Director, Patent Operations

A prestigious, innovation-driven global law firm is seeking a Director, Patent Operations to lead the strategic and operational vision for its high-performing Patent Practice Group. This is a senior leadership role responsible for driving operational excellence, scaling global workflows, and partnering with firm leadership to shape the long-term infrastructure of a world-class IP practice. This role will be hybrid and can sit in Boston, DC, NYC, San Francisco, Palo Alto, Santa Monica, or Seattle.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead and execute the operational strategy for the Patent Practice Group across all U.S. offices.
• Drive multi-year planning, workflow optimization, and scalable process design (including Patricia and 3rd-party tools).
• Oversee all patent operations teams - docketing, international filings, and legal support (13 total direct reports).
• Establish and enforce firmwide operational standards, metrics, and best practices.
• Lead major change initiatives involving technology implementation, restructuring, and process redesign.
• Partner with Finance, IT, HR, Risk, and IP leadership to ensure seamless operational integration.
• Manage patent technology platforms and key vendor relationships.
• Deliver executive-level reporting using KPIs and operational data to inform strategy and performance.
• Serve as a thought leader on industry trends, emerging technologies, and best practices.

Qualifications:

• 10 years in patent prosecution operations, with 5-7 years in senior leadership.
• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree or certifications (MBA, PMP, Lean Six Sigma) preferred.
• Deep expertise in U.S. and foreign patent processes, prosecution workflows, and docketing systems.
• Proven experience scaling and transforming operations for large, global IP teams.
• Strong leadership skills with success managing managers and multi-office teams.
• Exceptional communication, analytical, and stakeholder management capabilities.