Trademark Manager - Staff Supervisor

Trademark Manager - Staff Supervisor
The Trademark Professional Staff Supervisor is responsible for overseeing trademark professional staff, including paralegals and other designated legal support roles across all offices, ensuring team members are meeting expectations and department business objectives including client service, quality work product, productivity, workflow allocation, and profitability.
ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:

• Supervise trademark professional staff across all offices.
  • Ensure staff deliver quality work products, provide excellent client service, are effectively and efficiently utilized.
  • Assess trademark staffing needs using productivity metrics and other information and implement measures to balance workloads.
  • Coordinate with partners and other supervising attorneys to identify and manage staffing needs. Address gaps in expertise and drive improvements in utilization through strategic staffing models.
  • Oversee professional trademark staff recruiting and work with the Manager of Practice Operations to develop business cases for staff hiring requisitions.
  • Work with HR and Office Administrators in the recruitment and selection process to fill open requisitions.
  • Work with key stakeholders to develop and implement trademark staff back-up plans to ensure support needs are met.
  • Address billable hour concerns in a timely manner.
  • Promote adherence to firm policies and best practices, including time entry and overtime.
  • Work with HR to manage personnel issues and concerns and assist with issue resolution.
• Assist with training and staff development.
  • Assess staff skill levels and knowledge gaps and collaborate with the Manager of Practice Operations and subject matter experts on the creation and roll-out of learning opportunities, programs, and initiatives.
  • In collaboration with HR, manage the annual trademark staff performance evaluation process, providing informal or off-cycle feedback and addressing performance issues as needed.
  • In collaboration with the Manager of Practice Operations and the IP Learning and Development Trainer, oversee trademark paralegal and legal support staff on-boarding, integration, and training for new hires.
  • Evaluate team member performance against professional staff core competencies and technical competencies to ensure they are meeting the responsibilities of the role.
• Promote the use of tools, systems, processes, and Legal Service Providers (LSPs) for effective and efficient productivity.
  • Identify opportunities for improvement of workflow processes, including leveraging and promoting the use of software tools by trademark staff to drive efficiency.
  • Collaborate with docketing and IP operations to leverage third party LSPs.
  • Work on special projects related to trademark staff for Department leadership and/or serve on Trademark and Copyright Best Practice Committee and relevant subcommittee, staff focus groups, and other committees as appropriate.
  • Collaborate with the Manager of Practice Operations to update and modify trademark policies in alignment with best practices.

KNOWLEDGE/SKILLS REQUIRED:

• Bachelor’s Degree
• Minimum of five years’ experience successfully managing large groups of legal support professionals.
• Minimum of ten years of experience in trademark practice (in a law firm or in-house setting).
• Proficiency with Excel and other analytical tools.
• Exceptionally high level of skill with USPTO procedures, rules, and requirements.
• Familiarity with international trademark rules and procedures (e.g., WIPO and individual country rules and procedures, Paris Convention applicability and procedures, etc.).
• Knowledge of IP docket databases and practices.
• Knowledge of project management.
• Excellent client service skills.
• Strong people management skills.
• Excellent communication skills, both oral and written.
• Experience in performance coaching from informal discussions to written performance improvement plans.
• Detail-oriented with the ability to organize and successfully drive projects.
• Ability to interface effectively with partners, associates, clients, vendors, directors, managers, and support staff.
• Ability to promote communication across the trademark team and with management.
• Excellent organizational skills and the ability to work independently, prioritize assignments and manage multiple projects simultaneously.
• Aptitude to perform staff-related analyses as requested.
• Ability to successfully manage multiple projects under pressure.
• Ability to analyze and assess possible problems, prioritize concerns, and make decisions.

This is a full-time, regular position with a multi-faceted health benefit package including medical, dental, and vision. The firm also offers life insurance, short term disability plans and retirement plans in addition to holidays and paid time off.  The firm offers hybrid work schedules combining office workdays as well as remote workdays.  The annual pay range for this position is $120,000- $150,000.To Apply: Please email your resume to: cfleck@chelsearecruiters.com