Patent Technologist

Western Digital • San Jose, CA

9h • $199,500 - $266,000 • Hybrid

About The Position

As a member of WD’s Patent Development Team, the Patent Technologist supports the growth and transformation of WD’s patent portfolio by applying technical and patent expertise to patent analyses and related analytical work. The position is full-time and hybrid, based in San Jose, California, or Irvine, California, and reports to the Assistant General Counsel, Patents.

Requirements

• At least 8 years of relevant technical and legal work experience, including prior engineering or scientific work experience.
• At least 2 years of experience in the patent area, in a law firm, corporate legal department, or another setting with similar patent work exposure.
• Familiarity with the patent process, including experience in patent prosecution, patent searching, or other patent portfolio or landscape analysis.
• Experience using AI-based patent analysis tools and manipulating large datasets to extract insights and high-level trends.
• Bachelor’s degree in engineering, physics, or materials science.
• Strong written and oral communication skills and technical acumen to communicate effectively across technical and legal contexts.

Nice To Haves

• Graduate-level education (M.S. or Ph.D.) in engineering, physics, materials science, or a related technical field.
• Prior education and/or experience in semiconductor, magnetic, and optical industries and related areas.
• Patent agent registration with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

Responsibilities

• Conduct patent landscape analyses in response to client and business needs.
• Assess the Company’s patent portfolio against technical developments and the industry landscape to support maintenance and annuity-fee reviews, identification of high-value assets, and new patent filing strategies.
• Assess third-party patents and portfolios to support litigation, licensing, and M&A activities.
• Support the invention review process by assessing invention disclosures and gathering necessary technical expert input.
• Use AI-based patent analysis tools for search, analysis, and portfolio evaluation.
• Collaborate with patent attorneys and engineering teams to evaluate inventions and support the Company’s patent strategy.
• Prepare clear written analyses and communicate findings to legal, technical, and business stakeholders.

Benefits

• Paid vacation time
• Paid sick leave
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• Life, accident, and disability insurance
• Tax-advantaged flexible spending and health savings accounts
• Employee assistance program
• Voluntary benefits, including supplemental life and AD&D, legal plan, pet insurance, critical illness, accident, and hospital indemnity
• Tuition reimbursement
• Transit benefits
• Applause Program
• Employee stock purchase plan
• WD Savings 401(k) Plan
• Potential eligibility for bonuses under the Short Term Incentive Plan or Sales Incentive Plan
• Potential eligibility for the annual Long-Term Incentive program, which may include restricted stock units or cash equivalents

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior