Metabolix is an exciting young company based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, commercializing a broad family of bioplastics based on biological conversion of renewable resources (sugars and vegetable oils) that respond to society's call for sustainable plastics and chemicals. The company received the 2005 Presidential Green Chemistry Award and the 2006 Environmental Stewardship Award from the Society of Plastics Engineers. Metabolix employs a highly interdisciplinary team of molecular biologists, chemical engineers, chemists and polymer scientists. Our growing company continuously seeks talented individuals in the fields of molecular biology, plant sciences, fermentation, chemistry, polymer science and polymer applications who would like to work in a friendly, collegial atmosphere. Metabolix is an equal opportunity employer. Salaries and benefits are competitive. Located near MIT in Cambridge, Metabolix is convenient to public transportation.
To support our expanded piloting, engineering and market development production needs, we seek to fill the following new positions with immediate effect:
Intellectual Property Manager
Sr. Process / Production Engineer, Compounding
Patent Paralegal
Intellectual Property Manager
Job Description:
The Intellectual Property Manager will be a member of an interdisciplinary team, working with inventors, attorneys and Metabolix management in concert with Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) the Telles Joint Venture partner. This position will facilitate the translation of technical discoveries into valuable IP rights for the company. As the IP team leader, the IP Manager will drive the capture of inventions, assist in preparation of patent applications, and monitor the intellectual property of the global polymer industry.
Serving as a resource on intellectual property matters for inventors, legal and business groups, the IP Manager will creatively extract the maximum value from new inventions through detailed analysis, knowledge of research data and the prior art in the field. Key responsibilities will be the compilation of relevant data bases, preparation of patent applications, development of competitive data bases and tracking global intellectual property.
Job Responsibilities:
• Interact with researchers to capture intellectual property
• Interface with internal legal group and external legal firms to drive global patent strategy
• Manage database for invention disclosures and inventions
• Perform comprehensive literature searches to identify potential prior art
• Interface with the R&D and legal departments to prioritize invention disclosures and to identify key inventions for patent protection
• Work with the inventors and others to draft patent applications
• Develop competitive intelligence process
• Perform “freedom to operate” studies for specific product applications
• Participate in due diligence with outside counsel and manage outside counsel in the evaluation and defense of patent portfolios and assets.
• Assist in drafting nondisclosure, research, license and other agreements involving the use, transfer, or ownership of IP and manage compliance of these agreements
Qualifications:
• Industrial experience of 5 – 10 years as IP management in plastics industry
• MS. degree polymer science or related field
• Legal Degree desirable but not required
• Excellent writing, analytical and communication skills
• Organized, independent, detailed oriented, capable of working under pressure and on multiple tasks, with demonstrated ability to meet deadlines
• Enthusiastic and demonstrated ability to work well in a team environment.
• Solid understanding of the application of scientific IP to achieving business objectives
• Proven knowledge base in polymer technology and industry
• Familiarity with patent law and practice
• Ability to search patent literature
• Good interpersonal and negotiating skills
• Demonstrated skills in conflict management and the ability to resolve issues
• Excellent networking skills
Travel:
Requires tavel between Lowell and Cambridge Metabolix locations along with domestic travel
Report:
Reports to Director of Product Development
Location:
Lowell, MA
Patent Paralegal
Metabolix seeks a Patent Paralegal professional to contribute to our Legal Department.
The Patent Paralegal will work under the direction of the Patent Counsel and responsibilities will include maintenance of patent prosecution files, the docket, correspondence with outside counsel, and related duties. The Paralegal will be part of a growing team, and the position will provide opportunities for creating systems and procedures for protecting and tracking the company’s intellectual assets, monitoring third party activity, and supporting the patent needs of scientific and business personnel.
