Patent Associate (Fixed-Term - Maternity Cover)

About the Position

We are Reckitt, home to the world's best loved and trusted hygiene, health, and nutrition brands. Our purpose is to protect, heal, and nurture in the relentless pursuit of a cleaner, healthier world. We are a global team united by this purpose.

Join our Legal and Compliance Function, where you'll be challenged and stretched with a combination of impact, innovation, and excellence. Our Legal team is at the forefront of shaping the corporate landscape and redefining the boundaries of what is possible. We go beyond the traditional realms of a legal and compliance function, transforming ourselves into strategic partners who help drive business growth, mitigate risks, and champion ethical and sustainable practices.

Patent Associate (Fixed-Term - Maternity Cover)

City: Slough, United Kingdom

Responsibilities

• Manage patent and design portfolios for one or more Reckitt categories or technology areas.
• Partner with R&D and innovation teams to identify, assess, and protect inventions and design innovations.
• Draft, file, and prosecute patent and design applications through external counsel and agents worldwide.
• Provide freedom-to-operate advice, validity assessments, and strategic patentability opinions.
• Conduct competitor monitoring, patent landscape reviews, and technology intelligence activities.
• Contribute to opposition, enforcement, and litigation activities where required.
• Build strong relationships with business stakeholders to ensure intellectual property considerations are integrated into innovation and business decisions.

Requirements

• Qualified or near-qualified European Patent Attorney and/or UK Patent Attorney.
• Experience in patent drafting, prosecution, and freedom-to-operate analysis.
• Strong technical background in chemistry, mechanical engineering, chemical engineering, or related disciplines.
• Experience managing patent and design matters in private practice, industry, or a combination of both.
• Experience communicating complex legal concepts to non-legal stakeholders in a clear and commercial manner.
• Exposure to FMCG, consumer health, or innovation-driven businesses would be advantageous.
• Experience conducting patent landscape and competitor monitoring activities would be beneficial.

Skills for Success

• Patent Strategy
• Patent Drafting
• Patent Prosecution
• Design Protection
• Freedom to Operate Analysis
• Invention Harvesting
• Intellectual Property Risk Management
• Portfolio Management
• Competitor Intelligence
• Technology Landscaping
• Stakeholder Management
• Commercial Awareness
• Legal Communication
• Influencing
• Innovation Partnership
• Problem Solving
• Project Management
• Collaboration
• Business Partnership

We Offer

With inclusion at the heart of everything we do, working alongside our four global Employee Resource Groups, we support our people at every step of their career journey, helping them to succeed in their own individual way. We invest in the wellbeing of our people through parental benefits, an Employee Assistance Program to promote mental health, and life insurance for all employees globally. We have a range of other benefits in line with the local market. Through our global share plans, we offer the opportunity to save and share in Reckitt's potential future successes. For eligible roles, we also offer short-term incentives to recognize, appreciate, and reward your work for delivering outstanding results. You will be rewarded in line with Reckitt's pay-for-performance philosophy.

Equality

We recognize that in real life, great people don't always 'tick all the boxes'. That's why we hire for potential as well as experience. Even if you don't meet every point on the job description, if this role and our company feels like a good fit for you, we still want to hear from you. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, disability or medical condition; color, ethnicity, race, citizenship, and national origin; religion, faith; pregnancy, family status, and caring responsibilities; sexual orientation; sex, gender identity, gender expression, and transgender identity; protected veteran status; size, or any other basis protected by appropriate law.

About the Company

We are Reckitt, home to the world's best loved and trusted hygiene, health, and nutrition brands. Our purpose defines why we exist: to protect, heal, and nurture in the relentless pursuit of a cleaner, healthier world. We are a global team united by this purpose. Join us in our fight to make access to the highest quality hygiene, wellness, and nourishment a right and not a privilege.