IP Counsel or Agent

Own Every Moment at NetApp

At NetApp, your ideas power innovation. We lead in intelligent data infrastructure—delivering unified storage, integrated data services, and solutions that help organizations unlock the full potential of their data, from AI to multicloud.

Ready to innovate and contribute to our path to $10B? Here, you'll collaborate with passionate teams, tackle real-world challenges, and see your impact in how customers transform and grow. If you're ready to bring curiosity, creativity, and drive to every moment, NetApp is where your journey begins.

Job Summary

NetApp, a multi-billion dollar technology leader and highly sought-after employer, is adding an IP Counsel or Agent to join its award-winning legal department. The successful candidate will support the development of NetApp’s global patent portfolio. S/he will be responsible for conducting patent mining sessions, supervising outside counsel during the patent prosecution process, and harmonizing NetApp’s patent strategy with its business strategy. This attorney will work closely with NetApp’s technical and business organizations as an integral partner throughout the research and development process.

We are looking for a highly motivated, tech-savvy, patent counsel or agent with at least four years of patent prosecution and portfolio experience in hardware, software, cloud, and hybrid cloud systems.

This is a hybrid position is based in Morrisville, NC (RTP) or Vienna, VA. Other locations near a NetApp office may be considered.

Areas of Responsibility

• Conduct patent mining sessions with product engineering teams in an efficient manner.
• Provide recommendations to senior leadership about what inventions should be patented.
• Supervise outside counsel in all aspects of patent prosecution, including drafting, office actions, and appeals.
• Build awareness and perform outreach about NetApp’s patent program among product engineering teams and educate them about the importance of intellectual property.
• Manage technology and systems for patent portfolio management, including evaluating possible uses of AI tools. Qualifications

• Strong interest and ability to develop in-depth knowledge of NetApp's wide range of data management solutions and obtain patent protection for new innovations.
• Registered and in good standing to practice before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, with relevant experience at a law firm and in-house directly in the tech industry.
• Four years of experience prosecuting patents and managing patent portfolios for hardware, software, cloud, and hybrid cloud systems.
• Proficient in the use of AI and patent portfolio management tools.
• Management and copyright experience desirable.
• Ability to build credibility, advocate, and influence business and other teams.
• Ability to prioritize and deliver multiple simultaneous projects under pressure.
• Strong collaboration skills across teams and organizations.
• Domestic and international travel may be required.

Compensation:

The target salary range for this position is 147,900 - 191,000 USD. The salary offered will be determined by the candidate's location, qualifications, experience, and education and may be outside of this range. Final compensation packages are competitive and in line with industry standards, reflecting a variety of factors, and include a comprehensive benefits package. This may cover Health Insurance, Life Insurance, Retirement or Pension Plans, Paid Time Off, various Leave options, Performance-Based Incentives, employee stock purchase plan, and/or restricted stocks (RSU’s), with all offerings subject to regional variations and governed by local laws, regulations, and company policies. Benefits may vary by country and region, and further details will be provided as part of the recruitment process.

At NetApp, we embrace a hybrid working environment designed to strengthen connection, collaboration, and culture for all employees. This means that most roles will have some level of in-office and/or in-person expectations, which will be shared during the recruitment process.

Equal Opportunity Employer:

NetApp is firmly committed to Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) and to compliance with all federal, state and local laws that prohibit employment discrimination based on age, race, color, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, religion, disability or genetic information, pregnancy, protected veteran status, and any other protected classification.

Why You'll Thrive at NetApp

At NetApp, you won't wait for the perfect moment—you'll make it. The early planning, the extra thought, the bold idea that turns good into great: That's how our people operate and how we continue to push the boundaries of data infrastructure.

NetApp is the trusted partner for organizations transforming data into opportunity. As the only enterprise-grade storage service natively embedded in Google Cloud, AWS, and Microsoft Azure, we empower customers to run everything from traditional workloads to enterprise AI with unmatched performance, resilience, and security.

Our culture

We celebrate mold breakers, bold thinkers, and problem solvers. We reward initiative, impact, and ownership. We provide flexibility so you can balance professional ambition with your personal life. Here, differences are not just welcomed—they drive everything we do.

If you're ready to innovate, rise to the challenge, and own every moment - make your next move your best one. now.

Submitting an application

To ensure a streamlined and fair hiring process for all candidates, our team only reviews applications submitted through our company website. This practice allows us to track, assess, and respond to applicants efficiently. Emailing our employees, recruiters, or Human Resources personnel directly will not influence your application.