Job Description

Posting Title

Licensing Compliance Administrator

Location

CO - Golden

Position Type

Regular

Hours Per Week

40

Working at NLR

NLR is located at the foothills of the Rocky Mountains in Golden, Colorado is the nation's primary laboratory for energy systems research and development.

Join the National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR), where world-class scientists, engineers, and experts are accelerating energy innovation through breakthrough research and systems integration. From our mission to our collaborative culture, NLR stands out in the research community for its commitment to an affordable and secure energy future. Spanning foundational science to applied systems engineering and analysis, we focus on solving complex challenges to deliver advanced, secure, reliable, and cost-effective energy solutions. Our work helps strengthen U.S. industries, support job creation, and promote national economic growth.

At NLR, you'll find a mission-driven environment supported by state-of-the-art facilities, multidisciplinary research teams, and strong collaborations with industry, academia, and other national laboratories. We offer robust professional development opportunities, and a competitive benefits package designed to support your career and well-being.

Job Description

The National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR) Technology Transfer Office (TTO) is responsible for planning, directing, and executing NLR’s sponsored research agreements, intellectual property, and licensing programs. The Office manages the negotiation and oversight of research and intellectual property-related agreements working in close strategy coordination with multiple offices across the Lab and at Department of Energy (DOE).

The Office also provides leadership and guidance across the laboratory on technology transfer and intellectual property matters, develops staff expertise, and builds and improves the business processes and systems that support partnering and commercialization. This is an opportunity to be part of the Licensing Team which is a highly collaborative team that builds the relationships and creates the connections needed to move cutting-edge energy innovations from the Lab to the marketplace. You will work closely with NLR researchers, legal, and industry across technical areas such as critical mineral supply chains, geothermal, and advanced computing. NLR’s Technology Transfer Office actively markets promising technologies, works with businesses that have the technical and financial resources to commercialize them, and negotiates licenses that enable NLR innovations to reach end users and deliver real and lasting impact.

In this role, you will coordinate financial reporting and tracking issues related to NLR’s IP license agreements, support development of new licenses, track progress and obligations of new records of invention/software records and coordinate the license revenue-funded project program in NLR’s technology transfer office.

This role is pivotal in bridging laboratory innovations and the marketplace and centers on managing intellectual property (IP) licensing, royalty tracking, compliance, and supporting commercialization efforts.

Key responsibilities include:

• Assist in the licensing of NLR Intellectual Property
• Administer NLR’s post-execution license compliance activities for patent, software, and other intellectual property license agreements.
• Manage the accurate and timely collection, reconciliation, and reporting of royalties, license fees, milestone payments, minimum annual royalties, and other contractual payments, as well as annual reports.
• Oversee patent cost reimbursement collections and ensure licensees fulfill their contractual obligations to reimburse NLR for applicable patent prosecution and maintenance expenses.
• Serve as the primary operational point of contact for licensees regarding payment obligations, royalty reporting, invoices, account balances, and compliance documentation.
• Work closely with Finance, Legal, and other NLR organizations to ensure license agreements are administered consistently and accurately.
• Work under the guidance of the Licensing Executives to track the progress of records of invention (ROI) and software records (SWR) through the intellectual asset management process.
• Track financial and diligence obligations related to IP/licensing agreements and lead data entry and quality control for Clarivate, the IP Management System (TIPMS) database.
• Prepare documents for executive management review and approval related to license revenue-funded projects.
• Interface with Licensing Executives on the development, negotiation and administration of inter-institutional agreements (IIA).
• Collaborate with the Licensing team to prepare intellectual property management plans, including but not limited to tracking background and project intellectual property and option/licensing rights.
• Maintain NLR’s database of agreements and intellectual property:
• Populate and update the TIPMS database with agreement information. Use the TIPMS database to keep track of deliverables from licensees, send reminders to licensees, track intellectual property, royalty distributions, annual reports and patenting cost reimbursements.
• Translate TTO workflows into TIPMS so that the database supports TTO initiatives, processes, and procedures.
• Work with NLR Partnership Agreements team to support integration and cross-communication of data between TIPMS and Salesforce-based system used for sponsored research agreements.
• Serve as a resource for information requests regarding NLR’s licensing activities. Respond to external (Department of Energy, Department of Commerce) as well as internal requests to provide reports on NLR’s licensing and partnering interactions. This requires coordinating data collection from other groups within NLR.
• Manage business interactions with licensees of NLR’s intellectual property:
• Work under the guidance of the Licensing Executives to track and receive license fees, deliverables, updates, reports, milestones, and ensure that licensees are in compliance with the terms of the agreement.
• Act as the liaison between Finance and TTO to track and process license fees and royalties; and to manage the disbursement of license revenue to internal accounts and to inventors.
• On a case-by-case basis, independently analyze and negotiate terms of an agreement in areas of payment extension, and determine when to involve TTO management if the company does not meet the terms of the license or commercialization plan. In the latter case, support and track any necessary processes to notify the company of a breach or terminate a license.

