WHY UT SOUTHWESTERN?
With over 75 years of excellence in Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, UT Southwestern is committed to excellence, innovation, teamwork, and compassion. As a world-renowned medical and research center, we strive to provide the best possible care, resources, and benefits for our valued employees. Ranked as the number 1 hospital in Dallas-Fort Worth according to U.S. News & World Report, we invest in you with opportunities for career growth and development to align with your future goals. Our highly competitive benefits package offers healthcare, PTO and paid holidays, on-site childcare, wage, merit increases and so much more. We invite you to be a part of the UT Southwestern team where you’ll discover a culture of teamwork, professionalism, and a rewarding career!

JOB SUMMARY
The Assistant Director of Intellectual Property and Business Operations plays a crucial role in managing and overseeing intellectual property (IP) and business operations within UT Southwestern’s (UTSW) Office for Technology Development (OTD). This position is responsible for facilitating timely, strategic IP management, overseeing a centralized and efficient evaluation process of UTSW innovations, supporting the commercialization of innovations, ensuring Compliance with institutional, state, and federal agencies and Licensing partners, and optimizing business processes to advance UTSW’s strategic goals.

BENEFITS
UT Southwestern is proud to offer a competitive and comprehensive benefits package to eligible employees. Our benefits are designed to support your overall wellbeing, and include:

• PPO medical plan, available day one at no cost for full-time employee-only coverage
• 100% coverage for preventive healthcare-no copay
• Paid Time Off, available day one
• Retirement Programs through the Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS)
• Paid Parental Leave Benefit
• Wellness programs
• Tuition Reimbursement
• Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Qualified Employer
• Learn more about these and other UTSW employee benefits!

EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATION

Required

• Education
  Master of Science (MS) degree
  JD

• Experience
  5 years of experience in technology transfer, patent prosecution, and patent lifecycle.
  Strong understanding of US and foreign patent law and practice.
  Excellent negotiation, communication, and interpersonal skills.
  Proven ability to manage projects and lead teams effectively.

• Licenses and Certifications
  USPTO Registered practitioner

Preferred

• Education
  Patent Attorney
  PhD

JOB DUTIES

• Intellectual Property Management:
  • Oversee centralized IP Assessment Tool (IPAT) and tracking of invention reviews.
  • Evaluate invention disclosures and identify patentable innovations.
  • Manage the patent prosecution process and coordinate timely responses to the USPTO and foreign patent offices with external legal counsel, ensuring alignment with the IP strategy, compliance with licensing partners, and implementation of cost-saving measures.
  • Support collaboration efforts through Inter-Institutional Agreements (IIAs) and oversee adherence to the financial and non-financial terms of these agreements.
  • Administer the IP portfolio to ensure strategic value, maintain proper documentation, and ensure the timely payment of maintenance and annuity fees.
  • Develop strategies for IP protection and monetization.
  • Manage Freedom to Operate (FTO) requests and support patent infringement matters.
  • Utilize AI powered platforms to conduct prior art searches.
  • Perform annual reviews of the patent portfolio to assess the economic feasibility of maintaining the assets and to ensure the IP remains relevant in the current market landscape.
  • Responsible for all data entry into Sophia, UTSW’s IP management platform.
  • Lead weekly patent portfolio docketing meeting.
• Commercialization and Licensing:
  • Assist in the negotiation and execution of licensing agreements and partnerships by contributing to due diligence activities.
  • Collaborate with faculty and researchers to provide guidance to help advance their intellectual property and IP portfolios.
  • Perform patent portfolio reviews and offer guidance on patent filing strategies to aid in license negotiations and support IP filing decisions.
  • Assist with due diligence activities for the establishment of new companies.
  • Oversee post-license compliance to ensure both financial and non-financial terms and milestones are fulfilled and enforce agreements by contacting the licensee as necessary.
  • Manage license terminations and reversions to ensure completion of termination audit, compliance with license terms, and protection of the reverted intellectual property.
• Business Operations:
  • Streamline departmental processes to improve efficiency and effectiveness.
  • Review UT System legal documents necessary for USPTO and foreign patent filings.
  • Monitor revenue and expenses to ensure compliance with UTSW accounting reimbursement policies.
  • Monitor private, state, and federal Reporting requirements to ensure compliance with state and federal policies.
  • Assist in preparing annual reports and strategic plans and work closely with Finance and Accounting teams.
  • Coordinate with other Licensing and Cooperative Research teams to support cross-functional initiatives.
  • Oversight of research recognition awards for UTSW innovators.
• Leadership and Team Management:
  • Train and supervise the IP, Compliance, and Finance Managers.
  • Mentor junior OTD staff to promote professional development and growth.
  • Provide support to the OTD Director and the VP and Chief Innovation Officer.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

SECURITY AND EEO STATEMENT

Security
This position is security-sensitive and subject to Texas Education Code 51.215, which authorizes UT Southwestern to obtain criminal history record information.

EEO
UT Southwestern Medical Center is committed to an educational and working environment that provides equal opportunity to all members of the University community. As an equal opportunity employer, UT Southwestern prohibits unlawful discrimination, including discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, disability, genetic information, citizenship status, or veteran status.