Specialist, Sr Intellectual Property

Kubota; Grapevine (TX); On-site; USD 110,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Kubota seeks an experienced IP Specialist to drive the company’s intellectual property strategy across product lines. You will collaborate with engineering, R&D, and product teams to identify patentable innovations and oversee portfolio development and protection.

You will conduct patentability assessments, FTO analyses, and competitive intelligence, while coordinating with outside counsel and internal stakeholders to support licensing and enforcement activities.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a technical discipline; advanced degree preferred.
• “8+ years of industry experience in patent portfolio development, patent searching, analytics, competitive intelligence, or related IP functions.”
• Experience leading invention harvesting and supporting licensing, litigation, or enforcement.

Responsibilities

• Identify patentable innovations aligned with business objectives.
• Lead creation, evaluation, and growth of Kubota’s patent portfolio.
• Conduct patentability, FTO, landscape and competitive analyses.
• Track emerging technologies and competitor IP activity.
• Support invention disclosures, filing strategy, prosecution, docket oversight, and maintenance decisions.
• Contribute to licensing, litigation, enforcement, IP agreements, and due-diligence activities.

Skills

Patent knowledge

Analytical skills

Communication skills

Project management

Education

Bachelor’s degree in technical discipline

Advanced degree in engineering or law

Tools

Patent search tools

Analytics tools

Job description

About Kubota Kubota’s North American Headquarters is seeking a highly skilled IP Specialist to support and advance the company’s intellectual property strategy. This role plays a critical part in protecting innovation, strengthening Kubota’s competitive position, and enabling successful commercialization across diverse product lines. Overview The IP Specialist leads execution of Kubota’s intellectual property initiatives, including invention harvesting, patent portfolio development, competitive intelligence, commercialization support, and cross‑functional collaboration. The role partners closely with engineering, R&D, product teams, and outside counsel to ensure Kubota’s IP assets are strategically developed, protected, and leveraged.

What You Will Do

• Partner with engineering, R&D, and product teams to identify patentable innovations aligned with business objectives.
• Lead creation, evaluation, and strategic growth of Kubota’s patent portfolio.
• Conduct patentability, freedom‑to‑operate (FTO), landscape, and competitive intelligence analyses to support portfolio decisions, commercialization, and risk management.
• Track emerging technologies and competitor IP activity.
• Support invention disclosures, filing strategy, prosecution, docket oversight, and maintenance decisions.
• Contribute to licensing, litigation, enforcement, IP agreements, and due‑diligence activities through technical analysis and stakeholder coordination.
• Advise teams on patent, trade secret, and trademark strategy; deliver IP awareness training.
• Other duties as assigned.

What We Are Looking For

• Bachelor’s degree in a technical discipline or equivalent experience; advanced degree in engineering or law preferred.
• 8+ years of industry experience in patent portfolio development, patent searching, analytics, competitive intelligence, commercialization support, or related IP functions.
• Experience leading invention harvesting and strong working knowledge of patent and trade secret practices; experience supporting licensing, litigation, or enforcement preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to conduct patentability, FTO, and landscape analyses, manage outside counsel, and use patent search/analytics tools.
• Proven ability to independently manage complex IP matters with strong technical, analytical, and communication skills.
• Experience in vehicle autonomy and/or connectivity (telemetry, communication systems, data integration) preferred.

Physical Requirements

Requires sufficient personal mobility and reflexes to function effectively in a general office environment and perform the duties outlined above.

Disclaimer

Disclaimer The information provided reflects the general nature and level of work expected for this role. It is not an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities, qualifications, or working conditions. Management reserves the right to modify responsibilities or designate other functions as essential at any time.