Patent Agent

Cisco•Washington, DC

1d•$179,000 - $328,600•Hybrid

About The Position

The Intellectual Property team at Cisco operates at the intersection of technology, business, and law, with a broad view of innovation across networking, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, cloud infrastructure, collaboration, and observability. This role is within a legal organization that views IP as a strategic business asset, and the team is responsible for building the frameworks that protect Cisco's inventions. The position is for a technical specialist and/or patent agent or engineer who will partner with the team to enhance the patent portfolio and improve IP management processes and infrastructure. The ideal candidate will be adept at understanding both technology and business strategy, able to communicate effectively with engineers and business stakeholders, and comfortable in both technical and business discussions. The role involves working with technologists and distinguished engineers to translate inventions into patent protection, and then explaining these to attorneys, business partners, and leadership. The position also offers the opportunity to help shape and optimize the patent program, contributing to continuous improvement in workflows and operational definitions.

Requirements

Active USPTO registration as a patent agent or ability to obtain one.
Demonstrated experience using enterprise IP Management Systems (IPMS) and advanced patent analytics platforms to drive portfolio strategy, assess competitive landscapes, and manage sophisticated patent lifecycles.

Nice To Haves

In-house patent preparation and prosecution experience, or firm experience working closely with an in-house client.
Ability to make data-driven arguments to demonstrate the value of patent work to clients, business partners, or leadership.
Track record of credible, concise executive communication on patent risk, with the ability to translate complex patent issues into business-relevant guidance for executives and engineers.
Demonstrated ability to defend a position under skeptical questioning.
Technical experience with at least one of the following areas: silicon and optics, AI infrastructure and networking, security, collaboration, observability and cloud management, compute, or wireless communications.
Comfort navigating ambiguity to generate strategies that deliver impact.
Comfort learning unfamiliar technology and engaging in substantive conversations with senior engineers.
Curiosity about the business to understand market competition and its implications for intellectual property protection.
Collaborative approach, including sharing credit, asking for help, and working effectively across functions.
A sense of humor.

Responsibilities

Work with inventors to strengthen Cisco’s patent portfolio by purposefully harvesting and evaluating inventions for filing and development.
Identify patentable inventions, provide high-quality technical and patent practitioner analysis, and collaborate with outside counsel to draft, file, and prosecute strategic patent assets.
Partner across the business by building relationships with engineering teams, product groups, and business units to understand their business and integrate IP considerations early in the process.
Translate technical subject matter clearly to non-technical audiences and patent practitioner subject matter clearly to technical ones, writing summaries for business leaders.
Contribute ideas to optimize the patent program, including invention intake, prosecution standards, and analytics, and help execute on these improvements.
Help refine workflows and define operational processes for the patent program.