Intellectual Property Manager

Search Solution Group; Greensboro (NC); On-site; USD 110,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401k with company match

Health and dental insurance plans

Paid time off

Job summary

Search Solution Group in Greensboro, NC is seeking an Intellectual Property Manager to develop, implement, and manage the company’s IP strategy, protecting products, innovations, and proprietary information.

This role partners with product development, engineering, operations, and leadership to ensure proper IP ownership, licensing, and compliance across the product lifecycle, while overseeing IP-related contracts and documentation.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in business, Engineering, Law, or related field; advanced degree preferred.
• 5+ years of IP, product development, contracts, or legal/compliance experience.
• Strong understanding of patents, trademarks, trade secrets, and licensing.
• Experience reviewing contracts and NDAs related to product development or technology.
• Ability to translate complex product or technical information into IP protection strategies.
• Strong analytical, organizational, and documentation skills.
• Excellent cross-functional communication and collaboration skills.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement a comprehensive IP strategy aligning with product development and business goals.
• Identify and manage IP assets including patents, trademarks, trade secrets, and designs.
• Collaborate with product, engineering, marketing, and operations to protect IP.
• Establish processes to evaluate IP protection in new product developments.
• Serve as liaison between product teams, engineering, legal, and leadership on IP matters.
• Educate teams on IP awareness and best practices.
• Ensure compliance with internal policies and external IP-related requirements.
• Work with external IP counsel on patent filings, disputes, or enforcement.

Skills

IP concepts

Cross-functional collaboration

Contract review

Documentation

Analytical thinking

Education

Bachelor’s degree in business, Engineering, Law, or related field

Advanced degree or legal background preferred

Job description

Overview:

The Intellectual Property Manager is responsible for developing, implementing, and managing the company’s intellectual property (IP) strategy with a focus on protecting and maximizing the value of the organization’s products, innovations, and proprietary information. This role serves as the internal subject matter expert on intellectual property and will work closely with product development, engineering, operations, and leadership to ensure proper ownership, protection, and commercialization of the company’s IP assets.

The Intellectual Property Manager will oversee IP-related documentation including NDAs, contracts, and licensing agreements, while establishing processes that ensure the organization maintains internal ownership and control of all proprietary technologies, designs, and product innovations.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and implement a comprehensive intellectual property strategy that ensures internal ownership and protection of the company’s innovations and product developments.
• Identify, document, and manage all intellectual property assets including patents, trademarks, trade secrets, product designs, and proprietary processes.
• Work closely with product development, engineering, marketing and operations teams to understand company products and innovations and ensure appropriate IP protections are in place.
• Establish processes and policies to ensure new product developments and innovations are properly evaluated for IP protection.
• Collaborate with leadership to align IP strategy including patents, trademarks, branding and supportive marketing strategies with overall business and product strategy

Contract & Agreement Management

• Review and manage Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs), licensing agreements, and other contracts related to intellectual property and product development.
• Ensure proper protections are in place when working with vendors, partners, contractors, and third parties.
• Identify IP risks within contracts and provide recommendations to leadership.
• Maintain documentation and records of all IP-related agreements and protections.
• Serve as the liaison between product teams, engineering, legal, and leadership regarding intellectual property matters.
• Maintain a deep understanding of the company’s products, technologies, and development processes.
• Ensure IP considerations are embedded early in the product development lifecycle.
• Support innovation initiatives while ensuring proper protection of company assets.

Process Development & Compliance

• Build and implement internal processes for identifying, tracking, and protecting intellectual property.
• Educate internal teams on IP awareness, confidentiality obligations, and best practices.
• Ensure compliance with company policies and external legal requirements related to IP protection.
• Identify potential IP risks, conflicts, or infringements and elevate appropriately.
• Work with external legal counsel when necessary on patent filings, disputes, or enforcement.
• In addition to NPD, Innovation, & IP this role will also be responsible for product compliance & liability matters. Taking ownership of this process to align internal stakeholders and liaison external legal & insurance partners.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in business, Engineering, Law, or related field required. Advanced degree or legal background preferred.
• 5+ years of experience working with intellectual property, product development, contracts, or legal/compliance functions.
• Strong understanding of intellectual property concepts including patents, trademarks, trade secrets, and licensing.
• Experience reviewing contracts and NDAs related to product development or technology.
• Ability to translate complex product or technical information into IP protection strategies.
• Strong analytical, organizational, and documentation skills.
• Excellent cross-functional communication and collaboration skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working closely with engineering, manufacturing, or product teams.
• Familiarity with patent filing processes and working with external IP counsel.
• Experience building internal IP management processes or programs.

Compensation and Benefits:

We offer a wide range of career opportunities with excellent benefits. Above all, we are looking for passionate, talented, hard-working, nice people with great taste to help us build this brand we love.

• 401k with company match
• Participation in company health (medical, dental) insurance plans. Supplemental insurance offered
• Promote work/life balance including paid time off and paid holidays