Patent Agent

About Us
We invite you to help us shape the future of agriculture. At Syngenta, we believe every employee has a role to play in safely feeding the world and taking care of our planet. To support that challenge, the Intellectual Property team is currently seeking a Patent Agent in Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina. As a Patent Agent you will independently provide program, project, and collaboration support (including technical and patent drafting and prosecution support) to the Intellectual Property team to enable more efficient use of resources.

You will help shape the future of agriculture by:
Independently drafting and prosecuting patent applications
Independently supporting Seeds Research and Development projects, programs and collaborations to protect Syngenta intellectual property, including identifying and progressing new inventions
Carrying out legal research and supporting legal evaluations, including patentability and Freedom to Operate analyses 

Accountabilities 

• Evaluate invention disclosures cooperatively with research, business, and patent attorneys
• Independently prepare patent applications and prosecute global patent families in a timely manner
• Assist Patent Attorneys with legal research and evaluations for opinions, including Freedom to Operate
• Proactively interact with inventors, research, business and patent attorneys during preparation and prosecution of patent applications.
• Proactively interact with licensing managers and attorneys to support collaborations and licensing matters
• Keep abreast of rapidly changing technology and technology-related law
• Perform all activities in accordance with the Syngenta Health, Safety, and Environmental Policy 
   

Requirements

• Registered to practice before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office 
• Bachelor’s Degree in a registered technical subject or equivalent in accordance with the qualifications for the admission to practice in the USPTO, preferably in Biology, Biochemistry, Botany, Entomology, Microbiology, or Molecular Biology
• 3+ years of life sciences patent experience including patent drafting and prosecution, patent searching and analysis 
• Excellent oral and written communication, problem solving and organization skills with scrupulous attention to detail
• Ability to critically read and understand scientific literature, lab experimentation, data, results, and scientific methods

Preferred Requirements

• M.S. or Ph.D, strongly preferred, with practical work experience in a biological science, preferably in Biotechnology, Molecular Biology, Plant Molecular Biology, Biochemistry, or Genetics
• DNA and amino acid sequence knowledge, searching, alignments, analysis (GenomeQuest) and familiarity with molecular biology software (Geneious or Vector NTI)
• Law firm, Patent Office, or in-house experience
• Knowledge of genome editing technology, plant pathology, plant genetics, entomology and insect control technologies, or plant breeding (including marker-assisted breeding) 
   

What We Offer:

• Full Benefit Package (Medical, Dental & Vision) that starts the same day you do
• 401k plan with company match, Profit Sharing & Retirement Savings Contribution
• Open Vacation Policy with a minimum of 15 days of vacation and up to 30 days with manager approval, 9 Paid Holidays
• Maternity and Paternity Leave, Education Assistance, Wellness Programs, Corporate Discounts among others
• A culture that promotes work/life balance, celebrates diversity, and offers numerous family-oriented events throughout the year

Syngenta is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate in recruitment, hiring, training, promotion or any other employment practices for reasons of race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, sexual orientation, marital or veteran status, disability, or any other legally protected status.

Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) 
(http://www.dol.gov/whd/regs/compliance/posters/fmla.htm)

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission's (EEOC)
(http://webapps.dol.gov/elaws/firststep/poster_direct.htm)

Employee Polygraph Protection Act (EPPA)
(http://www.dol.gov/whd/regs/compliance/posters/eppa.htm)

#LI-LP1

About Syngenta
Syngenta is a global leader in agriculture; rooted in science and dedicated to bringing plant potential to life. Each of our 28,000 employees in more than 90 countries work together to solve one of humanity’s most pressing challenges: growing more food with fewer resources. A diverse workforce and an inclusive workplace environment are enablers of our ambition to be the most collaborative and trusted team in agriculture. Our employees reflect the diversity of our customers, the markets where we operate and the communities which we serve. No matter what your position, you will have a vital role in safely feeding the world and taking care of our planet. Join us and help shape the future of agriculture.