Position Snapshot

Location: Konolfingen, Switzerland

Company: Société des Produits Nestlé SA

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

At Nestlé Nutrition, our mission is to nurture a Healthier Generation. We aim to achieve this by leading the way in Research and Development of science proven nutrition solutions and by partnering with parents and healthcare professionals around the world. From pre-conception to adulthood, we are widening our reach and opening up new opportunities across the lifelong nutrition journey.

As a Patent Counsel for Nutrition , you will have responsibility for all technical intellectual property-related activities for the Nutrition business covering invention identification, drafting and prosecution, opposition and litigation. One of your main roles will be to contribute to developing, implementing, and delivering part of the IP strategy for Nutrition. You will be based at Nutrition NPTC (Nestlé Product technology Center) and you will be responsible for the strategic IP protection and management for certain Nutrition categories & platforms, and for providing IP support in business development and building R&D collaborations.

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 Patent Counsel for Nutrition

• Ensure technical IP protection for the Nutrition business categories & platforms.

• Lead business-driven patent drafting and prosecution, freedom to operate assessments and oppositions of 3rd party patents, as well as defend against 3rd party oppositions.

• Manage worldwide patent and opposition portfolio whilst maintaining business-alignment and rigorous cost management.

• Conduct freedom-to-operate assessments to ensure compliance with existing patents.

• Perform technical IP due diligences for potential acquisitions or R&D collaborations.

• Enable new and accelerated approaches to develop consumer-centric products, while ensuring adequate protection under tight timelines.

• Promote passion for IP across Nutrition, through awareness, training and communication.

• Drive awareness and enforcement of Nestlé technical IP through our markets.

• 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.

What will make you successful

• Fully qualified EP patent attorney with a scientific background in life sciences (e.g. biotechnology, biochemistry, food chemistry).

• Substantial post-qualification professional experience with patent drafting, prosecution and FTO assessment. Previous professional experience in more than one of the domains above mentioned is an asset.

• Experience in international filing and enforcement strategies and leveraging IP rights beyond patents (e.g. trade secrets, utility models).

• Experience with IP due diligences under mergers and acquisitions (M&A) projects.

• Experience in R&D contract drafting, in particular IP-related clauses.

• You are service-oriented, pragmatic, and hands-on, as well as a true team player able to successfully collaborate with Legal R&D colleagues around the globe.

• Leadership experience is an asset.

• Proficient in English, any other language is an asset.

At Nestlé Research and Development in Konolfingen near Bern (Switzerland), we develop for Nestlé worldwide, new products, processes and packaging concepts for a broad range of products of our Nutrition, Dairy, Health Science and Coffee businesses. In addition, we also provide technical assistance to our factories.

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