Technology Transfer Paralegal job at George Mason University in Fairfax, VA

Title: Technology Transfer Paralegal Location: Fairfax United States Job Description: Department: Office Rsrch Innov and Econ Impact Classification: Admin Office Specialist 3 Job Category: Classified Staff Job Type: Full-Time Work Schedule: Full-time (1.0 FTE, 40 hrs/wk) Workplace Type: Hybrid Eligible Sponsorship Eligibility: Not eligible for visa sponsorship Pay Band: 03 Salary: Salary commensurate with education and experience Restricted: Yes Criminal Background Check: Yes About the Department: The Office of Technology Transfer (OTT) at George Mason University (Mason) is responsible for protecting intellectual property (IP) rights of inventions by faculty, researchers, and students at Mason. OTT also accelerates and facilitates the commercialization of university research and technology. About the Position: The Technology Transfer Paralegal reports directly to the Director of OTT and provides legal and administrative support for intellectual property management and commercialization efforts. This position interfaces with licensing associates, outside counsel, university counsel, the state attorney general's office, government agencies, faculty inventors, and students. The Paralegal ensures legal documentation is properly prepared, recorded, tracked, and assists with federal reporting compliance set by the Bayh Dole Act. Responsibilities: Patent Prosecution Support: Serves as a point of contact for Mason's Intellectual Property (IP) portfolio and serves as a liaison between outside IP counsel, Mason inventors, prospective and actual licensees, and OTT team members. Facilitates communication between attorneys and inventors throughout the patent application and prosecution process. Reviews and extracts relevant case details from USPTO correspondence and databases. Docketing/Database Management: Tracks and facilitates all phases of the Technology Transfer lifecycle, including: invention disclosure intake, triage, patent prosecution, copyright registration, marketing, licensing, and licensee compliance. Maintains accurate and up-to-date records of IP assets, agreements, and communications using the OTT's database (e.g., Inteum). Assists with docket management for both domestic and international IP matters, ensuring deadlines for office actions, maintenance fees, and annuities are met. Resolves discrepancies, errors, and omissions in office communications, records, and filings. Conducts intellectual property research on public and private databases. Financial: Manages Attorney General approval process for legal services, as required. Obtains estimates from law firms for patent prosecution and other intellectual property services. Manages patent maintenance fees and international annuity payments. Reviews and approves legal invoices from outside counsel for accuracy. Generates revenue distribution spreadsheets for inventor distribution. Tracks patent expenses to be recovered from licensees. Reporting: Ensures compliance with federal Bayh-Dole reporting requirements, including timely and accurate iEdison submissions. Prepares weekly reports and conducts docket meetings with OTT staff for patent prosecution matters. Generates ad-hoc reports and metrics to evaluate IP and licensing performance. Prepares materials and reports for external presentations, internal workshops and represent the Office, as needed. Document Management and other OTT Related Tasks: Reviews new Invention Disclosures for compliance and document them for OTT procedures. Prepares patent related documents such as assignments, declarations, coversheet provisional applications, inter-institutional agreements, and support letters. Communicates with inventors, legal counsel, and internal departments regarding disclosure status, patent prosecution and agreement processing. Assists with the execution of licenses, and related contracts such as: confidentiality agreements, material transfer agreements, joint invention agreements, research collaboration agreements and license agreements. Manages licensing agreements for performance, compliance, and payment of fees. Provides general support for OTT, including administrative tasks, development of Standard Operating Procedures, and internal and external outreach Maintains and updates OTT's website. Performs additional duties as assigned by the OTT or the University. Required Qualifications: Associate's degree in related field; Paralegal, law office, technology transfer, or related experience (generally one year); Experience using advanced features in MS Office Word and Excel; Experience in technical and business communications; Ability to support prosecution of patent and other intellectual property; Ability to handle financial activities; Ability to handle legal documents; Ability to perform research; Ability to track deadlines of multiple team members; Ability to work independently and collaborate with others; and Ability to handle a wide variety of projects simultaneously to meet deadlines, and be productive within a dynamic and ever-changing environment. Preferred Qualifications: Bachelor's degree in related field; Paralegal certificate; Docketing experience (generally one year); Intellectual property paralegal experience; Experience working with license and other legal agreements; Experience in intellectual property processes including patents, copyrights, trademarks, and trade secrets; Experience using Inteum database; Experience using iEdison reporting system; Experience working collaboratively with researchers or technical staff in intellectual property and licensing matters; Experience establishing and maintaining effective working relationships with management, peers, academics, and/or other professionals; Working knowledge of intellectual property; Knowledge of technology transfer federal reporting; Knowledge of intellectual property records and docket reports; Knowledge of Inteum database; Knowledge of iEdison reporting system; Knowledge of interacting with United States Patent and Trademark Office databases; Strong customer service skills; and Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with management, peers, academics, and other professionals, including external agencies, with varied interests and perspectives. 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