IP Administrator/Paralegal - Hybrid

Description

Sun World International is a global leader in the breeding, development, and licensing of premium fresh fruit varieties. We partner with growers in more than 30 countries to bring innovative table grape, stone fruit, and other produce varieties to market. Come grow with us!

The IP Administrator/Paralegal supports the protection, maintenance, and effective administration of the company’s global intellectual property portfolio. The role has primary responsibility for assisting IP filings, maintaining accurate portfolio records, monitoring deadlines, and supporting the Legal & Intellectual Property team with prosecution, licensing, enforcement, and portfolio-management activities.

This position combines legal administration, data management, document coordination, and stakeholder support to enable the effective management of the IP portfolio.

The role requires strong attention to detail, disciplined follow-through, and the ability to manage a high volume of time-sensitive matters accurately and independently.

Key Responsibilities:

IP Portfolio Administration Support

Administer the company’s global portfolio of plant variety rights and plant breeders’ rights, patents, trademarks, domain names, and related intellectual property matters.

Maintain complete and accurate records in the company’s intellectual property management system, including application and registration data, ownership, status, deadlines, official documents, correspondence, and supporting evidence.

Monitor and manage filing, prosecution, renewal, maintenance, opposition, response, and other statutory deadlines, and escalate upcoming or at-risk deadlines promptly.

Coordinate new filings, national and regional applications, recordals, renewals, assignments, changes of name or address, and other portfolio actions with external counsel and intellectual property agents.

Verify that filing instructions, applicant and breeder information, priority details, specifications, denominations, goods and services, specimens, powers of attorney, declarations, and supporting documents are complete and accurate.

Plant Variety Rights and Patent Support

Track testing, examination, novelty, priority, denomination, DUS, deposit, and commercialization information relevant to the protection and maintenance of proprietary varieties.

Support responses to office actions, examination reports, requests for information, objections, and other prosecution matters under the direction of counsel.

Maintain records of variety parentage, breeder and applicant details, first commercialization dates, ownership documentation, assignments, and territorial protection status.

Trademark and Brand Portfolio Support

Support trademark clearance, application, prosecution, registration, renewal, recordal, and maintenance activities across relevant jurisdictions.

Collect and maintain specimens and evidence of trademark use, monitor renewal and declaration-of-use requirements, and coordinate instructions with local agents.

Assist with trademark watch notices, oppositions, office actions, coexistence matters, brand-use questions, and online or marketplace enforcement activities.

Maintain trademark schedules and ownership records used in licenses, commercial agreements, audits, enforcement matters, and business reporting.

Legal and Paralegal Support

Serve as regional admin support for the department.

Prepare and organize schedules, chain-of-title records, powers of attorney, assignments, declarations, authorizations, legalization and notarization packages, and other supporting legal documents.

Conduct preliminary legal and factual research, retrieve official records, and prepare clear matter summaries, chronologies, portfolio reports, and status updates for review by counsel.

Support intellectual property due diligence, audits, acquisitions, divestitures, licensing transactions, disputes, and enforcement matters by collecting, reviewing, and organizing relevant records.

Assist with document holds, evidence preservation, investigation files, and coordination of documents required for oppositions, cancellations, infringement actions, or other proceedings.

Review invoices from external counsel and agents for accuracy, coding, and alignment with approved work; maintain cost and budget records and resolve discrepancies as appropriate.

Coordinate courier services for secure receipt, dispatch, and tracking of intellectual property-related documents, ensuring timely delivery, accurate record keeping, and compliance with confidentiality requirements.

Manage and maintain hardcopy files of signed documents and ensure records are complete, current, and readily accessible.

Requirements:

Diploma in law, paralegal qualification or certificate, or equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.

At least three years of experience in legal administration or paralegal work, in a similar environment.

Strong proficiency with Microsoft Office and document-management tools; experience preparing reports and working with structured portfolio data is required.

Preferences :

Experience with plant variety rights, plant breeders’ rights, plant patents, utility patents, trademarks, or agricultural intellectual property.

Any experience working with stakeholders in the Department of Agriculture.

Work schedule:

Hybrid. Initially, for training purposes, we would like the new hire to be in the office 4 days per week for the first 3 to 4 months. Afterwards, the work schedule will be 2 days per week in office. Typical working hours are 8am - 5pm; however, there will be times when additional hours may be required.