Agreements Associate

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory • Berkeley, CA

5d • $100,000 - $115,000 • Onsite

About The Position

The Intellectual Property Office (IPO) at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory is seeking an Agreements Associate to join their team. Reporting to the Agreements Manager, the Agreements Associate will be responsible for drafting and negotiating Non-Disclosure, Material Transfer, Data Use, and related intellectual property agreements in accordance with the policies of the Regents of the University of California and the Department of Energy. This role plays a critical role in facilitating commercialization and collaborative research by establishing legal frameworks with academic institutions, federal laboratories, and global industrial partners. Join our team and YOU will play a supporting role in our goal to address global challenges! Have a high level of impact and work for an organization associated with 17 Nobel Prizes!

Requirements

• An undergraduate degree or its equivalent in education and experience.
• 2 years related legal/licensing experience.
• Demonstrated ability to work on agreement issues, initially of moderate scope with the goal of expanding to more complex issues.
• Ability to draft and negotiate Non-disclosure, Material Transfer, Data Use Agreements and related intellectual property agreements and assess whether they meet Berkeley Lab requirements.
• Demonstrated ability to negotiate optimal outcomes for complex agreements.
• Demonstrated judgment in knowing when to consult subject matter experts.
• Demonstrated excellent organizational skills and ability to independently manage caseload under constant internal and external deadline pressures.
• Strong interpersonal skills and proven ability to collaborate professionally with internal peers and colleagues, administrative support staff, scientists and engineers, and senior management to meet desired goals and objectives.
• Effective written and verbal communication with internal and external stakeholders.
• Demonstrated ability to prioritize and conduct business using complex documents and database, word-processing, and spreadsheet programs.
• Demonstrated team-player.

Nice To Haves

• JD degree.
• Experience in working for a large research institution.
• Transactional legal experience.
• Ability to understand often complex and cutting-edge proprietary scientific materials and/or data being transferred in order to determine appropriate contract language.
• Knowledge of University of California policies related to research and contracts administration.
• Familiarity with DOE Orders pertaining to intellectual property and transfer of material and/or data.

Responsibilities

• Apply an understanding of intellectual property law, contract law, and commercial business principles towards drafting and negotiating Non-Disclosure Agreements, Material Transfer Agreements, Data Use Agreements, and related agreements for Berkeley Lab.
• Draft transactions using a Berkeley Lab standard agreement, or conform an external party’s agreement to Berkeley Lab requirements. The Associate will draw on available resources and consult with Berkeley Lab subject matter experts as needed to negotiate an agreement that meets both Berkeley Lab and the external party’s requirements. The Associate will obtain manager review and approval before finalizing agreements, progressing toward full signature authority.
• Utilize Berkeley Lab contractual mechanisms, such as different intellectual property research contracts and funding contracts that are related to an Associate’s agreement and exercise judgment within defined procedures and practices to determine appropriate action.
• Create and maintain database entries on pending and executed agreements, and provide periodic reporting information for Berkeley Lab management, the University of California, and the DOE.
• May represent Berkeley Lab on the UC-wide and/or DOE national lab-wide Agreement groups or related committees.
• Interact diplomatically with scientists, engineers, and transactional and advisory offices across Berkeley Lab, and negotiate with legal representatives and business executives at companies and academic institutions throughout the world.

Benefits

• Exceptional health and retirement benefits, including pension or 401K-style plans
• Opportunities to grow in your career - check out our Tuition Assistance Program
• A culture where you’ll belong - we are invested in our teams!
• In addition to accruing vacation and sick time, we also have a Winter Holiday Shutdown every year.
• Parental bonding leave (for both mothers and fathers)
• Pet insurance

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: Associate degree