Intellectual Property Office – Non-Executive Director

Jan 122021

Non-Executive Director - Intellectual Property Office

Body: Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
Appointing Department: Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
Sectors: Business, Finance & Skills, International, Regulation
Location: Newport; virtual for the foreseeable future
Number of Vacancies: 1
Remuneration: £8,000 per annum
Time Requirements: 18 days
Closed for Applications: 07/02/2021

The organisation:

The Intellectual Property Office (IPO) is the official UK Government body responsible for Intellectual Property (IP) rights including patents, designs, trademarks and copyright. They operate and maintain a clear and accessible intellectual property system in the UK, which encourages innovation and helps the economy and society to benefit from knowledge and ideas. IPO helps people get the right type of protection for their creation or invention, and responsible for policy, educating businesses and consumers about IP rights and responsibilities, supporting IP enforcement, granting UK patents, trademarks and design rights.

The IPO is at an exciting point in its history building a stronger role both domestically and internationally and has ambitious plans to deliver its strategy through delivering excellent Intellectual Property services, creating a leading Intellectual Property environment and making the IPO a brilliant place to work. It has embarked on a significant transformation programme to ensure it focuses delivering for its customers, both current and future ones, and plays it full role as a key part of the innovation ecosystem to enable the UK to become the most innovative and creative country in the world.

Person Specification

The successful candidate will be able to demonstrate that they have shown from previous roles elsewhere in the public or private sector the qualities, skills and experience to meet all the essential criteria relevant to this role.

Essential criteria

An understanding of the scope of intellectual property, the value of IP to inventors, entrepreneurs and SMEs and its contribution to innovation and growth;
An ability to challenge performance, and to encourage innovation and a culture of change in either a public, charity or private sector organisation; and
Experience of governance at a strategic level, gained by working in either executive or non-executive capacity, including audit, risk and financial management

Desirable criteria

An appreciation of the values and role of the public sector;
Good communication and interpersonal skills and the ability to interact with a wide variety of stakeholders; and
The ability to develop well defined strategies and pursue long-term goals as part of a team, including being able to challenge and support colleagues in order to reach consensus.

Additional Information

Terms of Appointment

Successful candidates will be appointed for a 3-year term, with the possibility of extension for a further 3 years.

BEIS will provide an induction for the successful candidate, and candidates who would like to discuss the post in further detail are encouraged to contact Joshua Sweet at [email protected].

How to Apply

For us to progress your application, you must submit both of the following documents before 11pm on 7 February 2021. You must submit:

a curriculum vitae; and
a supporting statement

by email, with the subject ‘IPO, NED’ to [email protected].

If you do not submit both a curriculum vitae and a supporting statement by 11pm. on 7 February 2021, your application will not be progressed any further. Late applications will not be accepted.

We also ask that you complete a diversity monitoring form, which can be found here,

Your curriculum vitae and supporting statement must each be no longer than two pages in length. If you submit documents which are longer than two pages, any information not contained within the first two pages of each document will be disregarded and will not be seen by the assessment panel.

If you experience problems accessing or completing the diversity monitoring form or if you have any questions about the application process, please contact Joshua Sweet at [email protected].