R&D IP Strategist

Job Description

Position Summary

The R&D IP Strategist serves as the strategic and operational interface between Research & Development and the Intellectual Property (IP) organization. The role is responsible for integrating intellectual property considerations into innovation activities by enabling high-quality technical input, structured invention generation, competitive intelligence, trade secret discipline, and collaboration-related IP support.

This position partners closely with R&D leaders, developers, engineers, business stakeholders, and the IP team to strengthen the company’s innovation and IP position. The role ensures that technical opportunities, competitive developments, and potential risks are identified early and translated into actionable inputs for IP decision-making. It also supports the development of repeatable processes that improve invention intake, portfolio visibility, and IP awareness across R&D.

The role requires a balance of strategic thinking and operational execution, along with the ability to influence across a matrixed environment, manage multiple priorities, and foster strong cross-functional collaboration.

Key Responsibilities

Competitive Intelligence and IP Analytics

• Monitor prioritized competitor and technology areas in alignment with business and R&D priorities.
• Track patents, publications, and related technical developments to identify emerging opportunities and risks.
• Prepare technical summaries and first-pass assessments of relevant external developments.
• Compare competitor and internal innovations from a technical and product perspective in partnership with the IP team.
• Maintain intelligence trackers and ensure timely escalation of relevant findings.

Defensive Vulnerability Assessment

• Conduct first-line technical reviews of products, platforms, and technologies to identify vulnerability areas and potential design-around opportunities.
• Assess competitor inventions for technical implications and coordinate escalation for IP review, as appropriate.
• Prepare supporting materials for IP evaluation and maintain follow-up actions through resolution.
• Partner with R&D teams to embed proactive defensive assessment into development activities.

Invention Harvesting and Offensive IP Support

• Identify innovation opportunities, technical adjacencies, and future-focused concepts with potential strategic IP value.
• Share with the R&D organization competitive trends, and drive invention harvesting activities across R&D to encourage timely and high-quality disclosures.
• Maintain visibility of the invention pipeline to support filing and portfolio planning.

Trade Secret Identification and Confidentiality Support

• Identify candidate trade secrets across technical know-how, methods, processes, and data.
• Maintain inventories of sensitive technical information and support appropriate classification and controls.
• Promote awareness of confidentiality requirements and support sound decision-making related to patent versus trade secret protection.
• Reinforce disciplined handling of proprietary information across R&D activities.

Open Innovation and Collaboration Support

• Define and document technical scope for collaboration initiatives to support effective IP coordination.
• Review technical publications and disclosures in partnership with relevant stakeholders prior to external release.
• Collect and organize technical inputs required for collaboration-related IP reviews and agreements.
• Track key obligations, deliverables, and deadlines associated with collaborative activities.

Portfolio Support and Value Optimization

• Provide technical input into invention and asset prioritization based on strategic relevance and business impact.
• Help distinguish foundational, enabling, and more easily designed-around technologies to support portfolio decisions.
• Maintain trackers and supporting materials for periodic portfolio reviews and related decision-making.
• Contribute to portfolio visibility and prioritization efforts that focus resources on high-value opportunities.

IP Awareness and Process Enablement

• Support IP engagement within R&D by coordinating invention harvesting, awareness sessions, and process communications.
• Reinforce understanding of disclosure expectations, confidentiality, and relevant workflows.
• Serve as a point of contact for process-related questions and help ensure timely movement of activities across stakeholders.
• Promote a culture in which IP awareness is integrated into innovation planning and execution.

Cross-Functional Interfaces

• Research & Development
• Intellectual Property
• Business and Product/Platform Teams
• Innovation and Collaboration Stakeholders
• Legal and related support functions, as applicable

Qualifications

Required Qualifications

• Advanced degree in science, engineering, technology, or a related discipline; or equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.
• Significant experience in R&D, technical strategy, innovation management, IP-facing roles, or a related cross-functional function.
• Demonstrated experience working at the intersection of technical development and intellectual property.
• Strong ability to evaluate technologies, inventions, and competitive developments from both technical and strategic perspectives.
• Experience operating effectively in a matrixed environment and influencing cross-functional stakeholders.
• Strong project management, organizational, and prioritization skills.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to translate complex technical information into clear, actionable insights.
• Strong judgment, attention to detail, and accountability for execution.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working with patent counsel, IP teams, or innovation-related legal processes.
• Familiarity with competitive intelligence, invention harvesting, design-around analysis, trade secret programs, or portfolio review processes.
• Experience supporting collaboration governance, publication review, or technical diligence activities.
• Experience within a large, complex, innovation-driven organization.
• Experience leading cross-functional initiatives across multiple teams or sites.

Working Relationships

This role works in close partnership with the Intellectual Property organization, which retains responsibility for legal strategy, legal risk evaluation, policy ownership, prosecution direction, agreement terms, and final legal approvals. The R&D IP Strategist provides the technical, operational, and business-facing support needed to inform and enable those activities.

Required Skills:

Artificial Intelligence Technologies, Complex Systems Design, Customer-Focused, Decision Making, Hardware Engineering, Innovation, Interdisciplinary Collaboration, Market Opportunity Analysis, Mechanical Engineering, Persuasion, Presentation Delivery, Research Development, Software Development, Support Coordination, Systems Architecture Design, Technical Evaluation, Technology Research

Preferred Skills:

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Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA, also known as Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC, Rahway, NJ, USA, does not accept unsolicited assistance from search firms for employment opportunities. All CVs / resumes submitted by search firms to any employee at our company without a valid written search agreement in place for this position will be deemed the sole property of our company.  No fee will be paid in the event a candidate is hired by our company as a result of an agency referral where no pre-existing agreement is in place. Where agency agreements are in place, introductions are position specific. Please, no phone calls or emails. 

Employee Status:

Regular

Relocation:

VISA Sponsorship:

Travel Requirements:

Flexible Work Arrangements:

Hybrid

Shift:

Valid Driving License:

Hazardous Material(s):

Job Posting End Date:

10/20/2026

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