Patent Strategy Manager

We're Hiring a Patent Strategy Manager.

At LGC, we're expanding our support for government partners and we’re looking for an experienced Senior Patent Portfolio Manager to lead the strategic management of a diverse and groundbreaking patent portfolio.

This is your chance to work at the intersection of medical research and innovation, helping turn cutting-edge discoveries into real-world impact. You'll play a key role in advancing technology transfer and supporting the commercial potential of government-funded research.

About Us

LGC’s Grant Management Group (GMG) partners with UK government departments and arm’s length bodies to advance medical and health research across the UK. We provide end-to-end support for research funding, managing calls, contracts, and intellectual property, to ensure public investment delivers real-world impact. Our team works closely with senior leaders in academia, the NHS, government, and industry to drive innovation and improve health outcomes, both nationally and globally.

Job Description

In this critical role, you will be responsible for safeguarding and maximising the value of their patents to support licensing opportunities, strategic partnerships, and broader commercial initiatives. You will take ownership of the full lifecycle of the patent portfolio from filing and prosecution to maintenance and enforcement ensuring all assets are protected, strategically aligned, and legally compliant. Working closely with inventors, legal counsel, and business development teams, you'll play a vital role in translating innovation into tangible business value.

Key Responsibilities

• Oversee the IP portfolio to ensure high-quality protection and commercial readiness
• Collaborate with teams across customer sites to identify and capture patentable inventions
• Review invention disclosures, and manage patent drafting, filing, and prosecution processes
• Conduct patentability and freedom-to-operate (FTO) searches to support robust filings with commercial potential
• Coordinate with and manage external Patent Attorneys to protect innovations and resolve complex IP issues
• Align IP protection with commercialisation strategies and conduct regular IP audits and due diligence
• Maintain accurate records of all IP assets, including renewals and a Trade Secret register
• Provide IP training to customer staff and support complex technology transfer activities
• Assist in negotiations with inventors, licensees, and investors to secure strong IP positions and financial returns
• Manage internal and external legal support to resolve IP and contractual matters

About You

Required Criteria

• Degree (BSc, MSc or PhD) qualified in life sciences/chemistry
• Qualifications or comparable experience in an IP Law and Practice
• Knowledge of IP management databases such as Wellspring Sophia and Astria
• Extensive experience in utilising patent searching databases such as Patsnap, PatBase or Clarivate to conduct IP searching and analysis
• Significant experience in managing IP portfolios
• Ability to communicate complex information regarding intellectual property and commercialisation to a range of audiences using appropriate style and format of messages

Desired Criteria

• Experience in commercialisation of IP in the medical and life sciences sector
• Experience of working with industry, researchers and government to identify mutually beneficial outcomes for commercialisation of IP

Key Competencies

• Excellent attention to detail
• Exceptional organisational skills due to various IP deadlines

Salary & Benefits

£59,500 + pa

Bonus - subject to company performance

25 days annual leave, plus public holidays (UK)

Enhanced contributory pension scheme

Life Insurance

Benenden Healthcare

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Please note: This is a hybrid, office-based role with an expectation for all employees to attend our Victoria, London office, typically one day every week. This requirement may increase in line with business needs. The role will also require occasional travel to customer sites in Cambridge, London, and Oxfordshire.

Application

If you are excited about the prospect of joining our team and believe you possess the relevant skills and background, we invite you to apply. Please submit your CV along with a 'Statement of Suitability' that showcases your key skills and experiences in relation to the 'Required Criteria' outlined in the job description. Additionally, share your enthusiasm for working with the LGC Group.