Basic Qualifications

Relevant Bachelor's Degree and 5 or more years of experience or equivalent relevant education/experience. Or, relevant Master's Degree and 3 or more years of experience or equivalent relevant education/experience. Or, relevant PhD or equivalent relevant education/experience. Or, relevant JD or equivalent relevant education/experience. Complete understanding and wide application of technical principles, theories and concepts in the field. General knowledge of other related disciplines. Considerable knowledge of laws, regulations, principles, procedures and practices related to specific field. Strong leadership, project management and problem solving skills. Ability to use various computer software programs.

• Must meet educational requirements prior to employment start date.

Additional Required Qualifications

• Strong organizational skills and ability to manage competing deadlines.
• Sound judgment in identifying and escalating compliance issues.
• Ability to interpret and administer contractual requirements.
• Ability to reconcile financial and agreement data accurately.
• Sound judgment in identifying and escalating compliance issues.
• Ability to work with ambiguity on a daily basis.
• Lifelong learner who is eager to develop a deep understanding of the organization, its research, and the complexities of sponsored research partnerships.
• Strong customer relationship development and client satisfaction skills.
• Exceptional communication and excellent customer service skills and collaborative with both team and stakeholders across the laboratory.
• Strong critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
• Experience in project management.
• Detail-oriented and able to follow current processes and procedures.
• Must be able to work a hybrid schedule onsite at our Golden, CO location 2–3 days per week.

Preferred Qualifications

• Federal contracting and/or Research and Development (R&D) contracting experience.

Job Application Submission Window

The anticipated closing window for application submission is up to 30 days and may be extended as needed.

Annual Salary Range (based on full-time 40 hours per week)

Job Profile: Professional III / Annual Salary Range: $76,600 - $126,400

NLR takes into consideration a candidate’s education, training, and experience, expected quality and quantity of work, required travel (if any), external market and internal value, including seniority and merit systems, and internal pay alignment when determining the salary level for potential new employees. In compliance with the Colorado Equal Pay for Equal Work Act, a potential new employee’s salary history will not be used in compensation decisions.

Benefits Summary

Benefits include medical, dental, and vision insurance; short*- and long-term disability insurance; pension benefits*; 403(b) Employee Savings Plan with employer match*; life and accidental death and dismemberment (AD&D) insurance; personal time off (PTO) and sick leave; paid holidays; and tuition reimbursement*. NLR employees may be eligible for, but are not guaranteed, performance-, merit-, and achievement- based awards that include a monetary component. Some positions may be eligible for relocation expense reimbursement. Limited-term positions are not eligible for long-term disability or tuition reimbursement.

• Based on eligibility rules

Badging Requirement

NLR is subject to Department of Energy (DOE) access restrictions. All employees must also be able to obtain and maintain a federal Personal Identity Verification (PIV) card as required by Homeland Security Presidential Directive 12 (HSPD-12), which includes a favorable background investigation.

Drug Free Workplace

NLR is committed to maintaining a drug-free workplace in accordance with the federal Drug-Free Workplace Act and complies with federal laws prohibiting the possession and use of illegal drugs. Under federal law, marijuana remains an illegal drug.

If you are offered employment at NLR, you must pass a pre-employment drug test prior to commencing employment. Unless prohibited by state or local law, the pre-employment drug test will include marijuana. If you test positive on the pre-employment drug test, your offer of employment may be withdrawn.

Submission Guidelines

Please note that in order to be considered an applicant for any position at NLR you must submit an application form for each position for which you believe you are qualified. Applications are not kept on file for future positions. Please include a cover letter and resume with each position application.

Equal Opportunity Employer

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard basis of age (40 and over), color, disability, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, domestic partner status, military or veteran status, national origin/ancestry, race, religion, creed, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding), sexual orientation, and any other applicable status protected by federal, state, or local laws.

Reasonable Accommodations

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