Patent Attorney

Winchester Search; City of Melbourne; Hybrid; AUD 73,000 - 137,000; Full time

Job summary

The company seeks a registered patent attorney to join its in-house IP team in Auckland, working alongside engineers, scientists and commercial stakeholders to maximise the value of a substantial international patent portfolio.

You will identify inventions early, shape IP strategy, and coordinate external counsel across key jurisdictions, with a focus on long-term portfolio development and strategic IP decisions.

Qualifications

• Registered or registration-eligible patent attorney in UK, Europe or Trans-Tasman system.
• Degree in mechanical engineering or related discipline (medical devices, mechatronics, physics, software-enabled hardware).
• Comfortable with engineering-intensive subject matter.
• Strong commercial judgement and ability to communicate with engineers and business stakeholders.
• Willingness to build a long-term career in New Zealand.
• Open to varying experience levels from recent to senior attorneys.

Responsibilities

• Manage and develop a significant multi-jurisdictional patent portfolio.
• Work with engineers and R&D teams to identify inventions and IP strategy.
• Provide clear, commercially grounded advice on patentability, freedom-to-operate and IP risk.
• Instruct and coordinate external patent counsel across key jurisdictions.
• Contribute to broader IP strategy, product development and commercial decision-making.
• Identify commercially valuable inventions and how to protect them.

Skills

Registered patent attorney

Mechanical engineering

Medical devices

Mechatronics

Physics

Software-enabled hardware

Commercial judgement

Autonomy

Stakeholder communication

Education

Mechanical engineering degree

Tools

External patent counsel coordination

Job description

Shape the IP strategy of a world-leading medical technology business from inside the organisation.

An established New Zealand technology company with a substantial international presence is seeking a patent attorney to join its in-house IP team at its impressive Auckland technology and manufacturing facility.

The company has a strong track record of innovation and significant investment in research and development, with its products used internationally across the healthcare sector.

This role will suit a registered patent attorney with a technical background in mechanical engineering or related technologies, including medical devices, mechatronics, physics or software-enabled hardware systems.

You are likely to be a registered Trans-Tasman patent attorney, although attorneys registered, or eligible for registration, in jurisdictions including the UK, Europe, Singapore and South Africa are strongly encouraged to apply.

The opportunity

You will join an experienced team of in-house patent attorneys and work closely with engineers, scientists and commercial stakeholders to protect, develop and maximise the value of the company's substantial international patent portfolio.

Reporting to senior IP Managers, you will:

• Manage and develop a significant multi-jurisdictional patent portfolio.

• Work alongside engineers and R&D teams to identify inventions and develop IP strategy.

• Provide clear, commercially grounded advice on patentability, freedom-to-operate and IP risk.

• Instruct and coordinate external patent counsel across key jurisdictions.

• Contribute to broader IP strategy, product development and commercial decision-making.

• Help identify commercially valuable inventions and determine how best to protect and develop them.

This is not simply a drafting and prosecution role. Instead, you will become embedded within the business and work with inventors from the earliest stages of innovation. You will have the opportunity to influence patent strategy, understand the commercial context behind new products and contribute to decisions that shape the company's long-term IP position.

For attorneys considering a move in-house, the role offers the opportunity to focus on long-term portfolio development, close collaboration with inventors and strategic IP decision-making, rather than the commercial demands that naturally accompany private practice.

About you

You will:

• Be a registered, or registration-eligible, patent attorney in the UK, Europe or Trans-Tasman system.

• Hold a degree in mechanical engineering or a related discipline, such as medical devices, mechatronics, physics or software-enabled hardware systems.

• Be confident working with engineering-intensive subject matter.

• Exercise sound commercial judgement and communicate confidently with engineers, scientists and business stakeholders.

• Be comfortable working with a high degree of autonomy while contributing to a close-knit and experienced IP team.

• Have a genuine interest in building a long-term career in New Zealand.

Applications are welcomed from a broad range of experience levels, from recently qualified patent attorneys through to experienced senior attorneys.

Working environment and flexibility

This is a full-time, Auckland-based role, with four days each week working at the company's impressive Auckland facility and one day working from home.

The organisation offers considerable flexibility around how you work, including flexible working hours. If you prefer to start early and finish early, for example, there is scope to structure your working day accordingly.

There are also opportunities for additional time away from work, including flexibility around extended leave and travel, together with a coaching culture and a genuine commitment to the professional development and long-term career progression of its IP professionals.