Senior IP Product Liability Specialist

General Management
Reports to: Vice President of EngineeringJob Summary:
A Senior IP and Product Liability Specialist evaluates new products against internal and external product-safety and regulatory standards, provide technical and logistics/document support to the Textron Corporate legal department on all product liability and performance claims and lawsuits, and manage Jacobsen’s intellectual property (IP) portfolio and processes as they pertain to IP creation and maintenance.Responsibilities to Include:
Evaluate new designs throughout the product development process for compliance with internal and external safety and regulatory requirements.
Conduct and document product safety reviews.
Ensure that Jacobsen is kept apprised of pending safety and regulatory requirements and our long term product plan takes those requirements into account.
Ensure that all product-related literature (operator’s manuals, service manuals, etc.) include all required and appropriate safety and regulatory information
Product Liability.
Receive, evaluate and maintain accident reports alleging personal injury and/or property damage and coordinate that information with Textron Corporate legal.
Evaluate and/or conduct preliminary technical investigations of accidents involving Jacobsen products to determine when further detailed investigation is required, and, as necessary, recommend independent experts and consultants to conduct such examinations.
Locate/obtain Jacobsen data required by independent experts and consultants conducting technical investigations of accidents involving Jacobsen products, e.g., engineering drawings, product literature, sales information.
Manage litigation-related documentation for pending and “closed” claims/litigation to ensure company compliance.
Coordinates with Jacobsen and Textron Corporate legal to manage and forecast the costs to defend Jacobsen in claims/lawsuits brought against the company.
Assists Jacobsen defense attorneys and Textron Corporate legal in the formulation and implementation of Company defense strategies in litigation.
Assists Jacobsen defense attorneys and Textron Corporate legal in the preparation of interrogatories, requests for production, requests for admission and other discovery directed to litigants adverse to Jacobsen.
When required, may be deposed as the Jacobsen corporate representative, as a fact witness on company information, or as the company engineering expert.
Attends trials as the Jacobsen corporate representative and, when required, company engineering expert.
Attends trials to assist defense counsel with the trial examinations of Jacobsen consultants and adverse technical experts, and in repudiating other adverse testimony
Intellectual Property (IP).
Manage Jacobsen’s IP portfolio, IP selection process, and assist engineering with the patent application process.
Manage and forecast IP costs and long-term financial value of individual patents.
Monitor and report on patent activity within the industry
Manage Jacobsen’s IP service providers, such as the law firm that process our patent applications.
Create and maintain a database of all relevant IP within the industry; be the primary source of competitive IP information within Jacobsen.
Conduct IP searches and assess applicability of external IP against various Jacobsen product concepts.
Coordinate IP efforts with Textron Innovations.
Assist Textron Corporate Counsel in current, pending, and potential IP infringement litigation.
Manage the Jacobsen/Textron IP awards program.
Occasionally provide training and informal mentoring on basic safety, liability, and IP concepts and processes.
Performs all other duties as required by Management.A Textron Company
REQUIREMENTS
Bachelor’s degree (B.A.) from four-year college or university.Position Requirements:
5 years of product-related experience.
1 to 3 years of IP-related experience.
1 to 3 years of experience with metal fabrication, welding, castings, and plastics is desired.
Ability to read, analyze, and interpret common scientific and technical journals, engineering test documents, blueprints, product specifications, product manuals, financial reports, and legal documents.
Strong mechanical aptitude: must have a solid understanding of mechanical, electric, and hydraulic systems and must be a hands-on person (i.e., must be willing to crawl in, around, and under machines during safety and product liability investigations).
Strong math skills: must be able to apply and communicate concepts of basic algebra and geometry to engineering calculations and schematics.
Strong reasoning skills: must be able to define problems, collect data, establish facts, deal with interrelated abstract and concrete variables, and draw valid conclusions.
Strong communications skills: must be able to effectively communicate, both verbally and in writing, with internal and external personnel of varying backgrounds (e.g., Jacobsen management, attorneys, turf care professionals, and public groups).
Strong computer skills: highly skilled with MS Office products such as Excel, Word, and PowerPoint.License and Certification Requirements:
none
Additional Information:
FLSA Status: Exempt
Direct Reports: 0
Travel Requirements: 10%