The position is located in the Legislative, Policy and Technology Advice Section of the Patent and Technology Law Division, Patents and Technology Sector. This Division is responsible for the implementation of WIPO's strategic goal concerning the balanced evolution of the international normative framework for intellectual property in the area of patents, utility models, undisclosed information, and integrated circuits. The Section is responsible for providing legislative and policy assistance to Member States in the design and implementation of balanced legislative, regulatory and policy frameworks in the aforementioned fields of IP.
Purpose Statement:
The main role of the incumbent is to conduct legal research and consultations in different areas of substantive patent law and related fields of IP, as well as developing process manuals, information materials, and advisory documents with the aim of supporting the ongoing review of the methodology used by the Section when providing legislative and policy advice to Member States.
Duties and Responsibilities:
The incumbent will perform the following principal duties:
Conduct research and prepare Advisory Papers on the full range of substantive topics relevant to patents and other forms of IP addressed in the Section. Each Advisory Paper includes a thorough review of the available legislative options, benefits and disadvantages of those options, any recent developments in best practices, comparisons of countries following differing approaches, and other relevant information. Engage with subject-matter consultants and experts, where appropriate, in the development of Advisory Papers and other section methodology documentation.
Assist with the development, review, and implementation of methodology review output documents and processes, including intake forms/procedures, iterative MS engagement processes, and evaluation forms/procedures.
Assist with the adaptation and implementation of a methodological review within the section as applied to other forms of IP, specifically trade secrets and integrated circuits.
Organize, conduct and/or participate as speaker in seminars and workshops held by the Secretariat or other IGOs or NGOs.
Plan and organize Geneva-based or hybrid online meetings of stakeholders to discuss (and, if necessary, produce a consolidated report on) the progress and output of the methodological review.
Analyze health-related flexibilities in international patent law and develop related information materials in order to enable customized legislative and policy advice in this area with due regard to a country’s development needs.
Analyze legislative options for the protection of intellectual property pertaining to plants and animals in order to enable customized legislative and policy advice in this area with due regard to a country’s development needs.
Support the Section in regular activities of drafting and reviewing legal texts, draft bills or other documents or requests for legislative assistance submitted by interested countries to the Secretariat on patents, utility models, trade secrets and protection of layout designs of integrated circuits.
Perform other related duties as required.
Requirements:
Education Essential:
First-level university degree in law, political science, international relations, engineering, science or other related field.
Education Desirable:
Specialization in patent law.
Experience Essential:
At least six years of relevant professional experience, including experience in patent law, either regarding policy design and law making, drafting, prosecution or litigation of patents, and/or in the elaboration and legal revisions of contracts in the field of patents.
Experience Desirable:
Experience in working with IP issues in developing countries.
Experience in policy or legislative formulation and/or research.
Language Essential:
Excellent knowledge of written and spoken English.
Language Desirable:
Good knowledge of either French or Spanish and knowledge of other UN official languages.
