Patent Secretary - South Africa

The role is mainly to support patent attorneys in patent prosecution work in Southern Africa and South Africa and in other administrative tasks . A candidate with a patent background from Southern Africa and South Africa is preferred.

Key responsibilities

• Procedural work in relation to new patent and design filings (confirming new filing instructions; opening new matters, preparing and filing application, preparing formality documents, monitoring deadlines/diary and liaising with various local agents);
• Procedural work in relation to Official Notices (preparing reports and response to formal examination reports, monitoring deadlines and corresponding with clients re reminders, posting corresponding fixed fee);
• Reporting office actions (substantive examination);
• Preparing responses to office actions (substantive examination) and amended claims based on clients detailed instructions;
• Procedural work in relation to Official Notices (preparation of Reports, ideally gradually taking over all the responsibilities thereof, i.e. reporting to client directly, recording correspondence, posting corresponding fixed fee);
• Invoice related work (checking payment status, monitor client payment status, chasing payment ); Other procedural work (preparing routine late filing/rectification documents);
• Patent Search, download and preliminary screen (conducting necessary patent search and downloading worldwide patent documents and screening target documents upon required);
• Checking results of search reports from foreign patent office / agents and compiling draft search report letters to client reporting results of searches;
• Checking and reporting letters patent;
• Preparing draft amended claims to comply with local practice when filing corresponding applications in foreign countries, e.g. revising claim dependencies, converting method of treatment claims to recite patentable subject matter;
• Monitoring deadlines and sending annuity reminders and attending to payment of annuities;
• Preparing cost estimates and quotes for clients;
• Updating/maintaining Patricia reminders for own work and for patent attorney.

Person specification

• LLB / Paralegal qualification is an advantage;
• Patent experience is preferred;
• Excellent at spoken and written English;
• Good communication skills;
• Confident, proactive, motivated, strong sense of personal responsibility, patient, detail-orientated and self-disciplined;
• Excellent time management and can work under pressure, a team player;
• Excellent computer skills (Word, Excel, etc).