Intellectual Asset Manager

Tessenderlo Group (Euronext: TESB) is an industrial group that is a global leader in many different sectors, including agriculture, valorizing bio-residuals, energy, and providing industrial solutions with a focus on water. The group employs more than 4,700 people, we are a leader in most of the markets which we operate, and we recorded a consolidated revenue of 1.7 billion EUR in 2020.

Our tagline – “Every Molecule Counts” - clearly conveys the unique attitude to sustainability and continuous practical innovation within each department of Tessenderlo Group. As an international company with Belgian roots, Tessenderlo Group promotes personal and local entrepreneurship, creating opportunities for all of our employees to take on challenging roles and real responsibilities. On top of this, our people are encouraged to further develop their competencies through regular training initiatives, and they are rewarded with competitive compensation and benefits packages. More information can be found atwww.tessenderlo.com.

The Group believes that Innovation, R&D and Intellectual Property (IP) capabilities and mindset are indispensable for a successful future. The Group cares about its intellectual assets, stimulates a culture wherein IP opportunities are recognized and protected and can generate value for the business. The Group’s IP, such as patents, knowhow, trade secrets, copyrights and trademarks are considered valuable business assets.

We are currently looking for an Intellectual Asset Manager (patent attorney/expert) to support & advise our different Business Units, proactively steer IP decisions for Tessenderlo Group’s core strategic segments and drive concrete projects and actions regarding defense and valorization (including licensing) of the Group’s Intellectual assets.

Your function

• You will manage the IP portfolios and day-to-day IP requests and projects of the Business Units in the Group’s Agriculture and Industrial Solutions cluster,
• You will provide IP expertise and advice on IP opportunitiesto build, defend and leveragethe Group’s IP assets (e.g. invention mining, patent prosecution, white space analyses, IP valorization) and about IP risks(e.g. infringement and FTO matters, litigations) and their mitigation actions, to:
  • The internal group-wide IP community,
  • The commercial, the R&D and technology project teams
  • The business and executive management
• You will drive the further expansion of the company’s IP assets portfolio by challenging and advising Business Units and the R&D community to recognize opportunities for IP protection (patents, trade secrets, …) ,
• You create awareness on the value of IP assets and collaborate with the business to find and capture opportunities to valorize,
• You will create opportunities and develop strategies to defend and valorize the Group’s IP assetsand drive concrete projects (and act as a project leader) in this field, for example by:
  • implementing new business models based on IP,
  • closing licensing deals,
  • using IP as a cornerstone in setting up (technical or commercial) partnerships
  • turning IP into business,
• You will closely work with external patent attorneys for patent drafting and prosecution (or draft yourself) and be a critical challenger to obtain maximum scope of protection for the business,
• You will increase IP awareness by setting-up and coordinating Group-wide training programs and sharing best practices within the Group,
• You will improve & create standard Group and BU processes to efficiently manage IP and implement the Group and BU policies & guidelines for IP.

• You have a scientific Master or PhD (such as chemistry, life sciences, ...)
• You have minimum 5 years of hands-on experience with IP development, protection, strategy and portfolio management
• Your expertise lies in patents and interpreting a patent claim scope in order to create maximum scope of protection and value for the company or add value in litigation proceedings, FTO and licensing projects.
• You have experience or affinity with creating business value from Intellectual assets, such as setting up & negotiating licensing models and/or partnerships wherein IP is a key cornerstone
• Having knowledge of other IP matters (IP aspects in contracts, due diligence in M&A, litigation, trade secrets) as well as expertise in FTO evaluations is a strong plus
• You are a strong communicator who can connect with people on all levels and in all disciplines
• You have a positive and proactive attitude and drive; pragmatism and hands-on approach
• You are good at planning, analytical thinking, prioritizing and organizing
• You are multilingual: Fluency in English and preferably Dutch; French as a plus

• We offer a full-time open ended contract and a competitive salary package with fringe benefits (car, meal vouchers, group insurance, health insurance, 37 days of vacation,...);
• You will be working in a challenging and growing international environment;
• You will have the opportunity to actively play a role in the further build of the (inhouse) IP department and to leave your mark;
• We can offer training to (further) develop your IP skills and stimulate self-improvement.