Patent Counsel

**Position Snapshot**

Location: Orbe, Switzerland
Company: Société des Produits Nestlé S.A.,

Act. Rate: Full-Time Act. Rate 100%
Type of contract: Permanent contract

**What we offer at Nestlé**

Flexible work policies in terms of core hours and working from home. Please talk to us during the recruitment
process about what flexibility could look like for you
Genuine opportunities for career and personal development
Modern “smart office” locations providing agile & collaborative workspaces
Dynamic international working environment
Attractive additional benefits

**Position Summary**

You will integrate Legal R&D, part of the Nestlé Group Legal & Compliance function, enabling and protecting Nestlé R&D Innovations through the provision of pragmatic legal services and business-driven IP protection.

You will join the Coffee & Systems team of patent counsels based in Orbe who supports the development of coffee products, coffee packaging and coffee systems (Nescafé Dolce Gusto, Nestlé Professional) and you will be focused in the Coffee patent portfolio and activities.

As a Patent Counsel for Coffee, you will contribute to developing, implementing, and delivering part of the IP strategy for the Nestlé Product Technology Center dedicated to Coffee Category (NPTC Coffee). NPTC Coffee is the place where our coffee scientific discoveries are translated into coffee products and technologies for our global coffee brands: Nescafé, Starbucks, Nescafé Dolce Gusto, Coffee Mate, Nestlé Professional Blue Bottle, Buondi Zoegas.

You will play a crucial role as the Legal R&D Business Partner for Coffee Category. You will protect and manage the company's intellectual property rights related to coffee products, processes and technologies, whilst ensuring compliance with patent laws. As well as developing intellectual property strategies, you will support the commercialization and enforcement of patented innovations in the coffee industry.

We offer a dynamic, inclusive, and international working environment with many opportunities across different businesses, functions, and regions. Don’t miss the opportunity to join us and work with different teams in an agile and diverse context.

**A Day in the Life of a Patent Counsel for Coffee**:

- Contribute to the development and implementation of the IP strategy for the coffee category
- Partner with the different project managers in order to know the main ongoing projects and detect protection needs, establishing a patent protection strategy for each of project
- Manage and oversee patent filing and prosecution activities for the assigned patent portfolio
- Conduct freedom-to-operate assessments to ensure compliance with existing patents
- Lead business-driven oppositions of 3rd party patents, as well as defend against 3rd party oppositions
- Participate in category litigations under accountability of the defined Litigation Lead
- Ensure cost management for the IP-related activities, including outsourcing, litigation
- Assist in R&D contract negotiation and drafting in collaboration with contract managers and R&D Counsel
- Promote awareness and understanding of IP protection through training and communication

**What will make you successful**
- 3+ years of experience as a qualified European patent attorney with a background in chemicals or food processing
- Expertise in international filing strategies
- Practice in freedom-to-operate studies
- Ability to leverage IP rights beyond patents and contribute to an effective IP strategy
- Excellent attention to detail and organizational abilities
- You are service-oriented, pragmatic, rigorous and hands-on, as well as a true team player able to successfully collaborate with Legal R&D colleagues around the globe
- Strong communication and interpersonal skills to collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams
- Proficiency in the English language. French would be a plus

At Nestlé, we want to help shape a better and healthier world, inspire people to live healthier lives and deliver impact at a scale and pace that makes a difference. We do this by fostering a diverse, friendly, supportive, and collaborative environment, that creates positive disruption, embraces innovation, and empowers people and teams to win.

We aim to hire friendly, respectful, inspiring people who care about the people’s lives that we touch every single day.

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