Patent Professional Staff Supervisor

Kilpatrick, a large international law firm, is seeking a Patent Professional Staff Supervisor for our Intellectual Property Department in our Winston-Salem, NC office. This position will be part of our team of attorneys, paralegals and support staff providing a high level of service to both internal and external clients. At Kilpatrick we are one team where each person plays an integral role in serving the needs of our clients. The firm has a strong dedication to its employees, values, and commitment to the community.

The Patent Professional Staff Supervisor is responsible for overseeing all patent prosecution professional staff, including paralegals and other designated legal support across all offices, ensuring team members are meeting expectations and department business objectives including client service, quality work product, productivity workflow allocation, and profitability. This position is also responsible for supporting the implementation of the Center of Excellence for Support (COES), the delivery of all aspects of patent support for the COES and the Patent Prosecution Team, ensuring the Team has the appropriate level of skilled patent support for client work, and the team members are meeting expectations and department business objectives. The Patent Professional Staff Supervisor serves as the patent staff point of contact across all offices. This position reports to the Director of Practice Operations and works closely with Department leadership and patent practitioners.

The ideal candidate will have a track record leading and overseeing patent support staff across multiple offices, knowledge of patent prosecution support staff operations, managing workflow, effecting change in an encouraging and sensitive manner, US and foreign patent prosecution filing and training, and fostering professional growth within the team.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:

• Patent Staff Oversight: Oversee the patent prosecution staff across all offices, supervise the day-to-day operations of the patent staff, optimize staff utilization, and ensure productivity and the delivery of high-quality work. Collaborate closely with workflow coordinators to oversee task distribution and work assignments, standardize workflows, address billable hour concerns promptly, manage overtime, and uphold adherence to firm policies and best practices. Proactive supervision is necessary to bridge knowledge gaps and facilitate smooth integration of the existing and new patent workforce. Ensure both the COES patent staff and KT patent staff adhere to organizational standards, policies, and procedures.
• Patent Staff Operations for the COES: Support the implementation, execution, and management of a centralized patent support center, ensuring alignment with operational goals and objectives. Responsibilities include but are not limited to onboarding and training new hires, facilitating professional development, overseeing task assignments, reviewing all work, performance management, optimizing workflow and workload distribution, recommending process improvements, and effecting change.
• Staffing: Assess patent staffing needs using productivity metrics and other information, make recommendations for improvements, and implement staffing plans as approved. Coordinate with partners and other supervising attorneys to identify and manage staffing needs. Address gaps in expertise and drive improvements in utilization through strategic staffing models in alignment with the strategic plan.
• Employee Engagement: Foster a positive workplace culture, boost morale, enhance productivity, support retention efforts, and actively advocate for the needs and well-being of the staff in alignment with Firm strategic and operational objectives.
• Recruiting: Oversee patent professional staff recruiting and develop business cases for all hiring requisitions. Work with the Director of Practice Operations and HR on the recruitment, interviewing, and selection process of new patent professional candidates.
• Performance Management: Monitor all patent staff metrics and data and provide reports to the Department Operating Officer and Director of Practice Operations on staff productivity and performance. Address billable hour concerns in a timely manner.
• Client Service: Ensure exceptional client service is being met by patent staff, identify challenges, assist with resolution as appropriate and within scope of role, and make recommendations for improvement to Director of Practice Operations.
• Communication and Collaboration: Promote effective communication between support staff and attorneys, ensuring smooth operational processes and collaboration within Team.
• Change Management: Support the implementation of change initiatives within the patent team, specifically patent support, including process improvements, technology adoption, and organizational restructuring, while ensuring smooth transitions and minimizing disruption to operations.
• Training and Development: Assist with the design, implementation, and continuous oversight of all patent staff training initiatives, assist with training staff on US and Foreign patent prosecution, assist with training staff on internal and client processes and procedures, and foster professional growth and excellence among the staff. Conduct regular cross-training sessions to ensure seamless coverage during staff absences. Improve internal knowledge-sharing by creating centralized resources for best practices in prosecution management.
• Onboarding: Onboard new patent support staff hires, provide mentorship, structured training, and oversee workloads as part of the onboarding process to ensure smooth integration into the team.
• Talent Development: Working with the IP leadership team, create and implement skills development plans, assess learning and development needs, and collaborate with internal stakeholders on the creation and execution of learning initiatives; utilize tools and resources including but not limited to the internal learning platform.
• Employee Relations: In collaboration with HR and IP Patent leadership, manage annual patent staff performance. Develop and communicate performance feedback incrementally and annually during the performance review process. Coordinate with HR to manage personnel issues, concerns, and assist with issue resolution. Collaborate with HR on market data and salary trends.
• Staff Workflow and Processes: Identify opportunities and collaborate with Director of Practice Operations to unify staff processes and procedures across offices and to update and modify patent policies in alignment with best practices including leveraging and promoting the use of software tools by patent staff to drive efficiency.
• Projects: Collaborates with the Director of Practice Operations and other team management and resources on matters relating to outsourced legal services including IDS management, Office Action shelling, patent proofing and other projects and initiatives, work on special projects related to patent staff for IP Department leadership.

KNOWLEDGE/SKILLS REQUIRED:

Required:

• Bachelor's Degree.
• Minimum of two years' experience supervising or supporting large groups of patent paralegals and/or patent support professionals across multiple offices.
• Minimum of ten years of experience in a patent practice (in a law firm or in-house setting).
• Experience using Excel and other analytical tools.
• Experience with implementing staffing programs a plus.
• People management, training of patent staff, and workflow coordination.
• Program implementation and/or implementation of policies and procedures.
• Project and task management.
• Exceptionally high-level of skill with USPTO (U.S. Patent and Trademark Office) Procedures, Rules, and Requirements.
• Very skilled with PCT patent rules and procedures, Foreign Filings, and the Paris Convention.
• Knowledge of staff operations and IP docket databases and practices.
• Knowledge of patent workflow processes and procedures.
• Excellent client service skills.
• Strong people management skills and excellent communication skills, both oral and written.
• Detail oriented with the ability to organize and successfully drive projects.
• Ability to interface effectively with all levels of stakeholders.
• Ability to promote communication across teams and departments.
• Excellent organizational skills and the ability to work independently, prioritize assignments, and manage multiple projects simultaneously.
• Aptitude to perform staff related analyses as requested.
• Ability to successfully manage multiple projects under pressure.
• Ability to analyze, assess problems, prioritize concerns, and make decisions.
• Strong leadership and management abilities.
• Respectful to other individuals working directly or indirectly with them.

Preferred:

• Experience with performance coaching from informal discussions and escalating to written performance improvement plans.
• Experience with workflow management, performance management, compensation, and technology.

This is a full-time, regular position with a multi-faceted health benefit package including medical, dental, and vision. The firm also offers life insurance, short term disability plans and retirement plans in addition to holidays and paid time off. The firm offers hybrid work schedules combining in office work days as well as remote work days. The pay range for this position in North Carolina only is $120,000 to $160,000 annually.

Selected applicants will be contacted. Kilpatrick is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

For more information about our firm, please visit our website at www.ktslaw.com.

Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLP is committed to equal employment opportunity for all persons, regardless of race, color, religion, sex or gender, national origin, age, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other basis prohibited by applicable law.

Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities