Specialist – Intellectual Property

Job title: Specialist – Intellectual Property
Team: Specialist Intellectual Property Team
Location: Any Scottish Enterprise office in Scotland
Salary: £48,798
Hours: Full time with flexible working options
Status: Permanent
Vacancy ref: R00639
Closing date: 29 June 2025

Be part of building Scotland’s future

Scottish Enterprise is Scotland’s national and international economic development agency. We work to transform the Scottish economy by helping businesses to innovate and scale. Our work is critical to the Scottish Government’s National Strategy for Economic Transformation (NSET) and its goals of creating high-value jobs, boosting productivity, and growing national wealth.

Our Intellectual Property (IP) Specialist Team helps businesses identify, protect, and exploit their intellectual property – a key to successful innovation, leveraging investment, and entering international markets. We demonstrate to businesses the positive impact IP management can have when they’re looking to grow and scale at pace.

The role

You’ll use this opportunity to build on your own considerable IP experience by bringing new perspectives and insight to a variety of Scottish businesses – unlocking the power of IP to help them achieve global commercial success.

Working closely with companies of varying sizes, sectors, and challenges, you’ll support businesses as they create and implement promising IP strategies aligned to their business goals. You’ll also show them how to select and apply for the appropriate grant funding.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Working with companies to create and shape IP projects that deliver commercial outcomes and contribute to our published measures
• Establishing and nurturing strong relationships with clients – you’ll give support, know their priorities, and take opportunities to them
• Building strong partnerships with other public sector and academic partners in the IP ecosystem, and navigating the IP support landscape with ease to accelerate success
• Working with external IP consultants appointed in the context of grant funding, to ensure project outcomes are met
• Educating businesses, colleagues, and partners on IP in its various forms, and how it supports innovation, achieving investment and entry to new markets
• Working independently and collaboratively with other Scottish Enterprise colleagues.

Who we’re looking for

A resilient, flexible individual who is confident delivering IP support to a range of businesses – from spin-outs and start-ups to established companies of all sizes. You’ll have a broad-based knowledge of IP creation, protection, and exploitation. To this, you’ll add customer focus and a passion to help businesses grow through IP. 

Specifically, also need:

• Knowledge of the legal framework governing IP ownership and protection of all aspects of IP (patents, trademarks, copyright, design rights, trade secrets) both in the UK and internationally
• Experience of IP in the context of models of commercialisation
• An understanding of IP in the context of investment – from valuation to due diligence
• Experience supporting colleagues in respect of IP diligence issues
• Problem solver with an ability to explain this complex subject in a way businesses can understand to support them to develop robust IP Strategies, sometimes at pace
• A history of providing results driven by business advice or consultancy. Strong networking skills and ability to generate business leads
• Good communication skills and the ability to build strong relationships
• To be as happy working with a referral as you are building your own connections
• Confidence with CRM systems, and familiarity with Microsoft Office or similar.

This IP expertise may be because of experience in working with IP over several years or may be because of an academic qualification or both.

Ideally, but not essentially, you may also have:

• An innovative approach to service delivery
• An ability to support businesses applying for grant funding
• A knowledge of the Scottish business and economic development landscape
• Experience of working across a wide range of industry sectors
• Good general business and finance knowledge – enough to know your way around a balance sheet
• Project development and management experience

Life at Scottish Enterprise

As one of Scotland’s Top 10 Flexible Employers, we pride ourselves on empowering our colleagues to work when and where they can best deliver their role in support of our corporate plan. Learn more about working with us.

How to apply

If you're interested in this role, complete your application form by 29 June 2025.

Interview dates

• w/c 7 July 2025

Our values

Being part of Scottish Enterprise means being open to new ideas and trying different ways of working. We support each other to reach our full potential. We celebrate shared success and learn together when things don’t go so well. And we always treat each other fairly, with respect and understanding. Together, we are the difference.

At Scottish Enterprise, we’re proud to celebrate difference. Diversity of experience and thought is vital to the success of our vision for the future of every community across Scotland. As an equal opportunity employer, we actively encourage applicants from a wide range of individuals, irrespective of age, disability, gender reassignment, gender identity and expression, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation.

We commit to providing any reasonable adjustments required, not only during the application and assessment process but throughout employment with us.

We have the following networks which are open to all colleagues to help drive inclusion: Disability Positive, Gender Balanced, Multi-cultural, Multi-Generational and Pride (LGBTQ+).

Apply now to build your future with us.