View Vacancy - Senior Intellectual Property Adviser (CHEG22.409)

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Intellectual Property Office

NOTEReceived applications need not to apply again and will be considered.

The United Kingdom Mission to the United Nations (UN) & World Trade organization (WTO) in Geneva represents the interests and policies of the UK at many international organisations. We work to ensure that the UK’s views and opinions are taken on board by UN bodies and other member states. We are now looking for an experienced and highly motivated Senior Intellectual Property Adviser.

The Intellectual Property Office (UK IPO) is the UK Government agency responsible for intellectual property policy and rights granting. It is an agency of the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS).

Why should you apply?

The successful candidate will be the face of the UK IPO in Geneva as well as the multilateral expert in the IPO’s Global IP attaché network. The post holder will be responsible for delivering the UK IPO’s objectives in the Geneva institutions, particularly the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) and the World Trade Organisation (WTO), and reporting back on IP-related developments. The post holder will work closely with other government departments with an interest in IP and innovation, including BEIS, the Department for International Trade (DIT) and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO).

The successful candidate will build a network of relevant contacts and gather timely, relevant information to support delivery of the UK’s IP objectives. The job holder will maintain the UK’s influence and reputation on IP in Geneva through close cooperation with other Missions, the secretariats of the international organisations, civil society and business. The jobholder will be instrumental in delivering the UK Government’s priorities on trade, innovation and creativity.

The joiner will be part of the Economic team at the UK Mission in Geneva, and work closely with colleagues from across the Mission on cross-cutting issues and to deliver wider UK diplomatic objectives.   A generous learning and development offer will be available to the jobholder.

Main Responsibilities will include:

  • Deliver UK government priorities at WIPO. Work with UK experts on effective policy positions to successfully represent the UK IPO at relevant committees, with Member States, at WIPO engagements and with WIPO secretariat and leadership
  • Lead the UK Government’s engagement on IP issues at the WTO; working closely with UKMis, the UK IPO, Department for International Trade and others to negotiate UK priorities through the Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) Council
  • Brief senior UK officials, including the UK Permanent Representative, on IP issues, and assist IPO officials in providing briefing and support for senior UK officials and ministers in their engagement on IP in Geneva
  • Build and maintain a network of IP contacts in other Geneva-based Missions, UK Government departments, the UK IP attaché network, the WIPO and WTO Secretariats, industry and civil society, in order to aid delivery of UK IP priorities and increase the UK’s information base
  • Support development of UK policy and strategy on multilateral IP issues, ensuring that they are effectively informed by intelligence from Geneva and delivery in international organisations is well planned for
  • Provide support on IP issues to UKMis and UK Government colleagues covering the World Health Organisation (WHO), the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and other organisations as necessary, including on IP aspects of the WHO’s new agreement on pandemic preparedness and response
  • Line manage an IP Adviser also based in the UK Mission in Geneva, providing effective oversight, prioritisation and support for their work, coaching them to deliver to their full potential, and managing performance
  • Work closely with the UK IPO’s network of attachés in key posts around the world, particularly when multilateral issues arise relating to the markets they focus on
  • Lead for the UK Mission on WIPO institutional governance and reform

L&D:

FCDO is committed to learning and development. The UK Mission will provide funding in line with learning and development requirements and a variety of L&D is provided throughout the year both at post, in London and through virtual training courses.

Our ideal candidate shows:

  • Full professional proficiency, including excellent writing skills (written and spoken, minimum of C1 level for CEFR framework*)
  • Knowledge and experience of Intellectual Property policy issues
  • Strong spoken and written communication skills
  • Excellent interpersonal and team-working skills

It will be a plus:

  • Experience of the UN or other multilateral/regional systems
  • Knowledge of French and any other official languages of the UN
Seeing the Big Picture, Making Effective Decisions, Delivering at Pace, Leadership, Communicating and Influencing, Working Together
18 September 2022
Senior Executive Officer (SEO)
Full-time, Permanent
40
Europe, Eastern Europe & Central Asia
Switzerland
UK Mission to the Office of the United Nations, Geneva
International Organisation Delegation
1
2 December 2022

This is a full-time open-ended employment contract subject to funding of 40 hours per week Monday-Friday. 

The requirements of the job may necessitate some work outside of core hours, for example for meetings, official entertainment/representational duties and Ministerial visits. Staff are encouraged to work flexibly from the international organisations they report on as well as from home and to balance this with sufficient time in the office and UKMis corporate life.

There are a wide range of learning and development opportunities available to staff at the UK Mission.  The job-holder will be expected to quickly come up to speed, through on-line learning, formal training and job-shadowing, with the way in which the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office approaches security, logistics, staff management, crisis management and business continuity planning.

The successful candidate will be subject to professional background check, security clearance and 3 months’ probation period.

Staff recruited locally by the UK Mission for the United Nations in Geneva are subject to Terms and Conditions of Service according to local Swiss employment law.

Visa/work permit requirements: Candidates must currently hold the independent right to live and work in Switzerland and be prepared to ensure that right remains throughout the scope of the contract.

United Kingdom, European Union and EFTA nationals do not require visa sponsorship along with Nationals of: Brunei Darussalam, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Principality of Andorra, Principality of Monaco, San Marino, Singapore and Vatican.

Please note that it is your responsibility to ensure you meet the legal requirements to live and work in this country.

Please note that the deadline for applications is 23:55 on the day mentioned in the above field “Application deadline” and accordingly to the time zone for the country where the vacancy has arisen.

We advise you to allow enough time to complete and submit your full application, since only applications completed and submitted before the deadline will be considered.

Please be advised that the UK Mission will not be able to meet any cost during the Recruitment and Selection process, Security Check nor the costs connected with relocation.

*Please note for more information on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, Teaching, Assessment  levels  please click on the following link CEFR. Please bear in mind in case you are invited for an interview your language skill is going to be assessed.

Please be aware that you will only be able to apply to vacancies for Country Based Staff roles with the British Government through this official tal.net site (operated by Oleeo). Jobs may be advertised on third party websites, however our adverts will always link back to the official tal.net site. If you complete and send an application through any other site, we will not receive it.

This opportunity is closed to applications.