grand Prix Circuit, the Paris Metro Rail project, but also the Louis Vuitton Museum in Paris, parts of the Burj Khalifa, and the Kennedy Space Centre .

Learn more about us through the following Link .

Position Overview
The Intellectual Property Manager’s key mission is to drive the creation of world-class strategies and processes to safeguard CRH’s intellectual assets within the construction sector. This includes, but is not limited to, proprietary materials, formulations, processes, construction methods, designs, brand names, trademarks, and other intangible assets.
The successful candidate will ensure that CRH’s intellectual property rights are protected, maintained, and leveraged appropriately, allowing the company to maintain its competitive edge in the construction industry. The candidate will also work closely with the research and development teams to assess opportunities for new intellectual property, review potential risks (e.g., freedom-to-operate) with assets under development, and coach the development teams on how best position the inventions to better maximize the chances of creating a competitive solution from an IP standpoint.

The position will be located in Dublin, Ireland or in Madrid, Spain.

Key Tasks and Responsibilities
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily:

IP Strategy and Advisory:

Drive the necessary conversations to establish a world-class IP management strategy, aligning with the company's business goal and enhancing its leadership position in the construction sector.
Assess CRH’s current IP operations maturity model and recommend what adjustments should be made to advance the operating model to “world-class” status.
Continuously advise senior management on how to manage internal processes to reduce potential IP risks and to create unique sources of competitive advantages.
As an internal subject matter expert, the IP manager will support the establishment of roles and responsibilities associated with the standard operating procedures (SOPs).
Lead the cross functional teams on the creation of core processes for IP Identification, Documentation, Prosecution, Maintenance, Enforcement, Defense, Cross-border IP management, Due-diligence and Risk Management.

IP Portfolio Management:

Work with the necessary internal and external stakeholders to maintain and manage the company's portfolio of patents, trademarks, copyrights, and trade secrets specifically relevant to construction innovations.
Lead the creation and maintenance of SOPs for filing, docketing, and maintenance of IP assets – create the necessary documentation (forms and templates) to facilitate IP procurement.
Ensure SOPs are in place for collecting invention submissions, filing, tracking decisions, docketing, and maintaining IP assets.
Regularly conduct IP audits to identify new intellectual assets and ensure existing assets are adequately protected.
Collaborate with the R&D teams and other design teams to identify potentially patentable construction methods, materials, and technologies.
Support the innovation delivery process (IDP) by providing landscaping assessment and analysis on a specific field(s) of interest and foresight on IP trends in multiple areas of interest.
Patent Administration: Coordinate with the CRH Legal teams, Operating Companies (OpCos) and external patent attorneys to draft, file, and prosecute patent applications.
Infringement Monitoring and Enforcement: Collaborate with legal teams to monitor potential IP infringements, and coordinate responses to any infringements.

IP Management System:

Support the selection and implementation of a worldwide IP management system for all CRH OpCos.
Interface with the necessary stakeholders to create the expected set of requirements.
Interface with vendors during requests for proposal/quote (RFP/RFQ) and guide the assessment of the different solutions.
Create a set of objective criteria for the available solutions and lead the team to select the most suitable tool.

Trademark Activities:

Work with CRH OpCos and establish the necessary process to oversee the application, registration, and renewal processes of company trademarks, especially those associated with proprietary construction systems or branding.
Monitor the market for potential trademark infringements and coordinate with legal teams for appropriate actions.

Licensing and Agreements:

Support CRH legal teams in drafting, reviewing, and negotiating IP licensing agreements, ensuring that CRH’s construction methods and other proprietary systems are adequately protected in collaborations.
Support IP aspects in contractor, subcontractor, and partner agreements, ensuring IP clauses protect the CRH's interests.

Trade Secret Safeguarding:

Collaborate with project managers to ensure proprietary construction techniques, materials, and processes are kept confidential.
Educate and train employees on the importance of protecting company trade secrets.

Key Characteristics
For this role you should be:

Willing to work independently within in a team environment and assist the team with other duties as required.
Willing to travel occasionally.

Experience / Education
You are/have:

Bachelor’s degree in Law, Engineering, Architecture, or related field.
An advanced degree or certification in Intellectual Property Law is preferred and recommended.
It is recommended a minimum of 5 years of experience in intellectual property management, preferably in the construction or a related industry.
Familiarity with the construction industry's innovations, materials techniques, and market landscape.
Strong analytical, negotiation, communication and process development skills.
Excellent communication skills, written and oral
Proficient in Microsoft Office products (focus on: SharePoint, Teams, Excel and PowerPoint)
Experience working in IP Management Systems (e.g., Anaqua, Clarivate, Equinox, etc)

What CRH Offers You

A culture that values opportunity for growth, development, and internal promotion
Highly competitive salary package
Comprehensive secondary benefits
Significant contribution to your pension plan
Health and wellness programs, including an on-site gym and fitness classes
Excellent opportunities to develop and progress with a global organization

Connect your future to CRH

We are curious to learn more about you. At CRH, we believe our mutual differences contribute to the healthy, productive, and enjoyable workspace we create. Please introduce yourself and send us your application.

Is this role not for you, but do you know someone who would love to join the team? Please let us know!

CRH finds it important that vacancies are shared to individuals that may find them interesting and/or could be suitable for the role

Please contact our recruitment team at careers@crh.com.

CRH is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to creating an inclusive work environment for all employees and actively encourage applications from all sectors of the community.

Benefits/perks listed above may vary depending on the nature of the employment with CRH and the country where you work.

Please note that we cannot accept any applications submitted through email for GDPR purposes. Candidates must apply through our job portal.

We do not accept candidate introductions for this position from recruitment agencies, unless you have been instructed to do so by our recruitment team.

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