We anticipate the application window for this opening will close on - 5 Dec 2025

 

At Medtronic you can begin a life-long career of exploration and innovation, while helping champion healthcare access and equity for all. You’ll lead with purpose, breaking down barriers to innovation in a more connected, compassionate world.

A Day in the Life

The Senior Principal IP Legal Counsel will provide intellectual property legal support to the Medtronic Diabetes Operating Unit. The Senior Principal IP Legal Counsel is responsible for implementing global IP strategies, developing strategic IP portfolios for medical technologies and supporting product development and research through proactive IP counseling and education, supporting M&A activities, supporting related licensing transactions, and advising clients in R&D and the business on various IP matters. The individual will be responsible for delivering clear, concise, and actionable legal advice. Comfort and confidence in communicating intellectual property advice in a clear and succinct way to management is essential.

This position is an exciting opportunity to work with Medtronic's Diabetes business. Medtronic has announced its intention to separate the Diabetes division to promote future growth and innovation within the business and reallocate investments and resources across Medtronic, subject to applicable information and consultation requirements. This separation provides our team with a bold opportunity to unleash our potential, enabling us to operate with greater speed and agility. As a separate entity, we anticipate leveraging increased investments to drive meaningful innovation and enhance our impact on patient care.

Protect Medtronic’s Pipeline and Ability to Compete
Execute all aspects of creation and management of intellectual property
Prepare and prosecute a patent portfolio worldwide in support of global business and IP strategies. Tasks include self-directed work, managing and reviewing outside counsel work, diligently managing dockets using the corporate docketing systems, and implementing patent maintenance decisions
Interface with the R&D and business development teams for proactive development and implementation of IP strategies that align with business strategy and objectives
Protect Medtronic’s highest value R&D investments by managing invention disclosures and prioritizing filings with the highest level of impact
Leverage existing patent applications (i.e., mine) to develop IP assets that accommodate an evolving competitive landscape
Support management of IP risk for Medtronic’s pipeline, including performing global freedom-to-operate evaluations and overseeing the preparation of opinions of counsel when necessary
Provide support on patent litigation, pre-suit assessments, and patent office proceedings, including USPTO post grant proceedings and EPO patent oppositions
Support IP due diligence for mergers/acquisitions with solution-focused approach
Assist in drafting and negotiating IP agreements, such as, for example, patent licensing agreements, joint-development agreements, material transfer agreements, acquisition agreements
Determine if invention should be protected as a patent or trade secret
Direct, develop, and analyze thoughtful patent searching strategies for patentability, invalidity, and competitive landscape
Ensure ongoing awareness of competitors’ products, activities, and IP portfolio
Operate within budget constraints for outside counsel and third party vendor spend

Be a Strategic and Inclusive IP Partner
Develop strategic relationships with operating unit leaders, marketing, business development, and R&D to integrate IP into the overall operating unit strategy and provide IP advice and counsel
Manage stakeholder expectations through proactive and clear communications
Direct brainstorms and make filing decisions to ensure expansive protection of new technologies and therapies, including ensuring coverage of whitespace
Partner with portfolio strategy, upstream marketing, business development, and competitive intelligence functions to perform landscaping activities for future opportunities
Educate key internal stakeholders on IP activities, competition, and outcomes of IP strategy execution
Develop strategic relationships and manage outside counsel to accomplish key deliverables on time and on budget
Partner across the IP team to share and leverage insights and best practices
Partner with IP COEs (litigation, BD, trademarks, data/AI, and patent portfolio strategy) to deliver optimal outcomes to the operating unit
Partner with operating unit commercial legal to coordinate and align on a cohesive legal strategy for the operating unit
Model the Medtronic Mindset – act boldly; compete to win; move with speed and decisiveness; foster belonging; and deliver results the right way

MUST HAVE: MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:

• Juris Doctor (J.D.) from a nationally accredited law school with strong academic credentials

• 8+ years of experience as an Attorney in intellectual property law discipline 

• Licensed to practice in at least one US state or the District of Columbia

• Registered to practice before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office

 

NICE TO HAVE

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Computer Science, Chemistry or similar scientific disciplines

• Medical device experience

• Both in-house and law firm experience

• Excellent judgment, strong strategic and analytical thinking and ability to work on multiple projects at the same time

• Ability to prioritize across multiple tasks and demands while remaining organized

• Able to thrive in ambiguity and make decisions amidst multiple, competing demands and activities

• Proficiency in engineering, strong creative abilities, and scientific principles.

