Senior Intellectual Property and Corporate Paralegal

The Foundation

We are the largest nonprofit fighting poverty, disease, and inequity around the world. Founded on a simple premise: people everywhere, regardless of identity or circumstances, should have the chance to live healthy, productive lives. We believe our employees should reflect the rich diversity of the global populations we aim to serve. We provide an exceptional benefits package to employees and their families which include comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage with no premiums, generous paid time off, paid family leave, foundation–paid retirement contribution, regional holidays, and opportunities to engage in several employee communities. As a workplace, we're committed to creating an environment for you to thrive both personally and professionally.

The Team
"Guidance, Solutions, Integrity" describes the Legal division's approach to providing responsive legal guidance supporting pursuit of the foundation's mission and implementation of the foundation's programmatic and operational strategies. The Legal division delivers comprehensive legal services by providing efficient and reliable legal guidance, managing legal risk, and supporting the development of solutions to achieve the mission of the foundation and its affiliated entities.

The Legal division partners with our colleagues across the foundation to enable the mission–driven work by maintaining an efficient, well–run global organization where employees can thrive and make their best contributions. Doing this well requires effective collaboration, strong alignment, and thoughtful planning across both operational and programmatic teams – as well as shared accountability for mitigating risk and optimizing the foundation's operational resources.

Your Role

The Senior Paralegal role will be part of the foundation's Legal division. It will be based in St. Louis, MO and will primarily support Bill & Melinda Gates Agricultural Innovations, LLC ("Gates Ag One"), a foundation affiliate. The Senior Paralegal will utilize professional and technical expertise to support a wide range of legal activities in the following areas: intellectual property (including patent docketing) and agreement drafting and review under the supervision of an attorney. This position will provide creative input and solutions to support the development and implementation of efficient legal and contracting processes.

What You'll Do

• Participate in and assist with the management, growth, and maintenance of Gates Ag One's global intellectual property patent portfolio.
• Manage, monitor, update and maintain the internal patent docketing system for Gates Ag One, including creating and opening docket matters, making docket entries, and monitoring docketing deadlines.
• Prepare, file and manage patents and patent–related documents through patent prosecution and patent term.
• Maintain, monitor and update database of freedom to operate analyses.
• Generate docketing reports as requested by the Gates Ag One IP team.
• Assist with miscellaneous patent–related projects including preparing patent portfolio summaries, calculation of expiration dates, performing research and compiling patent data as requested.
• Assist in entering and maintaining invention disclosure database.
• Assist with maintenance and searching of Gates Ag One contract database and contract request and processing systems.
• Draft, review, and edit a wide variety of commercial contracts including Non–Disclosure Agreements and Master Services Agreements under the supervision of an attorney; provide general corporate transactional support.
• Work with other members of the Legal team, outside counsel, foundation and affiliate staff as required; participate in Legal team meetings and projects as needed.
• Assist with other legal bodies of work and projects across the foundation's teams in addition to primary work with Gates Ag One.
• Work cross–functionally, employing best–in–class solutions to maintain and analyze information, including the evaluation and deployment of new technologies.
• Conduct quality interactions, including clear and consistent communications, with Gates Ag One and foundation employees as well as third parties and R&D partners.

Your Experience

• Bachelor's degree and/or Paralegal certificate required.
• A minimum of 5 years' patent prosecution and U.S. Patent and Trademark Office database experience (knowledge of IPfolio database or comparable docketing database is preferred).
• Experience drafting, editing, and reviewing contracts and providing corporate transactional support under the supervision of an attorney is preferred.
• Understanding of intellectual property (licenses, ownership, tech transfer, etc.).
• Background in SharePoint–based records/knowledge management, litigation, and eDiscovery strongly preferred.
• Strong ability to work both independently and as a great teammate in a collaborative environment that moves work toward the achievement of goals.
• High level of interpersonal skills to develop and maintain positive relationships, establish trust, and treat others with dignity and respect.
• Ability to handle sensitive, confidential, and urgent matters with composure, diplomacy, and good judgment.
• Flexible, organized, and able to work well under pressure in a fast–paced environment.
• Makes efficient use of time, sets high work standards, is highly productive, prepared, and detail oriented.
• Consistently follows through with commitments and meets deadlines.
• Creative problem–solving and ability to juggle multiple and competing tasks and rapidly changing priorities and demands.
• Ability to research issues, conduct analysis, and develop efficient processes and creative solutions to problems.
• Technical proficiency in Microsoft Office products.
• Sense of humor.

Must be able to legally work in the country where this position is located without visa sponsorship.

The typical salary range for this role is $31.00 – 57.58 USD per hour. The exact offer will be determined by a variety of factors such as the candidate's individual skills, qualifications, and experience relative to the requirements of the role.

Hiring Requirements

As part of our standard hiring process for new employees, employment will be contingent upon successful completion of a background check.

Depending upon your work location, we may require proof of full vaccination against COVID–19 and any recommended booster doses. All employees based in the United States are to provide proof of full vaccination upon hire and any recommended boosters, subject to applicable laws.

Candidate Accommodations

If you require assistance due to a disability in the application or recruitment process, please submit a request here.

Inclusion Statement

We are dedicated to the belief that all lives have equal value. We strive for a global and cultural workplace that supports ever greater diversity, equity, and inclusion – of voices, ideas, and approaches – and we support this diversity through all our employment practices.

All applicants and employees who are drawn to serve our mission will enjoy equality of opportunity and fair treatment without regard to race, color, age, religion, pregnancy, sex, sexual orientation, disability, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, genetic information, veteran status, marital status, and prior protected activity.