Strategic IP Portfolio Lead for Innovation & Tech

KUBOTA Corporation; Grapevine (TX); Hybrid; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Kubota’s North American Headquarters is seeking a highly skilled IP Specialist to support and advance the company’s intellectual property strategy. This role leads patent portfolio development, invention harvesting, and competitive intelligence, partnering with engineering, R&D, product teams, and outside counsel to protect and leverage Kubota’s IP assets across products.

The successful candidate will manage patentability, FTO, landscape analyses, and licensing activities, with strong technical

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a technical discipline or equivalent experience; advanced degree preferred.
• 8+ years of experience in patent portfolio development, analytics, competitive intelligence, commercialization support, or related IP functions.
• Experience leading invention harvesting and managing outside counsel; licensing, litigation, or enforcement experience preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to conduct patentability, FTO, and landscape analyses, manage outside counsel, and use patent search/analytics tools.
• Experience in vehicle autonomy and/or connectivity (telemetry, data integration) preferred.

Responsibilities

• 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.

Skills

Patent portfolio development

Invention harvesting

Competitive intelligence

Licensing support

IP strategy

Communication skills

Outside counsel management

Education

Bachelor's degree in a technical discipline

Advanced degree in engineering or law

Tools

Patent search 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

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.