• Understanding of basic business concepts, strategies, and risks

• Broad IP experience, including patent prosecution, freedom-to-operate, opinion preparation, licensing, and IP transactions

• Litigation experience

• Software, Algorithms, Data science and AI experience

• Ability to develop compelling presentation, engage senior leaders with confidence, and distill complex information into business language

• Possess a strong commitment to company values

Physical Job Requirements

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by employees assigned to this position, but they are not an exhaustive list of all the required responsibilities and skills of this position. 

The physical demands described within the Responsibilities section of this job description are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. For Office Roles: While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to be independently mobile. The employee is also required to interact with a computer, and communicate with peers and co-workers. Contact your manager or local HR to understand the Work Conditions and Physical requirements that may be specific to each role.

Benefits & Compensation
 

Medtronic offers a competitive Salary and flexible Benefits Package
A commitment to our employees lives at the core of our values. We recognize their contributions. They share in the success they help to create.  We offer a wide range of benefits, resources, and competitive compensation plans designed to support you at every career and life stage.
 

Salary ranges for U.S (excl. PR) locations (USD):$197,600.00 - $296,400.00

This position is eligible for a short-term incentive called the Medtronic Incentive Plan (MIP).

This position is eligible for an annual long-term incentive plan.

The base salary range is applicable across the United States, excluding Puerto Rico and specific locations in California. The offered rate complies with federal and local regulations and may vary based on factors such as experience, certification/education, market conditions, and location. Compensation and benefits information pertains solely to candidates hired within the United States (local market compensation and benefits will apply for others)

The following benefits and additional compensation are available to those regular employees who work 20+ hours per week: Health, Dental and vision insurance, Health Savings Account, Healthcare Flexible Spending Account, Life insurance, Long-term disability leave, Dependent daycare spending account, Tuition assistance/reimbursement, and Simple Steps (global well-being program).

 

The following benefits and additional compensation are available to all regular employees: Incentive plans, 401(k) plan plus employer contribution and match, Short-term disability, Paid time off, Paid holidays, Employee Stock Purchase Plan, Employee Assistance Program, Non-qualified Retirement Plan Supplement (subject to IRS earning minimums), and Capital Accumulation Plan (available to Vice Presidents and above, or subject to IRS earning minimums).

 

Regular employees are those who are not temporary, such as interns.  Temporary employees are eligible for paid sick time, as required under applicable state law, and the Employee Stock Purchase Plan. Please note some of the above benefits may not apply to workers in Puerto Rico.

 

Further details are available at the link below:

Medtronic benefits and compensation plans

About Medtronic

We lead global healthcare technology and boldly attack the most challenging health problems facing humanity by searching out and finding solutions.
Our Mission — to alleviate pain, restore health, and extend life — unites a global team of 95,000+ passionate people. 
We are engineers at heart— putting ambitious ideas to work to generate real solutions for real people. From the R&D lab, to the factory floor, to the conference room, every one of us experiments, creates, builds, improves and solves. We have the talent, diverse perspectives, and guts to engineer the extraordinary.

Learn more about our business, mission, and our commitment to diversity here.

It is the policy of Medtronic to provide equal employment opportunity (EEO) to all persons regardless of age, color, national origin, citizenship status, physical or mental disability, race, religion, creed, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, genetic information, marital status, status with regard to public assistance, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law. In addition, Medtronic will provide reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities.