IP Strategist

NUS Enterprise; Singapore; On-site; SGD 90,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

NUSX, based in Singapore, is seeking an IP Strategist to protect innovations and align IP strategy with commercialization goals. You will work with inventors, commercialization teams, and external counsel to shape protection pathways and portfolio investments.

The role requires deep IP expertise, commercial awareness, and sound judgment to navigate legal, technical, and market considerations in a fast-evolving deep-technology ecosystem.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of experience in IP strategy, patent law, patent portfolio management, technology transfer, or related field.
• Demonstrated experience developing IP strategies that support technology commercialization.
• Strong understanding of patent systems, know-how protection, prosecution strategy, portfolio management, and IP value creation.
• Experience evaluating invention disclosures and developing protection strategies.
• Experience working with patent agents, patent attorneys, inventors, researchers, founders, and commercialization professionals.
• Strong communication skills and the ability to explain IP concepts to both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Sound judgment balancing legal, technical, commercial, and strategic considerations when making recommendations.
• Experience supporting innovations in biotechnology, healthcare, computing, AI, semiconductors, advanced manufacturing, materials, or other deep-technology sectors.

Responsibilities

• Develop IP strategies that protect inventions and support licensing, venture creation, and partnerships.
• Translate strategy into actionable direction for external counsel and review patent drafts with strategic perspective.
• Monitor portfolio performance and refine strategies to align with commercialization objectives.
• Build IP fluency by developing workshops and scalable resources for researchers to address IP considerations.

Skills

IP strategy

Patent systems

Portfolio management

Communication skills

Strategic judgment

Cross-functional collaboration

Job description

About Us

NUSX is where NUS talent, research and ideas meet the people, pathways and resources that can take them further. That includes founder development, research translation, venture creation, industry partnerships and access to capital and global networks. The parts of NUSX do different things, but we share a common ambition: help more NUS talent, research and ideas find a path to use and scale. NUSX was known as NUS Enterprise until September 2026.

Through thoughtful stewardship of its intellectual property (IP) portfolio, NUS seeks to transform research excellence into real-world impact through licensing, venture creation, industry partnerships, and other innovation pathways.

As our innovation ecosystem continues to grow in scale and ambition, we are building a world-class IP Strategy team that combines IP expertise, commercial judgment, and practical execution to help bring NUS innovations to market.

The Role

We're seeking an IP Strategist to help ensure NUS innovations are protected in ways that support their intended path to impact.

Working closely with inventors, commercialisation colleagues, and external IP counsel, you'll develop protection strategies, provide portfolio recommendations, and help ensure IP supports intended commercialisation objectives.

Success in this role requires deep IP expertise, commercial awareness, sound judgment, and the ability to make high-quality decisions under uncertainty.

What You’ll Do

Develop IP Strategies

• Evaluate invention disclosures and commercialisation objectives to determine appropriate protection pathways.
• Develop IP strategies that support licensing, venture creation, industry partnerships, and other impact-enabling pathways.
• Recommend appropriate protection approaches, including patents, know-how, trade secrets, publication, and other mechanisms.
• Assess opportunities and develop recommendations regarding IP investment, protection approaches, and portfolio support.

Translate Strategy into Execution

• Translate commercialisation priorities into actionable direction for external counsel.
• Review patent application drafts, prosecution strategies, and portfolio recommendations from a strategic and commercial perspective.
• Ensure external IP resources are deployed effectively and aligned with portfolio objectives.

Steward Portfolio Quality

• Monitor portfolio performance and ensure protection strategies remain aligned with commercialisation objectives.
• Conduct portfolio reviews and develop recommendations relating to filing, maintenance, abandonment, jurisdictional coverage, and portfolio investment decisions.
• Continuously refine IP strategies to improve portfolio quality and alignment with commercial objectives.

Build IP Fluency

• Develop and deliver workshops, office hours, educational content, and practical tools that strengthen IP awareness and capability across the research community.
• Develop scalable resources and self-service tools that enable researchers to address common IP considerations independently.

Please be informed that only shortlisted candidates will be notified.

What You Bring

• 8+ years of experience in IP strategy, patent law, patent portfolio management,technology transfer, research commercialisation, or a related field.
• Demonstrated experience developing IP strategies that support technology commercialisation.
• Strong understanding of patent systems, know-how protection, prosecution strategy, portfolio management, and IP value creation.
• Experience evaluating invention disclosures and developing protection strategies.
• Experience working with patent agents, patent attorneys, inventors, researchers,founders, and commercialisation professionals.
• Strong communication skills and the ability to explain IP concepts to both technicaland non-technical audiences.
• Sound judgment and the ability to balance legal, technical, commercial, and strategicconsiderations when making recommendations.
• Experience supporting innovations in biotechnology, healthcare, computing, AI,semiconductors, advanced manufacturing, materials, or other deep-technologysectors.

Bonus Points For

• Experience working within a university technology transfer office, research institution, or public-sector innovation environment.
• Qualification as a patent attorney, patent agent, or equivalent IP professional.
• Experience supporting founder-led commercialisation activities.
• Experience developing IP strategies across multiple technology sectors or working at the intersection of traditionally distinct disciplines.

Why Join NUSX

This is a rare chance to shape the future of innovation in Asia — from Singapore, with global reach. You’ll sit at the intersection of technology, entrepreneurship, and capital, with the freedom to take big swings and the platform to land them.