Director (Senior Patent Counsel)

• As the lead for legal activities for the company across the region, business units and sub-function areas in the country and/or across multiple countries, you identify business needs and design, develop and drive the implementation of Mondelēz International ’s legal strategy through the service delivery model and governance to support commercial and corporate initiatives
• You lead and advise the business on risk, anticipating and addressing internal and external factors, direct other legal colleagues in the execution of our legal approach, and decide the direction to take to address legal issues or concerns
• In addition, you are also a leader and expert in a legal specialty area of responsibility or are a region or business unit lead; lead, review and revamp legal teams in a continuously changing environment; and ensure the availability of new technologies, systems and services in the strategy framework
• You will lead in setting and implementing legal strategies that enable Mondelēz International to compete and to protect our people, assets and reputation while complying with legal requirements and standards of ethical conduct
• In addition to these contributions, you will also lead the legal team in providing legal services to the company at an optimal cost considering internal and external resources, technologies and systems; provide legal guidance to ensure managers make informed decisions regarding legal operational risks; manage the legal strategy with outside counsel, including spending without compromising financial and reputational risk; address the complex legal environment by partnering with business units, regions and global stakeholders to identify and advise on laws and regulatory changes for a given country and/or across multiple countries identifying risks and opportunities for the company
• Draft, file, and prosecute U.S. patent applications across Mondelēz’s core snacking technology areas including biscuit and cracker formulations, chocolate and confectionery science, snack bar innovations, packaging formats, manufacturing processes, consumer-facing digital and e-commerce technologies, and sustainability-driven materials
• Manage and oversee global patent prosecution through coordination with foreign counsel in key jurisdictions (EP, CN, IN, BR, MX, JP, and others)
• Develop and execute patent filing strategies aligned with Mondelēz’s snacking innovation priorities, brand-building initiatives, and global product roadmaps
• Manage and optimize a global patent portfolio, including maintenance decisions, continuations strategy, and portfolio analytics
• Conduct freedom-to-operate analyses, patentability assessments, and invalidity/validity opinions
• Support IP due diligence for M&A, licensing, and partnership transactions
• Partner directly with Mondelēz R&D scientists, food technologists, packaging engineers, supply chain, and marketing teams supporting brands such as Oreo, Ritz, belVita, Cadbury, and Milka to proactively identify patentable innovations
• Lead and facilitate invention harvesting sessions, ideation workshops, and IP awareness training across Mondelēz’s global snacking business units and R&D centers
• Serve as a trusted IP advisor embedded within cross-functional innovation teams, translating technical and commercial ideas into IP strategy
• Prepare and file U.S. and international design patent applications to protect Mondelēz snack product packaging, distinctive cookie, cracker, and confection shapes and brand-distinctive trade dress
• Develop design protection strategies that complement and reinforce Mondelēz’s global brand and trademark portfolio across its biscuit, chocolate, gum, and candy categories
• Support drafting and negotiation of innovation agreements including NDA, MTA, JDA and PSAs
• Support IP enforcement pre-litigation activities, including working with outside litigation counsel
• Monitor competitor patent activity and provide landscape analyses to inform business strategy
• Support enforcement, litigation, and opposition proceedings as needed
• Contribute to IP policy development, best practices, and process improvements

Significant experience assessing, advising on risk, advising/coaching and dispute resolution in a multinational companyHighest level of integrity and trust; highly credible and willing to expressSignificant legal experience, ideally in a large matrixed multinational companyStrong analytical, strategic vision, decision-making, and problem-solving skillsDemonstrated leadership skills and experience navigating and presenting at all levels of organizationResourcefulness, including relevant new technologies and systemsExcellent written and verbal communication and interpersonal skillsA desire to drive your future and accelerate your career with experience and knowledge in:Minimum of 4 years of experience in a law firm specializing in patent preparation and prosecutionExperience preparing and filing design patent applications (U.S. and/or international)Demonstrated experience managing U.S. patent prosecution from invention disclosure through grantTechnical background in one or more of the following: food science, chemistry, chemical engineering, materials science, mechanical engineering, chemical engineering, electrical engineering or a related disciplineActive member in good standing of at least one U.S. state barRegistered to practice before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO)Proven experience managing global patent portfolios across multiple jurisdictionsMinimum of 2 years of in-house experience as patent counselJ.D. from an accredited law schoolHands-on experience conducting invention harvesting sessions and partnering with R&D and marketing stakeholders to identify patentable subject matterBusiness Minded: Aligns IP strategy with commercial objectives and brand value creationCommunication: Exceptional ability to explain complex patent concepts clearly to non-legal audiencesCollaborative: Builds relationships across R&D, Marketing, Legal and Business Units; ability to influence without authorityGlobal Perspective: Comfortable navigating multi-jurisdictional prosecution and working with international counselGrowth Mindset: Sees challenges and setbacks as opportunitiesProactive: Self-starter who actively identifies IP opportunities before formal invention disclosures are filed; Brings a solution-oriented mindset to problemsInnovative & AI Forward: Strives for continuous improvement, is willing to explore new ways of operating, and has experience leveraging AI tools to improve workflows and processesExperience in the snack food, confectionery, biscuit, food & beverage, pet food, or broader consumer packaged goods industry (personal care, home care etc.)Familiarity with international design registration systems (Hague Agreement, EU Registered Community Designs)Experience with IP litigation and/or pre-litigationExperience with IP portfolio management tools and analytics platforms preferably including AIBackground supporting brand-centric organizations where IP intersects with marketingExperience with trade secret identification and protection programs