Job Responsibilities
• Manage, organize and file all patent correspondence and records including reviewing, routing, and determining course of action; docket action items, etc., and filing
• Manage and track payment of patent annuities by outside annuities payment service
• Maintain U.S. and foreign docket and track progress of various patent matters, including invention disclosures, patent applications, oppositions, office actions, assignments and powers, patent studies, and various other projects assigned by Patent Counsel
• Handle communications with, and draft correspondence to, domestic and foreign patent counsel in various patent matters
• Organize and maintain systems for tracking and ensuring integrity of research records, invention records, public disclosures, and patent files
• Develop and maintain internal patent informational databases
• Create new procedures for maintenance, storage and retrieval of patent data
• Follow, improve and develop company patent department procedures
• Conduct on-line searches of U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and European Patent Office databases
• Conduct prior art searching as appropriate
General Competencies Required
• Knowledge of U.S. Patent and Trademark Office rules and procedures; PCT rules and procedures
• Proficiency with Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook
• Proficiency in navigating world patent databases
• Comfort with internet searching and ability to learn other software systems as needed
• Ability to read, analyze, and interpret general business periodicals, professional journals, technical procedures, or governmental regulations
• Ability to write reports, business correspondence and procedure manuals
• Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from groups of managers, business personnel, and scientific research personnel
• Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variable in situations where only limited standardization exists; Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written oral, diagram, or schedule form
• Must be professional, organized, motivated, efficient, detail-oriented
• Must have excellent organizational, administrative, analytical and problem solving skills
• Can prioritize work and follow through on both short- and long-term deadline assignments
• Must be able to handle several projects simultaneously, and work under pressure to meet deadlines
• Can work independently on complex projects with minimal supervision
• Must be willing to work cooperatively as a member of a team in a combined legal, business, and scientific research environment
• Must have excellent written and oral communications skills, and be able to communicate effectively with others, including legal personnel, company officers, employees, research personnel, outside attorneys
Qualifications:
• Bachelor’s Degree, preferably in a scientific field
• Paralegal certification
• Notary Public a plus
• 3+ years experience as a paralegal in intellectual property practice, either in a law firm setting or in-house legal department; Or equivalent knowledge and experience
Additional Requirements:
Travel
• Expected travel is less than 20 %, but must be able to occasionally travel between our two Cambridge and one Lowell facilities
Sr. Process / Production Engineer, Compounding
The Sr. Process / Production Engineer will assume responsibility for the scale-up and transfer of Compounding Technology from the Development Laboratory to the manufacturing sites. The incumbent will also be responsible for the day to day operations at the tolling operations.
Job Responsibilities
• Hands-on Process scale-up efforts to the Toll Manufacturing sites
• Oversight of the day to day production and testing at the Toll Compounding site.
• Responsible for overall production rates, yields and adherence to schedule for on time delivery to the customer.
• Responsible for project planning and execution with focus on budget, schedule and safety.
Required Skills & Experience
• Requirements include a Bachelors or Masters Degree or equivalent in Chemical Engineering, Plastics Engineering, Mechanical Engineering or closely related field.
• Five to eight years of relevant work experience.
• An in depth Knowledge of twin screw compounding equipment and processes a must.
• Knowledge of polymer testing protocols and color matching a plus.
Additional Requirements
• Hands-on well organized self starter with the ability to manage day to day operations in a contract manufacturing environment.
• Excellent verbal and written communications skills.
• Ability to work effectively as a member of cross functional teams including Product Development, Technical Service and Business Development functions.
• Position may require extensive domestic travel or relocation to the Toll Manufacturing site.
The successful candidate will report to the Metabolix / Telles Director of Manufacturing and Development.
This position will be located at the Telles headquarters in Lowell, MA but may transfer to the Toll manufacturing location (TBD).
To apply for any of the above positions, please indicate the position you are applying for in the subject line and attach your resume and cover letter with salary requirements to:
By Mail:
Human Resources
Metabolix, Inc.
21 Erie Street
Cambridge, MA 02139
By Email:
HRjobs@metabolix.com
By Fax:
617-682-4727
