Patent Information Specialist

Hungry for challenges? Join a group with innovation at its heart and contribute to the automotive revolution!

With 31,000 team members located in 26 countries and a 2020 revenue of €7.7 billion, Plastic Omnium is world leader in intelligent exterior systems, clean energy systems and front-end modules.

At the heart of the automotive industry’s transformation, Plastic Omnium helps automotive manufacturers to develop technologies for all engine types: gasoline, diesel, hybrid and plug-in hybrid. Leading the way in clean technology, the Group is designing innovative hydrogen solutions for zero-emission electric mobility.

Our ambition? Provide automakers with cutting-edge equipment and solutions to develop tomorrow’s clean and connected car.

PATENT INFORMATION SPECIALIST

MISSION

Ensure the documentary searches in the frame of patents and manage the patent alert process

RESPONSIBILITIES & ACTIVITIES

Ensure the documentary searches in the frame of patents, for the Patent Manager or the Patent External Cabinet

• Establish search strategies for unveiling, selecting and gathering from various databases, by means of complex electronic search tools, essential information relevant to Patent Manager or External Cabinet for :

• assessing novelty of technical results and developments with the aim of securing patent applications thereupon; challenging validity of third parties’ patent rights;
• identifying possible patent obstacles owned by third parties which might be of concern for our intended manufacturing, use or sale activities

Assist the Patent Manager for the follow-up of the files of Intellectual Property (filings, oppositions, Freedom to Operate...)

Conduct and follow the patent alert process

• Establish and implement search strategies to ensure efficient detection of competitors first patent publication
• Follow and collect comments of each actor of the process (patent reviewers, IP reviewers, decision makers)
• Follow of actions to be performed on a relevant patent (third party observation, monitoring, benchmarking)
• Ensure training of patent reviewers to process and corresponding tools
• Establish statistics on process activity, competitors patent activities and associated risk analysis

Conduct the bibliography searches for the R&D Engineers, in particular during the launch of new projects or brainstorming activities

• Detect and monitor the publication of technical and regulatory literatures (patent documents, papers, contributions to conferences and other events, standards/ new regulations, …), which could represent threats or opportunities for Auto Inergy by:

• Establishing and implementing search strategies to ensure efficient monitoring upon customers’ needs;
• Selecting and archiving in appropriate relational databases hits of interest
• Ensure training of customers for efficient use of databases

• Take in charge the implementation, the alimentation, the distribution and the follow-up of technological watch (TechWatch) on the main actors in the field of activities of the Clean Energy Systems and New Energies

Manage the technology watch in terms of new tools of information technology (new databases, e-journals, tools), and propose the implementation of new tools

• Manage the implementation of new tools and media in the field of documentation and technical information

PROFILE REQUIREMENTS

Personal Background

• Excellent educational background to degree level (Masters level or equivalent) or Electro-Mechanical Engineering related discipline;
• Basic computer science understanding for proficiently exploiting a variety of internal as well as external electronic resources and tools with a minimum of support;

Job Technical skills

• Documentary searches (databases and other supports)
• Intellectual Property in General (Patent Filing, Freedom to operate, oppositions, third parties validity, ….)
• At least two/three years of professional experience either in R&D related or in technical information gathering functions, in the automotive industry would be a plus
• Basic knowledge of patent law system would be a plus;
• Full proficiency in both verbal and written English; elementary understanding of written technical texts in an additional foreign language (including German ) would be a plus;

Job Soft skills

• Possess excellent verbal and written communication skills together with the ability to process, analyze and synthesize a large amount of information rapidly and efficiently;
• Be keen to work in a multicultural and cross-border professional environment;
• Be highly motivated, with a genuine openness to continuously explore and understand new fields of technical endeavors;

As a responsible company, Plastic Omnium pays particular attention to diversity and equality within its teams and the Group commits to treat all job applications equally.