At F5, we strive to bring a better digital world to life. Our teams empower organizations across the globe to create, secure, and run applications that enhance how we experience our evolving digital world. We are passionate about cybersecurity, from protecting consumers from fraud to enabling companies to focus on innovation. 
 

Everything we do centers around people. That means we obsess over how to make the lives of our customers, and their customers, better. And it means we prioritize a diverse F5 community where each individual can thrive.

Role

You will have an opportunity to interact with a talented group of legal professionals and a diverse cross section of the company.  As Patent Paralegal, you will collaborate with patent attorneys, inventors and senior engineering leadership to capture, evaluate and protect the company's innovations, support the business with special projects and reporting relating to its patent portfolio, and maintain the company's patent portfolio records.

Primary Responsibilities:   

• Maintain patent records and files.

• Run patent related reports.

• Liaison with in-house and outside patent counsel.

• Manage document execution.

• Support in-house patent preparation and prosecution personnel.

• Administer patent inventor incentive award program.

• Coordinate and schedule internal patent committee and attorney disclosure meetings.

• Identify and track bar dates by collaborating with engineering leads to confirm product release dates and other relevant information.

• Update internal patent management system records, troubleshoot issues, and drive tool and process enhancements.

• Maintain internal and external patent reporting sites including patent marking lists.

• Project management of team projects and initiatives.

• Perform other related duties as assigned.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:   

• In-depth knowledge of USPTO procedures, rules and forms including maintenance and annuity fee payments, and some knowledge of foreign procedures and rules.

• Must be a self-starter, innovative and creative thinker, able to work independently, yet have a win for the team attitude.

• Flexible and agile - ability to manage multiple priorities in a deadline-driven environment.

• Effective formal and informal communication skills, in speaking and in writing.

• Work well under pressure and expertly handle confidential matters with discretion.

• Ability to learn from others by sharing, listening to, seeking out and respectfully considering diverse ideas, perspectives, experiences and approaches.

• Flexibility to work across multiple time zones.

• Ability to understand F5's business and technology, demonstrating passion for own role and contributions.

• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications, including Teams, Word, PowerPoint, Outlook and Excel, and other experience with ServiceNow a plus.

Experience:

• Minimum 2-3 years corporate patent paralegal experience and minimum 2-3 years patent prosecution experience in a law firm.

• Associate's degree considered (bachelor's degree preferred) and paralegal certificate required.

Physical Demands and Work Environment

• Duties are performed in a normal office environment while sitting at a desk or computer table.

• Duties require the ability to utilize a computer, communicate over the telephone, and read printed material.

• Duties require being on calls outside normal working hours (evenings and weekends) to accommodate our global footprint.

The role will be based in Seattle, Washington. 

The Job Description is intended to be a general representation of the responsibilities and requirements of the job. However, the description may not be all-inclusive, and responsibilities and requirements are subject to change.

Phishing Alert

Please note that F5 only contacts candidates through F5 email address (ending with @f5.com) or auto email notification from Workday (ending with f5.com or @myworkday.com).

Equal Employment Opportunity

It is the policy of F5 to provide equal employment opportunities to all employees and employment applicants without regard to unlawful considerations of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, sensory, physical, or mental disability, marital status, veteran or military status, genetic information, or any other classification protected by applicable local, state, or federal laws. This policy applies to all aspects of employment, including, but not limited to, hiring, job assignment, compensation, promotion, benefits, training, discipline, and termination.  F5 offers a variety of reasonable accommodations for candidates. Requesting an accommodation is completely voluntary. F5 will assess the need for accommodations in the application process separately from those that may be needed to perform the job. Request by contacting accommodations@f5.com.