Intellectual Property Manager

Job Description

RESEARCH AND INNOVATION DEPARTMENT

Applications are invited from suitably qualified and experienced candidates to fill in the above mentioned position.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Creating and maintaining a database of University staff and students innovations.
• Planning, organising, evaluating and valuating of the University intellectual property portfolio.
• Serving as the first point-of-contact and source of information on the University Intellectual Property portfolio, technology transfer and related matters for all external and internal stakeholders and partners.
• Serving on and providing administrative and professional support to the Intellectual Property Technical Committee to implement the mandate of the Technology Transfer Office in accordance with University Intellectual Property Policy and Strategies.
• Working with the University Business Incubator, the Innovation Hub and related units to facilitate spin-off activities from various departments in the University.
• Planning and implementing training of students and staff on intellectual property, commercialisation of research outputs and related matters.
• Advising the Department on the review and update of the University intellectual property policies, strategies and procedures.
• Evaluating inventions from University research and innovation.
• Ensuring due diligence in technology development including conducting a trade-off analysis to provide the best opportunity for the technology to get developed into a viable product.
• Advising and assisting clients with registration of clients’ intellectual property, anti-counterfeiting strategies, and negotiating intellectual property disputes.
• Preparing and filing trademark and patent applications and reporting the filing particulars, publication progress and registration progress.
• Taking all necessary steps to obtain, maintain, and defend clients’ Intellectual Property rights, including timely submission of all documents to relevant authorities, responding to authorities’ requests for information or clarification, filing necessary recordals or renewals, following up regularly on the status of client matters, and monitoring the activities of third parties who may impinge on clients’ rights.

Qualifications and Experience

• Masters’ Degree in Science, Law, Management, Social Sciences or related field.
• A PhD in Intellectual Property and/or related discipline will be an added advantage.
• At least three (3) years working experience in intellectual property and technology transfer; and
• Demonstrated ability to facilitate industrialisation of research and innovation products.

Skills/Competences: