Intellectual Property Counsel

Evonik•Piscataway, NJ

23h•$135,000 - $210,000•Hybrid

About The Position

Evonik Corporation is seeking a Patent/IP Counsel to join its Group Legal Intellectual Property Management team in Piscataway, New Jersey. The position delivers proactive, practical legal solutions in support of a global organization and partners with clients across multiple businesses and product lines to develop, protect, and leverage Evonik’s intellectual property portfolio, with an emphasis on specialty chemicals and chemical manufacturing services. The role manages a diverse workload with a high degree of autonomy, including intellectual property transactions, client counseling, legal opinions concerning patentability, validity, and freedom to operate, and intellectual property due diligence. The legal department has a hybrid work environment, with remote work part of the week and in-person collaboration with legal and business colleagues. The position also promotes and upholds the principles and responsibilities of Responsible Care in assigned areas. Travel is approximately 10%, including occasional international travel.

Requirements

Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree or equivalent.
Admission to practice law in at least one U.S. jurisdiction.
Registration to practice before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
At least 4 years of intellectual property experience, including patents, trademarks, copyrights, and trade secrets in the chemical and/or pharmaceutical industries.
Strong experience with intellectual property agreements, licensing, and commercial contracts.
Excellent analytical, problem-solving, negotiation, and communication skills, with the ability to balance legal and business priorities.
Ability to build relationships across functions, work effectively with senior leadership, exercise sound judgment, and manage complex projects independently and collaboratively.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor’s degree in biological sciences, chemical sciences, chemical engineering, or a related technical field.
Experience drafting, filing, and prosecuting patent applications before the USPTO, particularly in chemical and/or pharmaceutical fields.

Responsibilities

Draft, review, negotiate, and manage intellectual property and commercial agreements, including NDAs, license agreements, research collaborations, service agreements, and consulting agreements.
Serve as the primary legal advisor for IP transactional matters, providing practical guidance to business stakeholders and partnering with Product and Business teams on IP-related needs.
Provide legal opinions on patentability, validity, and freedom to operate, and manage outside counsel supporting intellectual property matters.
Support intellectual property due diligence for mergers, acquisitions, and other strategic business transactions.
Assist with patent preparation, filing, and prosecution before the USPTO.
Manage intellectual property disputes, litigation support, external counsel relationships, and related budgets, and communicate legal risks and business impact to stakeholders.
Travel as needed, approximately 10%, including occasional international travel.
Promote and uphold Responsible Care principles and responsibilities within assigned areas.