We anticipate the application window for this opening will close on - 4 Dec 2024

At Medtronic you can begin a life-long career of exploration and innovation, while helping champion healthcare access and equity for all. You’ll lead with purpose, breaking down barriers to innovation in a more connected, compassionate world.

A Day in the Life

The Senior Principal IP Legal Counsel is responsible for managing the creation, communication, and effective execution of the IP strategy and will support the Pelvic Health OU on all aspects of IP support (see A Day in the Life below).

As a key team member, this individual must be a highly motivated self-starter who is comfortable both collaborating as part of a larger team at the senior leadership level and working independently to provide support for complex, fast-moving businesses. The ability to deliver clear, concise, and actionable legal advice to business leaders and executive management is essential. If building IP strategies, seeing them through to execution, advising on complex IP legal issues, and contributing to a collaborative and successful IP legal culture excites you, this could be a great experience for you.

We believe that when people from different cultures, genders, and points of view come together, innovation is the result —and everyone wins. Medtronic walks the walk, creating an inclusive culture where you can thrive.

This position can reside in Minneapolis, MN or any of our other US Medtronic office locations. Remote work options will be considered.

Responsibilities may include the following and other duties may be assigned.

Protect Medtronic’s Pipeline

Develop and implement a global patent portfolio strategy; oversee the preparation and prosecution of patent applications and patent maintenance decisions in support of the global business strategy
Manage IP risk for Medtronic’s pipeline; perform global freedom to operate evaluations, including preparing or obtaining opinions
Diligently manage the IP docket, leveraging corporate systems and resources
Provide support on patent litigation, pre-suit assessments, and patent office proceedings, including USPTO post grant proceedings and EPO patent oppositions
Protect Medtronic’s highest value R&D investments by managing invention disclosures and prioritizing filings with the highest level of impact
Demonstrate appropriate technical acumen

Support Medtronic’s Ability to Compete

Analyze and develop actionable IP portfolios directed at competitors; mine current portfolio and identify third party portfolios for possible acquisition
Perform claims analysis, construction, and drafting
Ensure ongoing awareness of competitors’ products, activities, and IP portfolios
Consult on, draft, and negotiate agreements and contract clauses, as needed, to support business operations
Conduct benchmarking activities for IP portfolio valuation and budget allocations
Operate within budget constraints for outside counsel and third-party vendor spend

Grow Medtronic’s Business

Perform IP due diligence for mergers and acquisitions with a solution-focused approach
Assist in the drafting and negotiation of agreements involving the transfer or licensing of intellectual property
Manage stakeholder expectations through proactive and clear communications
Direct brainstorming and make filing decisions to ensure expansive protection of new technologies and therapies, including ensuring coverage of whitespace
Partner with portfolio strategy, upstream marketing, business development and competitive intelligence functions to perform landscaping activities for future opportunities

Be a Strategic and Inclusive IP Partner

Develop strategic relationships with operating unit leaders, marketing, business development, and R&D to integrate IP into the overall operating unit strategy and provide IP advice and counsel
Educate key internal stakeholders on IP activities, competition, and outcomes of IP strategy execution
Develop strategic relationships with and manage outside counsel to accomplish key deliverables on time and on budget
Partner across the IP team to share and leverage insights and best practices; partner with IP COEs (litigation, BD, trademarks, data/AI, and patent portfolio strategy) to deliver optimal outcomes
Partner across multiple legal functions to coordinate and align on a cohesive legal strategy for the OU
Model the Medtronic Mindset – act boldly; compete to win; move with speed and decisiveness; foster belonging; and deliver results the right way

Must Have: Minimum Requirements

J.D. from a nationally accredited law school with strong academic credentials
8+ years of experience as an attorney in intellectual property law
Licensed to practice in at least one state or the District of Columbia
Registered to practice before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office

Nice to Have

Bachelors Degree in Mechanical Engineering, Computer Science, or Electrical Engineering or similar scientific disciplines
Medical device experience
Both in-house and law firm experience
Excellent judgment, strong strategic and analytical thinking, and ability to work on multiple projects at the same time
Able to thrive in ambiguity and make decisions amidst multiple, competing demands
Understanding of business concepts, strategies, and risks
Demonstrated strong collaboration and relationship-building skills to work across stakeholders at all levels of an organization
Excellent written, verbal, and listening communications skills, including the ability to develop compelling presentations, engage senior leaders with confidence, and distill complex information into business language
Experience in managing a significant workload, with the ability to juggle multiple projects simultaneously and prioritize across multiple tasks while remaining organized

Physical Job Requirements

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by employees assigned to this position, but they are not an exhaustive list of all the required responsibilities and skills of this position. 

The physical demands described within the Responsibilities section of this job description are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. For Office Roles: While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to be independently mobile. The employee is also required to interact with a computer, and communicate with peers and co-workers. Contact your manager or local HR to understand the Work Conditions and Physical requirements that may be specific to each role.

Benefits & Compensation

Medtronic offers a competitive Salary and flexible Benefits Package
A commitment to our employees lives at the core of our values. We recognize their contributions. They share in the success they help to create. We offer a wide range of benefits, resources, and competitive compensation plans designed to support you at every career and life stage.

Salary ranges for U.S (excl. PR) locations (USD):$190,400.00 - $285,600.00

Medtronic benefits and compensation plans

About Medtronic

We lead global healthcare technology and boldly attack the most challenging health problems facing humanity by searching out and finding solutions.
Our Mission — to alleviate pain, restore health, and extend life — unites a global team of 90,000+ passionate people.
We are engineers at heart— putting ambitious ideas to work to generate real solutions for real people. From the R&D lab, to the factory floor, to the conference room, every one of us experiments, creates, builds, improves and solves. We have the talent, diverse perspectives, and guts to engineer the extraordinary.

Learn more about our business, mission, and our commitment to diversity here.

It is the policy of Medtronic to provide equal employment opportunity (EEO) to all persons regardless of age, color, national origin, citizenship status, physical or mental disability, race, religion, creed, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, genetic information, marital status, status with regard to public assistance, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law. In addition, Medtronic will provide reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities.