Director - Intellectual Property at Fuller H B in St. Paul, MN

Job description

As the largest pureplay adhesives company in the world, H.B. Fuller’s (NYSE: FUL) innovative, functional coatings, adhesives and sealants enhance the quality, safety and performance of products people use every day. Founded in 1887, with 2025 revenue of $3.5 billion, our mission to Connect What Matters is brought to life by more than 7,100 global team members who collaborate with customers across more than 30 market segments in 150 countries to develop highly specified solutions that enable customers to bring world-changing innovations to their end markets. Learn more at www.hbfuller.com . At H.B. Fuller, we embrace a shared set of beliefs and competencies that guide how we operate and achieve success. We strive to hire talent who demonstrate our commitment to Innovation, Accountability, Performance Excellence, Change and Risk Taking, Customer Focus, and Teamwork. The Director - IP serves as a key leader within H.B. Fuller's global intellectual property organization. In addition to managing a significant intellectual property portfolio, this role partners closely with the Chief IP Counsel to oversee the Company's intellectual property function, including a portfolio of more than 700 patent assets, 1,500 trademark assets, trade secrets, and related intellectual property matters. This position supports strategic business objectives through the development, protection, enforcement, and commercialization of intellectual property assets while providing leadership across patents, trademarks, trade secrets, licensing, transactions, and intellectual property operations worldwide. Primary Responsibilities 20-30% Patent Portfolio Management Manage a global patent portfolio, including invention harvesting, patent drafting, prosecution, and portfolio optimization. Collaborate with technical and business leaders across all segments to develop patent filing and protection strategies. Supervise outside patent counsel and manage associated budgets. Conduct patentability, freedom-to-operate, infringement, validity, and competitive landscape assessments. Support patent enforcement activities, disputes, oppositions, and third-party challenges. Handle a personal docket of strategic patent matters, including drafting and prosecution activities. 10-20% Trademark and Brand Protection Manage global trademark portfolios and trademark protection strategies. Advise business and marketing teams regarding trademark selection, clearance, registration, maintenance, use, and enforcement. Coordinate trademark prosecution and enforcement activities with outside counsel. Support brand protection initiatives and online enforcement efforts. Lead trademark due diligence efforts for acquisitions, divestitures, and strategic transactions. 10-15% Trade Secret and Confidential Information Protection Develop and maintain trade secret protection programs and processes. Advise business and technical teams regarding protection of confidential and proprietary information. Support implementation of confidentiality, information security, and intellectual property governance practices. Assist in investigations and risk assessments involving trade secret protection and potential misappropriation. Partner with Human Resources, R&D, Compliance, and Legal teams on trade secret-related issues. 15-25% Strategic IP Counseling and Transactions Lead IP due diligence activities involving patents, trademarks, trade secrets, and technology assets. Support mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, joint ventures, and strategic partnerships. Advise transactional attorneys on intellectual property provisions in commercial and strategic agreements. Negotiate and advise on: Joint development agreements Technology licenses Research collaborations Material transfer agreements Confidentiality agreements Intellectual property ownership and commercialization matters Assist in the development of infringement, non-infringement, validity, and freedom-to-operate opinions. 20-35% Intellectual Property Depar