Stream Leaders in the Observatory (21241)

The newly created Observatory on Patents and Technology ("Observatory") led by the Chief Patent Research and Policy Officer aims to strengthen the impact and outreach of the EPO by contributing to a deeper understanding of the future of innovation and technology.

As a digital hub, the Observatory will bring together representatives from different units, in particular for governance and networking activities. It will combine multidisciplinary skills and IP expertise to foster innovation and education across Europe and build a stronger European patent system. The Observatory will also identify gaps in patent and IP-related knowledge and in the understanding of complex technological concepts, and will propose awareness-raising campaigns at European or national level in close liaison with partners and stakeholders.

The Observatory's operations will focus on three different areas, or streams: technology intelligence, legal and innovation policies and diversity and transformation. Each stream will be headed by a technical lead who reports direct to the Chief Patent Research and Policy Officer to ensure early strategic alignment and effective, timely decision-making.

To support the activities of the Observatory, we are now looking for three suitably qualified candidates for the role of Stream Leader for the individual streams:

As Stream Leader for Technology Intelligence, you will:

• co‑ordinate the creation of the various hubs within the Observatory
• map critical technology developments (i.e. drivers of ongoing transformations and newly emerging technologies with disruptive potential)
• identify the pan-European innovation ecosystems of critical technology development, along with their key components
• promote co-ordination and collaboration among the key players to bring innovative solutions to market
• organise programmes and events for online hub meetings
• work collaboratively with a variety of stakeholders using input received for different purposes, such as online platforms, mapping projects, case studies, country profiles, etc.
• ensure the delivery of high-quality products and services

As Stream Leader for Legal and Innovation Policies, you will:

• co‑ordinate the creation of the various hubs within the Observatory
• analyse patents, patent knowledge and intelligence in the context of the broader innovation framework, related economic tools (i.e. public funding and taxation) and branches of the law (i.e. competition law and trade law)
• study patents in the context of the IP system, with a focus on closely related types of IP right, such as designs, trade secrets, standard-essential patents (SEPs) and supplementary protection certificates (SPCs)
• provide a forum for delving deeper into legal "hot topics", such as biotechnology and genomics
• tackle essential legal debates touching on convergence of practice
• cover topical issues and debates, such as licensing around COVID-19 technologies or standard-essential patents, and focus on "last mile" considerations in the patent system, such as the tangible impact of legal and innovation policies
• organise programmes and events for online hub meetings
• work collaboratively with a variety of stakeholders using input received for different purposes, such as online platforms, mapping projects, case studies, country profiles, etc.

As Stream Leader for Diversity and Transformation, you will:

• co‑ordinate the creation of the various hubs within the Observatory
• focus on repackaging the insights generated by the other two streams of the Observatory to make them clear, understandable and accessible to a non-specialist audience (e.g. redesigning content in multiple formats to address different stakeholder groups)
• increase the diversity and inclusion of under-represented players in the innovation ecosystem, such as women, young people, SMEs, universities, research centres and others
• expand the younger generation's skills and knowledge for defining and analysing technical problems and generating potential solutions by horizon-scanning existing technical solutions
• raise awareness of the various tools available to secure the results of investments in new products and processes
• acquaint non-specialist audiences with the patent system
• organise programmes and events for online hub meetings
• work collaboratively with a variety of stakeholders using input received for different purposes, such as online platforms, mapping projects, case studies, country profiles, etc.
• ensure the delivery of high-quality products and services

Apply if you have:

• an excellent understanding of the IP landscape and the EPO's strategy
• a forward-thinking approach and initiative to develop new solutions, processes and workflows
• strong analytical skills and the ability to advise on operational matters related to IP and innovation
• excellent drafting skills to produce structured, concise high-quality documents
• strong communication skills and the proven ability to drive co-operation initiatives and projects
• strong diplomatic skills and a demonstrable ability to interact effectively and build and maintain excellent working relationships with a range of stakeholders
• an aptitude for encouraging collaboration and proactive knowledge transfer, while acting as a role-model for the one-Office approach
• diploma of completed studies at master's level (preferably in science for the role of Stream Leader for Technology Intelligence; preferably in business administration, law, science or economics for the other two stream leaders) or – in exceptional cases, equivalent professional experience
• excellent knowledge (at least C1) of one official language (English, French and German) and the ability to understand the other two; alternatively, excellent knowledge (at least C1) of one official language and the willingness to learn the missing language(s) and to reach level B2 within a set time frame 
• citizenship of one of the member states of the European Patent Organisation 

Process

The successful candidate(s) will be selected on the basis of qualifications, competencies, professional experience and language knowledge, supplemented as appropriate by interviews, tests and/or a personality questionnaire.

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Key information

Job group: 4

Grade: G7 to G10 (net basic) monthly salary* for this vacancy: EUR 6 459 to 9 364, depending on experience and location)

Duration of appointment: 5 years

Career path: Technical 

Location: Hybrid based in Germany (Munich) or The Netherlands (The Hague) 

Application deadline: 22 March 2023

Interviews planned: week commencing 17 April 2023

* after deduction of EPO-internal tax and before deduction of staff contributions to the social security and pension schemes.

Please apply through this link.  

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