Head, Legislative, Policy and Technology Advice Section

IMPORTANT NOTICE REGARDING APPLICATION DEADLINE:  please note that the deadline for applications is indicated in local time as per the time zone of the applicant’s location.

1.     Organizational Context

a.    Organizational Setting

The position is located in the Legislative, Policy and Technology Advice Section of the Patent and Technology Law Division, Patents and Technology Sector. The 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 and related fields such as utility models and the protection of undisclosed information. 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.

b.    Purpose Statement

The incumbent directs, supervises and reviews the work of a team that provides legislative and policy assistance to Member States in the design and implementation of their legislative framework in the area of patent law. The assistance provided also covers utility models, trade secrets, and integrated circuit layout designs. The role further includes contributing to the ongoing revision of the methodology of legislative and policy advice.

The main role of the incumbent is to manage the work of the Section with supervisory and review authority, and to conduct autonomous legal research and analyses on various legal issues related to patents, utility models, trade secrets, layout designs of integrated circuits and directly linked areas of technology law. The duties extend to providing legislative and policy assistance in the form of balanced and tailor-made advice to Member States, including review of legislative drafts and providing draft provisions or recommendations on policy options to requesting Member States. The role comes with the task of monitoring and developing the methodology of providing such assistance.

c.    Reporting Lines

The incumbent works under the supervision of the Director, Patent and Technology Law Division.

2.      Duties and Responsibilities

The incumbent will perform the following principal duties:

a.   Advises on, and contributes upon request to, the implementation of the Organization's program in ensuring that the intellectual property normative framework of each member country takes into account the needs and interests of those countries, as well as their compatibility with the multilateral international legal framework;

b.   Leads, plans and controls the work of the Section ensuring the effective management and efficient use of all financial, human and other resources; submits planning and budget proposals and activities in conformity with defined outcomes and objectives; supervises, evaluates and monitors individual and team performance levels;

c.   Coordinates and undertakes research, and analyzes the needs of countries, or groups of countries, on patents, utility models, trade secrets, layout designs of integrated circuits, or other related areas of the law as requested;

d.   Proposes, designs, plans and monitors projects and programs on policy implementation matters, including related legal assistance;

e.   Prepares comments on legal texts, drafts bills or other documents requested by interested countries on patents, utility models, trade secrets and integrated circuits and other areas of related laws as requested;

f.    Leads the work on the documentation and revision of legislative advice methodology, including the preparation of templates, checklists and toolkits facilitating the provision of legislative assistance;

g.   Supervises and conducts research with the aim of drawing up advisory papers and legislative drafting aids on selected topics of substantive patent law;

h.   Undertakes visits to Member States and organizes virtual meetings, as appropriate, in order to hold formal consultations with government officials, policymakers, legislative draftspersons and other relevant stakeholders in the framework of legislative assistance; initiates, develops and maintains contacts with authorities of countries or groups of countries in all regions as well as with the United Nations agencies and other partner institutions;

i.    Explores, initiates, develops and leads studies and strategies in new areas of the law related to patents, utility models, trade secrets and integrated circuits, such as the relationship of standardization and patents;

j.    Plans, organizes and leads seminars, specialized meetings and training courses (including preparation of teaching documents and delivery of lectures) on patents, utility models, trade secrets and layout designs of integrated circuits and other related areas of intellectual property; represents the Organization in conferences and meetings with other organizations or institutions, as appropriate;

k.   Prepares work plans, reports, and other administrative documents; and

l.    Performs other related duties, as required.

3.      Requirements

Education (Essential)

Advanced university degree in law.  A first-level university degree plus two years of relevant experience in addition to the experience required below may be accepted in lieu of the advanced university degree.

Experience (Essential)

At least ten years of experience and subject matter expertise including in patents, trade secrets or related areas of intellectual property, such as the relationship of standardization and patents. In addition to the above, experience is essential in drafting laws, acts and regulations or writing legal opinions in the areas of patent law, trade secret law and related areas of intellectual property.

Experience (Desirable)

Experience in the patent legal systems of developing countries.

Patent prosecution experience and knowledge of various patent examination models.

Private practice or academic experience.