Patent Assistant

Grow your career. Be the difference. Leading the commercialization of ground-breaking technology that captures CO₂ directly from air is challenging and exhilarating. As a member of the CE team, you’ll be surrounded by smart, adventurous, curious people committed to progressing our Direct Air Capture (DAC) and AIR TO FUELS TM technologies. We’re a diverse team of innovators hailing from around the world with a shared vision, purpose, and commitment to deliver large scale climate change solutions. Our headquarters is in Squamish, B.C., and our presence is expanding in many other markets around the world as we commercialize our technologies

Our culture combines our heritage as a small company with our ambitious goals. We have a passion for what we do and believe our work will have a true and lasting impact on the world. Many of our employees are drawn to CE because of the direct connection between the game-changing work we do and their own personal values.

At our core, Carbon Engineering values integrity, growth, excellence in execution, and fun. This is an environment where people matter, and contributions are noticed. Our employees work hard and are given the opportunity to learn and grow from mistakes. Diversity is embraced, and we value an inclusive work environment where every employee has an equal opportunity to be heard. We work in a dynamic environment and thrive on tackling rewarding and complex problems as a team.

Position Scope

Reporting to the Director, IP, the Patent Assistant provides administrative support to the Intellectual Property team. You will contribute to supporting the IP team's efforts in developing the IP strategy and portfolio as CE’s business grows and expands.

You will have legal experience in one or a combination of patents, trademarks, corporate, and commercial and/or civil litigation; having experience supporting a mature IP practice. In addition to having a strong team service focus, you have strong communication and organizational skills, attention to detail, and the ability to adapt to changing priorities. You can work independently and collaboratively with the team while treating sensitive and confidential information with discretion. You will be part of a collaborative, close-knit team that takes enormous pride in its meticulous attention to detail and expertise in IP.

This position requires the candidate to be onsite at our Innovation Centre based in Squamish, BC at least three days per week. There is flexibility to WFH two days per week based on business needs. CE offers a flexible work schedule to promote a work-life balance.

Responsibilities

You will be part of an experienced & talented IP team, supporting the following:

• Handling all administrative duties such as corresponding with external counsel, coordinating meetings and drafting meeting minutes, processing invoices and expenses, organizing training and tracking attendance, organizing, updating and improving IP Team's SharePoint site and contents, etc.;
• Reviewing, forwarding and responding to inquiries sent to the IP Team, and filing associated documentation and communications as required;
• Coordinating and communicating updates with the Accounting department i.e. changing firms or vendors, processing invoices;
• Reviewing and entering correspondence and documentation from external counsel into the IP Team’s database;
• Reviewing and preparing formal documents such as Assignments, Powers of Attorneys, Declarations, and the like, for filing in Canada, the US, and other foreign jurisdictions;
• Preparing report communications to inventors respecting the filing of applications; and scheduling and controlling workflow to meet specific deadlines for filing and submission of documents post-filing;
• Reviewing and monitoring IP Team docket and initiating appropriate action where necessary including sending reminders to team members and/or inventors to keep them in front of impending deadlines;
• Ensuring all physical and electronic filing is organized and updated on a regular basis;
• General administrative duties such as scheduling appointments and meetings, photocopying materials, booking meeting rooms, etc.; working with other related Departments/services internally to provide documents and other materials on time;
• Prepare, edit, format, print, scan, and revise correspondence;
• Proofread documents and check for appropriate format, spelling, grammar, and clarity;
• Monitor patent office websites globally and retrieve relevant information on patent filings;
• Coordinate with legal and other departments, to support contract database management;
• Prepare, edit, format, and revise IP policies and procedures, and notify other departments of revised versions;
• IP Team Support: participate in and contribute to special projects and initiatives that elevate our processes;
• Manage key dates and bring forward system and updating calendars;
• Other projects and duties, as assigned.

Education and Experience

Education:

• Paralegal, Certified Canadian Patent Administrator (CCPA) or other recognized qualification in Patent Administration, or Legal Administrative Assistant certificate/diploma or equivalent.

Experience:

• 3+ years’ experience in Intellectual Property practice in a law firm or legal environment;
• Experience specifically with patent prosecution activities is preferred;
• Experience in more than one of the following areas of law: patent litigation; corporate or commercial litigation.

Key Competencies

• In-depth understanding of business and legal terminology;
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills (both verbal and written);
• Technology-savvy with excellent technical proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite applications;
• Experience uploading, searching, tagging, and exporting files to and from Microsoft’s SharePoint application;
• Excellent organizational/follow up skills;
• Attention to detail, proof reading and accuracy are required;
• Ability to distill complex problems into simple solutions;
• Ability to work independently and collaborate in a fast-paced multi-disciplinary team environment; including the ability to effectively communicate and navigate interfaces between technical, business, legal and administrative teams.

Offers and Benefits

Carbon Engineering offers a competitive compensation package including extended health benefits. Base Salary for an Intermediate level role is $51,255 to $67,000 with additional bonus pay.

Our location in the outdoor recreation hub of Squamish gives you access to world class skiing, mountain biking, climbing, hiking, and other outdoor activities within minutes of the office, while in close proximity to Vancouver, one of the most beautiful and culturally diverse cities in Canada.

Joining Carbon Engineering provides you more than a career – it’s a calling for those who are ready to make a difference in climate action. We provide hope.

Carbon Engineering is committed to creating a diverse environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply and will receive equal consideration for employment regardless of race, colour, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, or age.