Senior Principal IP Counsel - FTO

We anticipate the application window for this opening will close on - 26 Apr 2025

At Medtronic you can begin a life-long career of exploration and innovation, while helping champion healthcare access and equity for all. You’ll lead with purpose, breaking down barriers to innovation in a more connected, compassionate world.

A Day in the Life

This position is responsible for partnering with our R&D and IP Legal teams to execute IP-specific strategies for Freedom-to-Operate (FTO) and enforcement activities across the entire Medtronic portfolio. This Senior Principal IP Counsel will conduct patent risk assessments and work closely with operating unit IP counsel and R&D teams to bring new products to life. This position reports to the IP Director, Freedom to Operate.

We believe that when people from different cultures, genders, and points of view come together, innovation is the result—and everyone wins. Medtronic walks the walk, creating an inclusive culture where you can thrive.

This position can reside in Minneapolis, MN or one of our other US Medtronic office locations. Remote work may be considered.

Responsibilities may include the following and other duties may be assigned.

• Partnering with internal stakeholders to execute IP-specific strategies for Freedom-to-Operate (FTO) and enforcement activities across the entire Medtronic portfolio.
• Reviewing and interpreting FTO search results, and distilling findings into actionable recommendations.
• Analyzing actual or potential third-party infringement claims, including patent validity assessments.
• Collaborating with our engineering, marketing, and business development teams to understand Medtronic’s competition, current portfolio, and emerging technologies.
• Supporting new product development by performing patent clearance studies.
• Building relationships across Medtronic Legal and business teams through consistent management of IP risks.
• Cultivating strategic relationships and managing outside counsel to accomplish key deliverables on time and on budget.
• Monitoring changes to the evolving competitive landscape for medical device and healthcare technology.
• Serving as a day-to-day resource to the in-house attorneys and R&D teams by answering questions and offering practical legal advice on a wide range of IP and other issues directed to FTO activities, including best practices and internal policy implementation.
• Being a Strategic and Inclusive IP Partner.
• Modeling the Medtronic Mindset – act boldly; compete to win; move with speed and decisiveness; foster belonging; and deliver results the right way.
• Developing appropriate technical acumen and IP risk calibration.
• Confidently communicating IP advice in a clear and succinct way to all levels of management.
  
  
  

MUST HAVE: MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

• J.D.
• 8 years of FTO and IP enforcement experience
• Licensed to practice in at least one state or the District of Columbia
• Registered to practice before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
  
  
  

NICE TO HAVE

• Bachelor's Degree in Biomedical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Computer Science, or similar scientific discipline
• Broad IP experience, including freedom-to-operate, opinion preparation, licensing, and IP transactions, and patent prosecution
• Litigation experience strongly preferred
• Registered to practice before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office preferred
• Demonstrated strong collaboration and relationship-building skills to work across stakeholders at all levels of the organization
• Excellent written, verbal, and listening communications skills, including the ability to develop compelling presentations, and distill complex information into business language
• The ability to prioritize across multiple tasks and demands and remain organized
• Strong sense of ownership and accountability for projects
• Able to thrive in ambiguity and make decisions amidst multiple, competing demands and activities
• A proactive partner with a pragmatic, solutions-oriented, and curious mindset
• Working knowledge of Microsoft applications, including SharePoint, Teams, PowerPoint, Excel, and Word
  
  
  

Physical Job Requirements

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by employees assigned to this position, but they are not an exhaustive list of all the required responsibilities and skills of this position. 

The physical demands described within the Responsibilities section of this job description are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. For Office Roles: While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to be independently mobile. The employee is also required to interact with a computer, and communicate with peers and co-workers. Contact your manager or local HR to understand the Work Conditions and Physical requirements that may be specific to each role.

Benefits & Compensation

Medtronic offers a competitive Salary and flexible Benefits Package

A commitment to our employees lives at the core of our values. We recognize their contributions. They share in the success they help to create. We offer a wide range of benefits, resources, and competitive compensation plans designed to support you at every career and life stage.

Salary ranges for U.S (excl. PR) locations (USD):$190,400.00 - $285,600.00

This position is eligible for a short-term incentive called the Medtronic Incentive Plan (MIP).

This position is eligible for an annual long-term incentive plan.

The base salary range is applicable across the United States, excluding Puerto Rico and specific locations in California. The offered rate complies with federal and local regulations and may vary based on factors such as experience, certification/education, market conditions, and location. Compensation and benefits information pertains solely to candidates hired within the United States (local market compensation and benefits will apply for others).

The following benefits and additional compensation are available to those regular employees who work 20 hours per week: Health, Dental and vision insurance, Health Savings Account, Healthcare Flexible Spending Account, Life insurance, Long-term disability leave, Dependent daycare spending account, Tuition assistance/reimbursement, and Simple Steps (global well-being program).

The following benefits and additional compensation are available to all regular employees: Incentive plans, 401(k) plan plus employer contribution and match, Short-term disability, Paid time off, Paid holidays, Employee Stock Purchase Plan, Employee Assistance Program, Non-qualified Retirement Plan Supplement (subject to IRS earning minimums), and Capital Accumulation Plan (available to Vice Presidents and above, or subject to IRS earning minimums).

Regular employees are those who are not temporary, such as interns. Temporary employees are eligible for paid sick time, as required under applicable state law, and the Employee Stock Purchase Plan. Please note some of the above benefits may not apply to workers in Puerto Rico.

Further details are available at the link below:

About Medtronic

Medtronic benefits and compensation plans

We lead global healthcare technology and boldly attack the most challenging health problems facing humanity by searching out and finding solutions.

Our Mission — to alleviate pain, restore health, and extend life — unites a global team of 95,000 passionate people.

We are engineers at heart— putting ambitious ideas to work to generate real solutions for real people. From the R&D lab, to the factory floor, to the conference room, every one of us experiments, creates, builds, improves and solves. We have the talent, diverse perspectives, and guts to engineer the extraordinary.

Learn more about our business, mission, and our commitment to diversity here.

It is the policy of Medtronic to provide equal employment opportunity (EEO) to all persons regardless of age, color, national origin, citizenship status, physical or mental disability, race, religion, creed, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, genetic information, marital status, status with regard to public assistance, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law. In addition, Medtronic will provide reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities.

If you are applying to perform work for Medtronic, Inc. (“Medtronic”) in any position which will involve performing at least two (2) hours of work on average each week within the unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County, you can find here a list of all material job duties of the specific job position which Medtronic reasonably believes that criminal history may have a direct, adverse and negative relationship potentially resulting in the withdrawal of a conditional offer of employment. Medtronic will consider for employment qualified job applicants with arrest or conviction records in accordance with the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers and the California Fair Chance Act.