Principal, Patent Agent

About the role

Manage the intellectual property assets for Lennox. This role will work closely with cross-functional teams and the legal team.

Responsibilities

• Draft and prosecute patent applications in accordance with U.S. and foreign patent laws and regulations.
• Assist with patentability searches and provide opinions on patentability and freedom-to-operate matters.
• Collaborate with inventors, engineers, and other stakeholders to identify and capture new inventions.
• Work daily building Lennox intellectual property assets, including patents, trademarks, copyrights, and trade secrets.
• Assist with patent development and filing internal and external legal sources.
• Interact with USPTO and other global patent offices, as needed, on issues related to filing, prosecuting, and maintaining patents.
• Work with preparation, negotiation, and execution of NDAs.
• Collaborate with legal R&D, Senior Management, and the business development teams to capture, and write-up new IP and align IP strategies with business objectives.
• Address intellectual property infringement risks and establish safeguards.
• Integrate and maintain IP‑IT database with collaboration from legal team.
• Address and resolve any issues or disputes related to IP agreements.
• Enforce intellectual property rights through appropriate legal actions as needed.
• Stay current on relevant intellectual property laws and regulations.
• Collaborate with valuation experts to assess the value of intellectual property assets.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering or other science discipline; Master’s degree preferred.
• At least 8 years of related experience as an Intellectual Property & Licensing Manager.
• Registration to practice with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
• Docketing and maintenance experience (a plus).

Skills

• Strong knowledge of intellectual property law and industry standards.
• Ability to work collaboratively with cross‑functional teams to ensure compliance with IP terms.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Analytical mindset with ability to assess commercial valuation of intellectual property assets.
• Strong business acumen and ability to align strategies with organizational goals.
• Familiarity with intellectual property valuation methods and financial analysis.
• Attention to detail and ability to manage multiple licensing projects simultaneously.
• Ability to work independently.

Pay

This is a salaried exempt role. The starting salary range for this role and market is between $127,200 - $166,950 annually. Factors that may affect starting salary include geography/market and the skills, education, experience, and other qualifications of the successful candidate. Employees in this role are also eligible for an annual bonus in accordance with the terms of the Company’s applicable plan. Employees in this role are not eligible for overtime