This is an exciting time to join Oxford PV, as we continue to build on our foundations as a spin-out from the University of Oxford in 2010, to grow and scale up commercialisation of our groundbreaking technology in the renewable energy sector. As our workstreams grow and expand, we are looking to hire a Paralegal to provide additional support to our Legal and Intellectual Property (IP) teams, which are group wide functions (covering our UK and Germany based businesses). The position will report direct to the Head of Legal with additional reporting to the IP Department.
You will be highly motivated and have a genuine interest in innovation-driven businesses and be prepared to work in a fast-moving environment in which agility and adaptability are key. You will have a strong sense of task and process ownership and recognise the importance of high-quality work product, both in terms of accuracy and presentation.
You may be seeking paralegal experience prior to securing a training contract to qualify as a solicitor or patent/trademark attorney, or a career Paralegal wishing to develop and broaden your experience in a dynamic scale-up environment.
A good understanding of contract law and core IP concepts is essential. In this role you will be combining substantive legal and IP work with administrative and process support for both teams.
What will you be doing?
For the Legal Team:
- Overseeing the administrative management of the NDA process (across the Group), including logging requests, tracking status, coordinating signatures, and maintaining organised records
-
Managing an established contracts’ intake process and tracking progress and status of contract workflows
- Managing contract signature and execution processes
-
Supporting ongoing development of contract lifecycle and legal matter management processes and systems
-
Proactively suggesting and implementing process improvements and efficiencies
- Reviewing and amending NDAs and preparing first draft contracts, terms and conditions of sale and purchase, and other non-complex contracts based on templates
- Assisting in legal due diligence exercises
-
Conducting legal research and reporting/applying findings
-
Tracking relevant legislation and regulations and reporting key developments.
For the IP Team:
-
Supporting the team in day-to-day administration of Oxford PV’s IP portfolio, including deadline management, maintenance of IP records and systems, and general portfolio housekeeping
-
Assisting with IP formalities’ processes, including managing the signature process for supporting documents/forms and supporting with documentation for onboarding and offboarding processes
-
Organising notary signings, preparing required documents, scheduling appointments, and ensuring accurate completion of all formalities
-
Supporting the team with patent filing and prosecution activities, where required.
What will you need to succeed in the role?
Essential skills:
-
A degree in law (or equivalent)
-
1-2 years’ experience as a Paralegal in a law firm or IP/patent attorney practice, or in an in-house legal or IP team
-
A foundation in contract law and some grounding in core intellectual property concepts
-
Experience of preparing/reviewing some or all of NDAs, standard form terms and conditions of sale and/or purchase, letters of intent, MOUs, contract amendments, services’ agreements, consultancy agreements
-
Previous administrative experience and some experience of supporting contracting processes
-
Excellent organisational skills, with the ability to manage multiple tasks and competing priorities
-
Strong attention to detail and accuracy in document handling
-
Strong legal research skills and the ability to capture and communicate key research findings
-
Ability to handle confidential information with discretion
-
Proactive, adaptable (including to new systems/processes) and able to work both independently and collaboratively
-
Highly motivated, agile and adaptable to changing circumstances and priorities
Desirable skills:
-
Experience of working in an in-house Legal or IP team
-
Familiarity with document/matter management or contract lifecycle (CLM) systems
-
Fluent in German, both written and verbal
What will we offer you in return?
-
Salary commensurate with experience
-
Benefit package according to location
-
A fast-paced work environment in a growing international company
- A chance to make a difference by joining our employee committees built around our values
-
The opportunity to experience and support many parts of the business
-
The role is based in our Oxfordshire office, with the option of hybrid working (3 days onsite, up to 2 days remotely per week)
Sounds good? Join our team – we look forward to receiving your application!
Oxford PV is an equal opportunity employer and expressly welcomes applications from suitably qualified candidates regardless of gender, national origin, disability, age, sexual orientation, transgender status, religion or belief, marital status or pregnancy and maternity.
