Intellectual Property Manager

About the organization

This role sits within an innovation-led business that places strong emphasis on safeguarding intellectual assets, enabling creativity, and supporting growth through disciplined IP management. The function partners closely with teams across research and development, engineering, product management, legal, compliance, marketing, business development, and senior leadership to protect innovations and build long-term portfolio value.

Role overview

The Intellectual Property Manager will own the organization’s IP strategy, portfolio oversight, and protection programs. This position covers patents, trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets, licensing, and compliance, while also contributing to commercialization and broader strategic goals.

Key responsibilities

You will shape IP policies and governance, manage the end-to-end IP portfolio, coordinate filing and prosecution work, and support portfolio optimization. The role also includes evaluating IP risks, supporting due diligence, managing licensing and technology transfer agreements, and reporting portfolio performance to leadership.

• Build and update intellectual property strategies, policies, and governance structures that support business and innovation objectives.
• Oversee the full portfolio of patents, trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets, domain names, and related rights.
• Work with R&D, engineering, product, legal, compliance, marketing, business development, and executives to identify and protect new IP opportunities.
• Coordinate patent and trademark filings, prosecution, renewals, maintenance, oppositions, licensing, and portfolio improvement with external counsel and authorities.
• Track KPIs such as filings, registrations, licensing revenue, portfolio value, enforcement activity, innovation pipeline, and compliance performance.
• Perform risk reviews, freedom-to-operate studies, prior art checks, patent landscape analysis, and due diligence for transactions and strategic projects.
• Draft, negotiate, and manage licensing, technology transfer, commercialization, joint development, confidentiality, and ownership agreements.
• Ensure adherence to IP laws, international treaties, contractual obligations, confidentiality standards, and internal governance requirements.
• Monitor competitors, patent trends, emerging technologies, and regulatory changes to spot opportunities and reduce risk.
• Use IPMS, document systems, ERP tools, Microsoft Office, Power BI, legal research resources, and analytics platforms to manage operations and reporting.
• Prepare executive summaries, portfolio analyses, innovation metrics, licensing reports, risk assessments, and strategic recommendations.
• Lead and mentor IP specialists, legal coordinators, innovation teams, and other stakeholders while promoting collaboration, integrity, and continuous improvement.

Requirements

The ideal candidate brings a strong legal and strategic background in intellectual property, along with hands-on experience managing IP portfolios and related operations. Experience with global IP practices, commercial agreements, and cross-functional collaboration is important.

• Bachelor’s degree in Law, Engineering, Science, Business Administration, Technology Management, or a related discipline preferred.
• JD, master’s degree, or professional qualification in Intellectual Property Law, Patent Law, Technology Management, or a similar area is highly desirable.
• At least 5 years of experience in intellectual property management, patent administration, legal affairs, innovation management, technology commercialization, or a related field.
• Minimum 2 years of experience handling IP portfolios, licensing programs, or IP strategy initiatives is preferred.
• Strong knowledge of patent, trademark, copyright, and trade secret law, licensing, enforcement, commercialization, and innovation principles.
• Practical experience with IPMS, legal research tools, document management systems, ERP platforms, Microsoft Office Suite, Power BI, and portfolio management tools.
• Exposure to international IP treaties, patent prosecution, technology transfer, M&A due diligence, open innovation, or research commercialization is an advantage.
• Strong analytical, legal, strategic, negotiation, organization, and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent communication, presentation, stakeholder management, contract review, and cross-functional collaboration abilities.
• Comfortable balancing legal protection, commercial priorities, innovation goals, and business growth in a diverse portfolio environment.
• Able to work independently in remote and hybrid settings.

What we offer

This opportunity comes with a flexible remote/hybrid setup within the United Arab Emirates, a competitive compensation package, and room to grow within legal and leadership tracks. The role also offers exposure to innovation strategy, technology commercialization, global business expansion, and a culture built around creativity, integrity, and continuous improvement.

• Flexible remote or hybrid working arrangement within the United Arab Emirates.
• Competitive compensation package.
• Professional development and growth into legal leadership roles.
• Exposure to innovation strategy, technology commercialization, portfolio development, and international expansion initiatives.
• Collaborative, innovation-focused working environment.
• Supportive culture centered on creativity, integrity, strategic thinking, and continuous improvement.
• Opportunity to help protect valuable innovations and influence the organization’s long-term IP direction.
• Clear growth pathways into intellectual property management, legal affairs, innovation leadership, corporate strategy, and executive management.