Intellectual Property Manager

Stryker; Indianapolis (IN); Hybrid; USD 118,000 - 256,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits

401(k) plan

Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP)

Wellbeing program

Job summary

Stryker is seeking an Intellectual Property Manager to oversee the full patent lifecycle, collaborate with R&D, and guide filing decisions across U.S. and international jurisdictions. The role emphasizes strategic portfolio management and cross-functional partnership.

The position offers a hybrid work arrangement based in Cary, Illinois, with on-site days and potential remote work, reporting to IP and R&D leadership. Requires strong patent experience and USPTO credentials.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in engineering or related technical field.
• Minimum 8 years in engineering, IP, or related IP functions.
• Experience with patent portfolio management and prior-art analyses.

Responsibilities

• Manage the full patent lifecycle, including invention intake, preliminary patentability assessments, patent application development, prosecution support, and maintenance and annuity decisions.
• Lead invention review boards, evaluate new inventions, and guide patent filing decisions in partnership with R&D stakeholders and IP counsel.
• Develop patent portfolio strategies and manage related IP budgets in alignment with product development and business priorities.
• Coordinate with outside counsel to prepare, file, and prosecute U.S. and international patent applications and responses to patent office actions.
• Conduct patentability, prior-art, state-of-the-art, and competitive patent analyses to support product development and intellectual property strategy.
• Evaluate invention commercialization plans, patent utilization, and potential offensive and defensive value to inform international filing, maintenance, and abandonment decisions.
• Coordinate intellectual property risk assessments, including freedom-to-operate analyses for new product launches, and support IP activities related to acquisitions, licensing, patent monetization, assertions, and defenses.
• Improve IP processes, systems, portfolio metrics, stakeholder reporting, and training to increase efficiency and provide R&D and IP leadership with actionable insights.

Skills

Patent portfolio management

Invention disclosures

Collaboration with R&D

USPTO procedures

Patent filings & office actions

Education

Bachelor's degree in engineering

Tools

Patent management systems

Patent search databases

Job description

Join Stryker’s Medical Division and help protect the innovations that advance healthcare. As an Intellectual Property Manager, you will provide support for Stryker's Medical Division- Sage, which has a diverse portfolio of products and technologies.

You will be responsible for managing the full patent lifecycle including invention identification/intake, preliminary patentability assessments, liaising with patent counsel on drafting patent applications and office action responses, and maintenance/annuity decisions; this role will also collaborate with Research & Development (R&D) teams through all phases of the new product development process.

This role will coordinate new product IP risk assessments and support IP Counsel on third-party acquisition initiatives, as well as participate in cross-divisional development projects and support R&D personnel at multiple sites globally. The IP Manager will assist with managing portfolio metrics and presenting status and achievement updates to IP and R&D leadership. You will participate in evaluating and continuously improving the IP Management organization’s systems and practices to ensure effective and efficient operations.

Work arrangement: (Preferred) Hybrid position based in Cary, Illinois, with an expectation of working onsite 2–3 days per week and flexibility to work from home on other days based on business needs. Fully remote candidates will be considered in time zones within 1 hour of Central time.

What you will do

• Manage the full patent lifecycle, including invention intake, preliminary patentability assessments, patent application development, prosecution support, and maintenance and annuity decisions.


• Lead invention review boards, evaluate new inventions, and guide patent filing decisions in partnership with R&D stakeholders and IP counsel.


• Develop patent portfolio strategies and manage related IP budgets in alignment with product development and business priorities.


• Coordinate with outside counsel to prepare, file, and prosecute U.S. and international patent applications and responses to patent office actions.


• Conduct patentability, prior-art, state-of-the-art, and competitive patent analyses to support product development and intellectual property strategy.


• Evaluate invention commercialization plans, patent utilization, and potential offensive and defensive value to inform international filing, maintenance, and abandonment decisions.


• Coordinate intellectual property risk assessments, including freedom-to-operate analyses for new product launches, and support IP activities related to acquisitions, licensing, patent monetization, assertions, and defenses.


• Improve IP processes, systems, portfolio metrics, stakeholder reporting, and training to increase efficiency and provide R&D and IP leadership with actionable insights.

What you will need

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Biomedical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related technical discipline.


• Minimum 8 years of relevant professional experience in engineering, intellectual property (IP), patent management, patent prosecution, or related technical and IP functions, including demonstrated experience managing intellectual property activities.


• Demonstrated experience in patent portfolio management, including invention disclosures, patentability assessments, patent searches, prior-art analysis, and competitive landscape and monitoring.


• Experience collaborating with Research & Development (R&D), engineering teams, patent counsel, or external legal partners to evaluate inventions, support patent filings, and manage intellectual property matters.


• Experience managing multiple intellectual property matters, patent portfolios, or technology development projects simultaneously.

Preferred Qualifications

• 3 or more years of experience in the medical device, medical technology (MedTech), healthcare technology, or related regulated product development industry.


• Experience managing complex patent portfolios, including invention intake, patent application development, prosecution support, portfolio maintenance, and patent filing strategies.


• Knowledge of U.S. and international patent filing and prosecution procedures, including USPTO processes, office action responses, and international patent protection strategies.


• Experience conducting or coordinating freedom-to-operate (FTO) assessments, patent landscape analyses, competitive patent intelligence, and intellectual property risk assessments.


• Experience partnering with R&D and product development teams to identify patentable innovations, evaluate technical inventions, and support new product development (NPD).


• Experience developing patent portfolio strategies, evaluating patent value, and supporting patent maintenance, abandonment, licensing, or acquisition decisions.


• Experience managing high-volume patent portfolios, multiple concurrent product development projects, and competing intellectual property priorities.


• Registration to practice before the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) as a Patent Agent or Patent Attorney.


• Experience using patent management systems, patent search databases, portfolio reporting tools, or intellectual property analytics to monitor portfolio performance and improve operational efficiency.

Posted Date: 10/26/2026
This role will be posted for a minimum of 3 days.

United States of America Pay Ranges:

• USN: $118,000 - $196,700 USD Annual


• US5: $123,900 - $206,500 USD Annual


• US10: $129,800 - $216,400 USD Annual


• US15: $135,700 - $226,200 USD Annual


• US20: $141,600 - $236,000 USD Annual


• US30: $153,400 - $255,700 USD Annual

View the U.S. work location and transparency guide to find the pay range for your location.

Health benefits include: Medical and prescription drug insurance, dental insurance, vision insurance, critical illness insurance, accident insurance, hospital indemnity insurance, personalized healthcare support, wellbeing program and tobacco cessation program. Financial benefits include: Health Savings Account (HSA), Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs), 401(k) plan, Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP), basic life and AD&D insurance, and short-term disability insurance. Stryker offers innovative products and services in MedSurg, Neurotechnology, Orthopaedics and Spine that help improve patient and healthcare outcomes. Alongside its customers around the world, Stryker impacts more than 150 million patients annually. Depending on customer requirements employees and new hires in sales and field roles that require access to customer accounts as a function of the job may be required to obtain various vaccinations as an essential function of their role.