Lead Patent Counsel

**Position Snapshot**

Location: Orbe, Switzerland

Company: Nestlé, R&D Legal Department

Act. Rate: Full-Time Act. Rate 100%

Type of contact: 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**

Part of the Nestlé Group Legal & Compliance function, Legal R&D enables and protects Nestlé R&D Innovations through pragmatic legal services and business-driven IP protection.

As a
**Lead Patent Counsel - Coffee & Systems**, you will contribute to developing, implementing, and delivering the IP strategy for both Nestlé Systems Technology Center (NSTC) and Nestlé Product Technology Center (PTC) Coffee, both based in Orbe.

The NSTC is a unique innovation center centralizing all Nestlé expertise in Systems Technology. It brings together on one site, based in Orbe (VD), all the expertise used to combine capsules and machines, such as those used in Nespresso and Nescafé Dolce Gusto, amongst many others.

The NSTC also has a hub based in Shenzhen (China) providing focused systems expertise in the fields of electronics, micro mechanics, and mechanic engineering. The NSTC has also recently integrated a Systems Accelerator (based in Orbe), in order to propose fast-track innovations on systems. NPTC Coffee drives the discovery, the development and the deployment of activities for coffee-based beverages and creamers in all possible formats: soluble, portioned, roast & ground and liquid. NPTC Coffee is a dynamic R&D structure with activities in Switzerland, USA and Singapore, which develops the products, processes and packaging that will delight our consumers today and tomorrow, combining unique scientific and technological knowhow to outstanding manufacturing excellence.

We offer a dynamic, inclusive, and international working environment with many opportunities across different companies, 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 Lead Patent Counsel - Coffee & Systems**
- Be the Legal R&D IP Business Partner for both the NSTC and the NPTC Coffee leadership teams
- Develop, implement, and deliver on the Coffee and Systems IP Strategies in close partnership with the R&D teams, the R&D Counsels and IP Analysts
- Lead business-driven patent filling and prosecution, freedom to operate assessments and oppositions of 3rd party patents, as well as defend against 3rd party oppositions
- Manage the Coffee and Systems patent portfolios with business-alignment and rigorous cost management.
- Lead the team of Patent Counsels working on Coffee and Systems
- Advise on IP matters in R&D collaborations on specific cases
- Enable new and accelerated approaches to develop new consumer-centric products, while ensuring adequate protection under tight timelines
- Promote passion for IP across the Coffee and Systems categories, through awareness, training and communication
- Contribute to awareness and enforcement of Nestlé technical IP in Coffee and Systems through our market

**What will make you successful**
- Fully qualified European Patent Attorney, with a background in Engineering, Physics
- Experience in Systems, Capsules and Coffee would be highly desirable
- 8+ years post-qualification professional experience with patent drafting, prosecution and FTO assessment
- Prior professional experience leading a team of patent attorneys
- Prior professional experience with developing business-driven IP strategies in several different jurisdictions
- 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
- You are a good communicator and can engage with people from different backgrounds and positions
- Fluent in English, any other language is an asset

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.