Patent Administrator
6 days ago
Oxford
About the job \n Main Duties \n \n\n • Preparing documentation for patent, design and trade mark matters, and monitoring the formalities processes for filing UK, European, international (PCT) and other applications, including:\n, • Typing and amending technical Word documents.\n, • Preparing case-specific forms and letters from standard templates.\n, • Maintaining formalities records for fee-earner caseloads (e.g. tracking US IDS records for a patent family), and helping fee earners retrieve information from IP office websites and databases (EPO, UKIPO, EUIPO, WIPO and similar).\n, • Supporting assignments, changes of name/address and other recordals - gathering requirements and cost information, preparing documents such as Powers of Attorney for client signature, drafting instructions to overseas associates, tracking recordal progress and reporting back to clients.\n, • Drafting routine correspondence and emails to clients, IP offices and overseas agents.\n, • Preparing standard client reporting letters.\n, • Monitoring attorney deadlines and workloads on a daily/weekly basis, liaising with the Records team and flagging or actioning items as needed.\n, • Preparing documentation and presentations to support attorneys' committee work and other professional activities.\n, • Instructing overseas associates on filing new patent, design and trade mark applications (including PCT national phase entries) and managing all related filing formalities.\n, • Managing incoming and outgoing correspondence - sending reminders/acknowledgements and preparing or sending emails on attorneys' behalf.\n, • Handling ancillary documentation tasks such as file management, photocopying and scanning.\n, • Maintaining attorneys' diaries.\n, • Preparing client cost estimates.\n, • Running status reports and portfolio schedules for clients as required.\n, • Recording official fees and service charges in the billing system.\n, • Preparing invoices.\n, • Regularly reviewing attorneys' work in progress (e.g. unbilled time or charges).\n, • Checking and updating new client details on the case management database and other records.\n, • Keeping client files updated with client-specific procedures (e.g. billing and correspondence preferences).\n, • Arranging attorney travel, preparing itineraries and handling expense claims where required.\n, • Acting as first point of contact for client queries on an attorney's behalf, handling calls and general enquiries.\n, • Coordinating internal and external meetings, including room/venue bookings and refreshments.\n, • Providing ad hoc administrative support to attorneys as required.\n\n \n Person Specification \n \n\n • Able to work independently to a high standard, using own initiative.\n, • Excellent organisational skills.\n, • Efficient, with strong prioritisation and multi-tasking ability to meet deadlines.\n, • Willing and able to learn new systems and processes.\n, • Team player - personable, approachable and collaborative.\n, • Comfortable working under pressure and adapting to changing daily demands.\n, • Excellent attention to detail.\n, • Good working knowledge of Microsoft Word, Excel and Outlook.\n\n \n Preferred Skills / Knowledge / Experience \n\n • Experience within an IP, legal or other professional services environment.\n\n \n Desirable Skills / Knowledge / Experience \n\n • Working knowledge of PowerPoint an advantage.\n, • Experience with a patent/trade mark case management database (e.g. Inprotech) is a plus, though systems training is provided.\n\n \n Certifications \n\n • CIPA Introductory Certificate in Patent Administration (IPAC) and/or CITMA Paralegal Course preferred.\n, • The "Paralegal" job title applies to candidates holding one or both of these qualifications.\n\n