Patent Portfolio Manager – Compute System Scaling

Do you want to bring your patent expertise into a technology environment where your work directly supports tomorrow’s compute and AI breakthroughs? At imec, you will operate at the intersection of advanced technology, IP strategy, and business impact. As Patent Portfolio Manager within our IP create & protect team, you will help build a strong, future-oriented patent position for imec’s Compute System Scaling activities — a domain that brings together logic, memory, quantum, 3D integration, and system technology co-optimization.

What you will do

• Help shape the IP strategy for imec’s Compute System Scaling sector and translate leading-edge R&D priorities into a strong, business-relevant patent portfolio.
• Work closely with brilliant researchers, R&D leaders, business stakeholders, and IP colleagues to identify inventions with true strategic potential.
• Turn complex technological insights into clear patent decisions that support innovation, valorisation, and long-term business impact.
• Coordinate the drafting, filing, and prosecution of patent applications through external partners, while growing towards full ownership of your portfolio.
• Gain visibility across imec’s technology and business ecosystem by contributing to cross-functional governance and patent portfolio decision-making.
• Use patent landscapes, third-party patent conflict analyses, and patent risk analyses to guide smart, future-proof IP choices together with the IP intelligence team.
• Contribute to high-quality IP data and transparent reporting, helping stakeholders make well-informed decisions in a fast-moving technology field.

What we do for you

We offer you the opportunity to join one of the world’s premier research centers in nanotechnology at its headquarters in Leuven, Belgium. With your talent, passion and expertise, you’ll become part of a team that makes the impossible possible. Together, we shape the technology that will determine the society of tomorrow.

We are committed to being an inclusive employer and proud of our open, multicultural, and informal working environment with ample possibilities to take initiative and show responsibility. We commit to supporting and guiding you in this process; not only with words but also with tangible actions. Through imec.academy, 'our corporate university', we actively invest in your development to further your technical and personal growth. 

We are aware that your valuable contribution makes imec a top player in its field. Your energy and commitment are therefore appreciated by means of a market appropriate salary with many fringe benefits. 

Who you are

You enjoy working where technology, strategy, and intellectual property meet. You are curious, analytical, and eager to use your patent expertise in an environment where innovation happens every day.

• You hold a Master’s degree or PhD in Electrical Engineering, Electronic Engineering, or a closely related field.
• You bring at least 5 years of experience in the patent field, preferably within semiconductor technology.
• You are excited by advanced compute technologies; knowledge of circuitry and/or system architecture is considered a strong plus.
• You are motivated by the strategic role intellectual property plays in protecting innovation and enabling business impact.
• You combine sharp analytical thinking with a structured, pragmatic approach and can translate complex insights into clear recommendations.
• You enjoy taking ownership, working autonomously, and proactively anticipating the needs of your stakeholders.
• You feel comfortable in a fast-moving environment and can manage deadlines while keeping quality and overview.
• You collaborate constructively with researchers, business managers, R&D managers, and colleagues across different IP teams.
• You are open to using AI and new tools to work smarter and further improve the quality and efficiency of your work.
• You have an excellent command of English, both spoken and written. Knowledge of Dutch is considered a plus.
• A motivation letter must be included with the application; applications that do not include a motivation letter cannot be considered.

IMEC and its affiliates will not accept unsolicited resumes from any source other than directly from a candidate. IMEC will consider unsolicited referrals and/or resumes submitted by vendors such as search firms, staffing agencies, professional recruiters, fee-based referral services and recruiting agencies (hereafter “Agency”) to have been referred by the Agency free of charge. IMEC will not pay a fee to any Agency that does not have a prior written agreement with IMEC, validated by its HR department, in place regarding a specific job opening and allowing to submit resumes.