University Overview

The University of Pennsylvania, the largest private employer in Philadelphia, is a world-renowned leader in education, research, and innovation. This historic, Ivy League school consistently ranks among the top 10 universities in the annual U.S. News & World Report survey. Penn has 12 highly-regarded schools that provide opportunities for undergraduate, graduate and continuing education, all influenced by Penn’s distinctive interdisciplinary approach to scholarship and learning.

Penn offers a unique working environment within the city of Philadelphia. The University is situated on a beautiful urban campus, with easy access to a range of educational, cultural, and recreational activities. With its historical significance and landmarks, lively cultural offerings, and wide variety of atmospheres, Philadelphia is the perfect place to call home for work and play.

The University offers a competitive benefits package that includes excellent healthcare and tuition benefits for employees and their families, generous retirement benefits, a wide variety of professional development opportunities, supportive work and family benefits, a wealth of health and wellness programs and resources, and much more.

Job Description

Reporting to the Chief Operations Officer, the Director of IP and Operations is responsible for management of Penn's multi million dollar patent estate, as well as compliance obligations related to the portfolio. The position also oversees operations including routine HR and facilities responsibilities. The Director of IP and Operations also serves as the primary content manager of PCI's database and the lead on key third party relationships. The Director of IP and Operations supports the Chief Operations Officer in all aspects of IP and Operations management, serving as a strategic leader and voice for IP and Operations affairs at PCI, and is expected to function independently and autonomously to regularly resolve disputes, address changes and questions, and tackle personnel inquiries and conflicts.  In the absence or unavailability of the Chief Operations Officer, the Director functions in a deputy capacity as the dedicated go-to person for IP and Operations inquiries, decision making and advice, and performs delegated duties from Chief Operations Officer as assigned.

Qualifications:

Bachelor’s degree and 7-10 years of related work experience working with technology transfer, patent prosecution, federal compliance, and/or operations related to technology commercialization, or equivalent combination of education and experience required. Must have 3+ years experience managing a team with demonstrated results. Excellent attention to detail, follow-through, and closing. Proven ability to work under time constraints while adhering to strict deadlines. Excellent verbal and written communication skills, team player. Experience with Microsoft Office Applications required.

Preferred skills include:

• Experience overseeing  patent prosecution workflow
• Working knowledge of patent prosecution deadlines, forms, processes, and terminology
• Working knowledge of federal and foundation compliance tracking and reporting
• Understanding of university technology transfer, legal documents and/or intellectual property
• Experience managing mission continuity and operations
• Excellent computer skills including experience with databases, previous work with Inteum database is ideal
• Attention to detail with clear understanding of how to prioritize workload and manage multi-task projects appropriately
• Excellent customer service including strong interpersonal, verbal and written communications and analytical skills
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team with a high degree of initiative

University Benefits:

Health, Life, and Flexible Spending Accounts: Penn offers comprehensive medical, prescription, behavioral health, dental, vision, and life insurance benefits to protect your and your family’s health and welfare. You can also use flexible spending accounts to pay for eligible health care and dependent care expenses with pre-tax dollars.

Tuition: Take advantage of Penn's exceptional tuition benefits. You, your spouse, and your dependent children can get tuition assistance here at Penn. Your dependent children are also eligible for tuition assistance at other institutions.

Retirement: Penn offers generous retirement plans to help you save for your future. Penn’s Basic, Matching, and Supplemental retirement plans allow you to save for retirement on a pre-tax or Roth basis. Choose from a wide variety of investment options through TIAA and Vanguard.

Time Away from Work: Penn provides you with a substantial amount of time away from work during the course of the year. This allows you to relax, take vacations, attend to personal affairs, recover from illness or injury, spend time with family—whatever your personal needs may be.

Long-Term Care Insurance: In partnership with Genworth Financial, Penn offers faculty and staff (and your eligible family members) long-term care insurance to help you cover some of the costs of long-term care services received at home, in the community or in a nursing facility. If you apply when you’re newly hired, you won’t have to provide proof of good health or be subject to underwriting requirements. Eligible family members must always provide proof of good health and are subject to underwriting.

Wellness and Work-life Resources: Penn is committed to supporting our faculty and staff as they balance the competing demands of work and personal life. That’s why we offer a wide variety of programs and resources to help you care for your health, your family, and your work-life balance.

Professional and Personal Development: Penn provides an array of resources to help you advance yourself personally and professionally.

University Resources: As a member of the Penn community, you have access to a wide range of University resources as well as cultural and recreational activities. Take advantage of the University’s libraries and athletic facilities, or visit our arboretum and art galleries. There’s always something going on at Penn, whether it’s a new exhibit at the Penn Museum, the latest music or theater presentation at the Annenberg Center, or the Penn Relays at Franklin Field to name just a few examples. As a member of the Penn community, you’re right in the middle of the excitement—and you and your family can enjoy many of these activities for free.

Discounts and Special Services: From arts and entertainment to transportation and mortgages, you'll find great deals for University faculty and staff. Not only do Penn arts and cultural centers and museums offer free and discounted admission and memberships to faculty and staff. You can also enjoy substantial savings on other goods and services such as new cars from Ford and General Motors, cellular phone service plans, movie tickets, and admission to theme parks.

To learn more, please visit: https://www.hr.upenn.edu/PennHR/benefits-pay

Job Location - City, State
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Department / School
Provost's Center

Pay Range
$88,861.00 - $168,837.00

Affirmative Action Statement

Penn adheres to a policy that prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, creed, national or ethnic origin, citizenship status, age, disability, veteran status, or any other legally protected class.

Special Requirements

Background check required after a conditional job offer is made. Consideration of the background check will be tailored to the requirements of the job.