Patent Counsel

Overview

The Company

NEXTCHEM is the Maire company’s business unit dedicated to Sustainable Technology Solutions. We offer innovative solutions and processes to enable the energy transition and decarbonization. Our goal is to build a sustainable future and leave a positive impact on the planet. We seek individuals with ambitions equal to ours to transform our shared vision into reality.

The Challenge

Maire Group is expanding its IP capabilities for NEXTCHEM, responsible for protecting NEXTCHEM’s innovations by creating registered IP such as patents. The NEXTCHEM IP team will operate in close cooperation with the IP Department of Stamicarbon, the licensor of nitrogen-related fertilizer technologies, within Stamicarbon’s Innovation Center. The new resources will be based in Italy.

We are looking for a Patent Counsel.

You are part of the internal IP team of NEXTCHEM and closely cooperate with Stamicarbon’s IP department. You will interact with internal and external clients to answer IP questions. Your main tasks include harvesting and protecting new inventions, and, in cooperation with outside counsel, drafting, filing and prosecuting patent applications up to grant. You will contribute to formulating the IP strategy, particularly the patent strategy for new projects, and provide freedom-to-operate opinions on new technologies before market introduction. You may also conduct various IP searches (novelty, freedom-to-operate, invalidity, opposition) using patent and non-patent databases.

Responsibilities

• Advise colleagues regarding patent or general IP legal issues.
• Create awareness of the importance of IP in the organization.
• Invention harvesting: assist Research & Technology colleagues in identifying potentially patentable inventions.
• Study the technology to understand the invention.
• Patentability search: define the scope of search based on the invention as communicated by inventors.
• Prepare draft claims and outlines for outside counsel based on the invention and prior art.
• Assist inventors and Innovation Departments with the patent process; help prepare invention disclosures and discuss concepts with inventors to determine patentability.
• Interact with inventors/outside counsel to review and finalize draft patent applications.
• During prosecution, work with inventors, the business, and outside counsel to ensure robust protection.
• Coordinate and assist outside counsel in oppositions and litigation.
• Support freedom-to-operate searches and provide FTO opinions and guidance to internal clients.

The Candidate

• You are a qualified European or US Patent attorney.
• You have a Technical Master Degree in science or engineering (Chemical Engineering preferred).
• You are proactive and team-oriented.
• You have a thorough technical background with strong analytical skills and attention to detail.
• Knowledge or experience with one or more of NEXTCHEM’s technologies (e.g., nitrogen fertilizer technology, hydrogen production technology, carbon capture and utilization, polymer technology, chemical and mechanical recycling of waste materials).
• Understanding of patent IP administrative processes, including national, international, and regional filings and European grant procedures.
• Excellent communication skills and fluency in English.

The Reward

NEXTCHEM offers a rewarding and challenging job with opportunities for personal input. The organization is internationally focused, with room to learn and develop in a true business environment. There is an open and pleasant atmosphere with opportunities for discussion with highly committed professionals.

Our people are the drivers of transformation. We prioritize protecting health and safety, promoting professional growth, recognizing merit, and guaranteeing equal opportunities.

We :

• Continuously invest in the development and growth of our people as our main asset and to achieve our results.
• Challenge our path to market leadership with open-mindedness.
• Ensure that every employee feels valued for their personal qualities and skills, with terms and conditions of employment and fringe benefits above market standards.