Senior Director, Patents

Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc.; San Mateo (CA); Hybrid; USD 302,000 - 454,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical benefits

Dental benefits

Vision benefits

401(k) matching

Paid time off

Wellness program

Employee discounts

Bonus eligibility

Job summary

Sony Interactive Entertainment is seeking a Senior Director of Patents in San Mateo, CA. You will lead global patent prosecution, shape strategy, and collaborate with engineering, product management, and legal teams to protect Sony’s inventions.

The role requires a JD, advanced technical degree, and 18+ years in patent practice, with experience managing international portfolios and teams. Hybrid work with relocation support is provided.

Qualifications

• Juris Doctorate and admission to practice before the USPTO.
• Advanced degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or related IP field.
• At least 18 years of experience in patent prosecution, with in-house and/or private practice.
• Proven track record building and maintaining a global patent portfolio.
• Experience preparing and prosecuting domestic and international patent applications.

Responsibilities

• Manage prosecution of SIE’s global patent portfolio across product areas.
• Develop patent strategy with technical and business teams.
• Collaborate with outside counsel on patent preparation and prosecution.
• Lead and develop prosecution teams in San Mateo, London, and Tokyo.
• Grow portfolio through patent mining and workshops.
• Advise leadership on strategic patent issues.

Skills

Juris Doctorate

US Patent Bar

Executive leadership

Patent portfolio strategy

Oral and written communication

Education

Advanced degree in EE/CS

Job description

Sony Interactive Entertainment isn’t just the Best Place to Play — it’s also the Best Place to Work. Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) is the company behind the PlayStation brand. As a subsidiary of Sony Group Corporation, we’re part of a proud legacy of innovation and excellence. SIE is a dynamic technology company, delivering cutting‑edge hardware and network services to more than 100 million people and an entertainment leader, home to some of the most beloved and recognizable intellectual properties (IP) in the world. Our role at SIE is to create and nurture the experiences under the PlayStation brand, a name synonymous with entertainment excellence and creativity.

Senior Director, Patents
San Mateo, CA | Hybrid - 2 days per week in our San Mateo office
Full relocation assistance available for qualified candidates

Role Summary:

As Senior Director of Patents at Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC (“SIE”), you will be the primary counsel responsible for handling the prosecution of SIE’s global patent portfolio and leading the prosecution teams located in SIE’s San Mateo, London, and Tokyo offices. You will be responsible for leading SIE’s efforts to grow its portfolio of utility patents and utility models and will set the strategic direction and priorities of SIE’s patent portfolio. You will also be responsible for providing advice on patent‑related issues to SIE legal and business teams, and training business teams on the importance of obtaining protection for SIE’s valuable inventions.

You will report to the Vice President, Intellectual Property, Litigation, Competition and Regulatory and be a senior level member of SIE’s global legal leadership team. You will coordinate prosecution‑related activities across SIE’s business and legal functions globally. The position is based in San Mateo, California.

What You’ll Be Doing:

Manage the prosecution of SIE’s global patent portfolio of utility patents, across various product and technology areas, including invention intake, review, and strategic portfolio assessment.

Develop patent strategy in collaboration with the technical and business teams.

Collaborate effectively and efficiently with outside counsel to manage patent preparation and prosecution.

Manage and develop the SIE patent prosecution teams located in San Mateo, London, and Tokyo, inspiring the teams to perform at their best and enhancing their opportunities for growth.

Lead SIE’s efforts to grow its portfolio through patent workshops and other patent mining activities.

Advise SIE leadership on strategic patent‑related issues.

Lead support for SIE legal and business teams on patent‑related issues and train business teams on the importance of obtaining protection for SIE’s valuable inventions.

Analyze technical trends and developments in the videogame industry and apply this analysis to the strategic direction of SIE’s patent portfolio.

Partner with team members at all levels of the global organization and develop positive and collaborative relationships with engineering, product management and legal teams to support the patent prosecution program.

Continuously refine and improve SIE’s processes for patent prosecution and intake of patentable inventions.

Maintain and monitor SIE’s budget and track spending for all global prosecution‑related activities.

What We’re Looking For:

• Juris Doctorate degree and admission to practice before the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
• An advanced degree in electrical engineering, computer science, or other area relevant to IP practice in the videogame industry.
• At least 18 years of experience as a practicing attorney primarily in the area of patent prosecution, preferably with a mix of in‑house and private practice experience.
• Demonstrated experience and track record of success in building and maintaining a robust global patent portfolio, including portfolio creation, strategy, and counseling.
• Experience in preparing and prosecuting domestic and international patent applications and providing patentability, validity, and infringement assessments.
• A strong understanding of patent law and principles, and the ability to efficiently review, interpret, and analyze complex legal information.
• Outstanding oral, written, and interpersonal communication skills.
• Ability to operate with significant autonomy while demonstrating strong executive judgment and self‑awareness, remaining receptive to leadership feedback and direction in a collaborative environment, and adapting approach as appropriate while maintaining ownership and a collaborative, solutions‑oriented mindset.
• Ability to work cross‑functionally and internationally with multiple partners and to implement global strategies.

At SIE, we consider several factors when setting each role’s base pay range, including the competitive benchmarking data for the market and geographic location.
Please note that the base pay range may vary in line with our hybrid working policy and individual base pay will be determined based on job‑related factors which may include knowledge, skills, experience, and location.
In addition, this role is eligible for SIE’s top‑tier benefits package that includes medical, dental, vision, matching 401(k), paid time off, wellness program and coveted employee discounts for Sony products. This role also may be eligible for a bonus package.

The estimated base pay range for this role is listed below.

$302,400 - $453,600 USD

Please note, Sony Interactive Entertainment conducts background checks at the offer stage for all new employees (which may include criminal background checks for some roles) and will need to process personal information to support these checks.

Please refer to our Candidate Privacy Notice for more information about what personal information we collect, how we use it, who we share it with, and your data protection rights.

Equal Opportunity Statement:

Sony is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All persons will receive consideration for employment without regard to gender (including gender identity, gender expression and gender reassignment), race (including colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin), religion or belief, marital or civil partnership status, disability, age, sexual orientation, pregnancy, maternity or parental status, trade union membership or membership in any other legally protected category.

We strive to create an inclusive environment, empower employees and embrace diversity. We encourage everyone to respond.

Sony Interactive Entertainment is a Fair Chance employer and qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records will be considered for employment.

Use of AI in Recruiting

We use artificial intelligence and other automated tools to assist with certain aspects of our recruiting process, including reviewing applications and supporting candidate evaluation. For example, we use Greenhouse's AI‑powered Talent Matching tool to compare information in your application against job‑related qualifications and criteria established by our recruiting team. More information about Greenhouse , including about its features and its Privacy Policy, may be found at its website. These tools assist our recruiting team and do not make hiring decisions.