Patent Agent

Type One Energy•Knoxville, TN

5d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Patent Agent will join Type One Energy’s innovative and fast-growing intellectual property team and report to the Director & Counsel, Intellectual Property. The role helps identify, develop, and protect innovations across the company’s fusion-energy technologies. Working with scientists, engineers, inventors, IP counsel, and outside patent counsel, the Patent Agent evaluates inventions, develops strategic patent positions, drafts and prosecutes patent applications, and manages a growing domestic and international patent portfolio. The role also supports patent landscape, prior-art, and freedom-to-operate analyses and contributes to broader IP initiatives that align the patent portfolio with research, engineering, and commercialization priorities. The position is based in Knoxville, Tennessee, with a hybrid work policy. It is a permanent, full-time role. Compensation is described as highly competitive, with a yearly bonus and benefits.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in engineering, physics, chemistry, materials science, computer science, or a related technical field.
Registered to practice before the USPTO as a Patent Agent or Patent Attorney.
Experience drafting and prosecuting U.S. patent applications, including preparing and reviewing claims, Office Action responses, and related prosecution documents.
Ability to understand complex scientific and engineering concepts and translate them into effective patent strategies, disclosures, and claims.
Experience working directly with inventors and technical teams to evaluate inventions, develop filing strategies, and support innovation capture.
Working knowledge of patentability, prior-art analysis, inventorship, and U.S. patent prosecution procedures.
Experience conducting patentability, freedom-to-operate, competitive patent, and landscape analyses.
Strong organizational, communication, and collaboration skills, including the ability to manage multiple priorities and work effectively with inventors, business stakeholders, and outside counsel.

Nice To Haves

Advanced degree in a relevant engineering, physics, or scientific discipline.
Experience managing domestic and international patent portfolios, including PCT and foreign prosecution.
Experience developing patent portfolio strategies and conducting invention-harvesting sessions.
Experience in an in-house IP function within a technology or R&D-intensive organization.
Experience with IP management systems such as AppColl.

Responsibilities

Draft and prosecute U.S. provisional and non-provisional patent applications in-house, including conducting examiner interviews and preparing Office Action responses, amendments, and appeal briefs.
Manage the domestic and international patent portfolio through filing, prosecution, national-phase entry, issuance, and maintenance, coordinating with outside counsel and foreign associates as needed.
Work with inventors, scientists, and engineers to evaluate invention disclosures, identify patentable subject matter, develop protection strategies, and lead invention-harvesting sessions.
Counsel inventors on patentability, prior art, claim scope, technical disclosure, public disclosures, and patent application review.
Review patent applications and prosecution documents prepared by outside counsel, coordinate inventor input, and provide substantive drafting and prosecution instructions.
Conduct prior-art, patentability, freedom-to-operate, competitive patent, and landscape analyses to support patent strategy and business priorities.
Develop patent strategies that protect competitively differentiated technologies and support research, engineering, commercialization, and external collaboration activities.
Maintain accurate portfolio records and analytics using the company’s IP management systems, including AppColl, and support the inventor incentive program.
Develop IP guidance and training, and improve processes for invention disclosure, patent protection, portfolio management, and employee understanding of intellectual property.