Legal Counsel, IP Policy

QUALCOMM, Inc.; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 170,000 - 254,000; Full time

Job summary

Qualcomm Incorporated seeks an experienced standards and intellectual property policy attorney to provide strategic guidance on IP, technology, and standards-related policy matters affecting licensing and product businesses.

You will monitor, analyze, and influence IP and governance issues in standards development organizations and advise internal teams on IP and standards policy, supporting licensing and IP litigation activities in the evolving SEP/FRAND landscape.

Qualifications

• Juris Doctorate degree or international equivalent.
• 8+ years of relevant experience as counsel at a law firm, in-house, government, or standards organization.
• Active bar license to practice law or ability to obtain upon hiring.

Responsibilities

• Monitor and assess the impact of SDO IP policies on business and provide timely updates and recommendations.
• Develop and implement strategies to advocate for Qualcomm's IP interests in SDOs, government agencies, and industry fora.
• Coordinate with legal, business, engineering, standards, licensing, and Government Affairs teams to ensure alignment.
• Represent Qualcomm in SDO policy and governance bodies, committees and working groups.
• Draft, review, interpret, and negotiate SDO IP policies, bylaws, and governance documents.
• Support SEP licensing policy and FRAND advocacy activities.

Skills

IP policy expertise

SDO governance

Negotiation skills

Drafting and analysis

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Juris Doctorate degree

Bachelor’s degree in technical/engineering field

Job description

Company:

Qualcomm Incorporated

Job Area:

Legal Group, Legal Group > Legal Counsel

General Summary:

Qualcomm is seeking an experienced standards and intellectual property policy attorney to join our team and provide strategic guidance on IP, technology, and standards-related policy matters affecting our licensing and product businesses.

You will be responsible for monitoring, analyzing, and influencing IP and governance issues arising in standards development organizations.

You will also advise our internal teams on IP and standards policy and support our IP litigation and licensing activities, including in the developing landscape of standard essential patent (SEP) licensing involving Fair, Reasonable, and Non-Discriminatory (FRAND) and royalty-free obligations.

We are looking for candidates who have a deep knowledge of IP, technology, and technical standards-related policy worldwide, are proactive, have extraordinary attention to detail, and show excellent judgment. We value candidates that work well both independently and collaboratively.

This role requires full-time onsite work in San Diego, CA (5 days per week).

Qualifications

• Juris Doctorate degree or international equivalent.
• 8+ years of relevant experience as counsel at a law firm, in-house, in government, or at a standards development or industry organization.
• Active bar license to practice law in the state or jurisdiction where the employee will be practicing, or ability to obtain upon hiring.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a technical or engineering field.
• 9+ years of relevant experience practicing law at a law firm, in-house, in government, or at a standards development or industry organization.
• Strong knowledge and experience in global intellectual property laws and policy.
• Experience with relevant government agencies and standards development organizations (SDOs) primarily in the United States and Europe, and knowledge of their intellectual property policies, governance structures, and decision-making procedures.
• Experience relating to the licensing of SEPs and associated FRAND and royalty free issues.
• Experience with cellular communications, multimedia technologies, semiconductors, software, artificial intelligence, and/or related technologies.
• Excellent drafting and negotiation skills, with attention to detail and accuracy.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively, with a proactive and problem‑solving mindset, while managing multiple projects and deadlines in a fast‑paced and dynamic environment.
• Strong work ethic and dedication, proactive engagement on issues, critical‑thinking and problem‑solving skills, and ability to think and act strategically and tactically while demonstrating sound business judgment.
• High ethical standards, integrity, and professionalism.
• Ability to communicate effectively in writing and verbally.
• Ability to participate remotely and travel domestically and internationally to standards‑related IP policy and governance meetings.

Principal Duties and Responsibilities

• Monitor and assess the impact of SDO intellectual property policies, governance developments, and related legal and regulatory developments on our business and industry, and provide timely and relevant updates and recommendations.
• Develop, and implement strategies to advocate for our IP interests and positions in SDOs, government agencies, industry associations, and other relevant forums.
• Coordinate and collaborate with, and provide expert counsel to, our legal, business, engineering, standards, licensing, and Government Affairs teams on standards‑related IP and governance matters, and ensure alignment and consistency across organizations, regions, and functions.
• Build and maintain relationships with key external stakeholders and policymakers, including SDO leaders and staff, government officials, and industry representatives, and represent our company in SDO policy and governance bodies, committees, and working groups.
• Analyze, draft, review, interpret, and negotiate SDO intellectual property policies, bylaws, governance documents, procedural rules, and related materials.
• Support the company’s efforts relating to SEP licensing policy and advocacy, particularly regarding FRAND licensing practices.

Minimum Qualifications

• Juris Doctorate degree or international equivalent.
• 5+ years of relevant experience as counsel at a law firm or in‑house.
• Active bar license or other lawful ability to practice law in the state or jurisdiction where the employee will be located (for example, ability to gain admission as registered in‑house counsel).

Qualcomm is an equal opportunity employer.

If you are an individual with a disability and need an accommodation during the application/hiring process, rest assured that Qualcomm is committed to providing an accessible process. You may e‑mail disability‑[e-mail] or call Qualcomm's toll‑free number found here. Upon request, Qualcomm will provide reasonable accommodations to support individuals with disabilities to be able participate in the hiring process. Qualcomm is also committed to making our workplace accessible for individuals with disabilities. (Keep in mind that this email address is used to provide reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities. We will not respond here to requests for updates on applications or resume inquiries).

Qualcomm is an equal opportunity employer; all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, Veteran status, or any other protected classification.

Qualcomm expects its employees to abide by all applicable policies and procedures, including but not limited to security and other requirements regarding protection of Company confidential information and other confidential and/or proprietary information, to the extent those requirements are permissible under applicable law.

Pay range and Other Compensation & Benefits

$169,500.00 - $254,300.00

The above pay scale reflects the broad, minimum to maximum, pay scale for this job code for the location for which it has been posted. Even more importantly, please note that salary is only one component of total compensation at Qualcomm. We also offer a competitive annual discretionary bonus program and opportunity for annual RSU grants (employees on sales‑incentive plans are not eligible for our annual bonus). In addition, our highly competitive benefits package is designed to support your success at work, at home, and at play. Your recruiter will be happy to discuss all that Qualcomm has to offer – and you can review more details about our US benefits at this link.