Patent Attorney

Company Overview

Through its Social Innovation Business that brings together IT, OT(Operational Technology) and products, Hitachi contributes to a harmonized society where the environment, wellbeing, and economic growth are in balance. Hitachi operates globally in four sectors – Digital Systems & Services, Energy, Mobility, and Connective Industries – and the Strategic SIB Business Unit for new growth businesses. With Lumada at its core, Hitachi generates value from integrating data, technology and domain knowledge to solve customer and social challenges. Revenues for FY2024 (ended March 31, 2025) totaled 9,783.3 billion yen, with 618 consolidated subsidiaries and approximately 280,000 employees worldwide. Visit us at www.hitachi.com.

What you’ll be doing

As a Patent Attorney, you will be part of a dynamic collaborative team of in-house Intellectual Property professionals supporting Hitachi’s innovation activities across Europe. You will be responsible for managing and prosecuting patent portfolios, providing strategic IP advice to R&D and business teams, ensuring alignment with Hitachi’s global IP strategy. This role reports to the Senior Patent Attorney responsible for Europe and will be based in the UK, France or Germany, with the possibility of partial remote work.

Key Responsibilities

Patent Portfolio Management

• File and prosecute patent applications before the EPO and national patent offices in Europe.
• Manage external patent attorneys to ensure high-quality prosecution and alignment with business goals.
• Review invention disclosures and advise on patentability, freedom-to-operate, and IP strategy.
• Maintain and monitor patent portfolios, including oppositions and validations.
• Participate in patent committee reviews and support patent filing decisions, portfolio management and alignment.

IP Strategy & Business Support

• Work closely with R&D and business product development teams to identify protectable inventions and align IP filings with business priorities.
• Advise on competitive IP landscapes and provide input on IP risk assessments, including third-party rights and clearance analysis.
• Contribute to the development of IP strategy for key technology areas and business units.
• Support licensing, collaboration, and M&A activities from an IP perspective, in cooperation with IP Legal Services

IP Operations & Process Development

• Collaborate with the IP operations and docketing teams to ensure data quality and compliance with internal IP processes.
• Contribute to process improvement initiatives to enhance IP management practices.
• Participate in internal training and awareness programs to promote IP best practices across the business.
• Support global IP governance initiatives and alignment across regional IP teams.

What you bring to the team

We’re looking for a team player, who is motivated by delivering great work and the Hitachi vision.

The ideal candidate will possess the following skills and background:

Qualifications

• European Patent Attorney qualification (EQE) required.
• Minimum 2-3 years of post-qualification experience in a corporate or private practice environment.
• Technical background in computer science, software engineering, electrical engineering, or a related digital/technical field.
• Strong drafting and prosecution experience before the EPO and international patent offices (e.g., USPTO, JPO, CNIPA).
• Familiarity with design protection is a plus.
• Experience with patenting artificial intelligence, control systems, digital twins, digital twins, predictive maintenance, and industrial IoT is highly valued.
• Experience working in a multinational or technology-driven environment preferred.

Skills & Abilities

• Strong legal and technical analysis skills, especially related to innovations in the digital field.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to explain complex legal and technical issues clearly.
• Business-oriented mindset with the ability to provide pragmatic IP advice.
• Comfortable working in a cross-functional, international environment.
• Self-motivated and organized, with the ability to manage multiple priorities.
• Proficiency in English is required (written and spoken); Japanese or another European language is a plus (German or Italian).

Our Values

We are proud to say we are an equal opportunity employer and welcome all applicants for employment without attention to any factor that doesn’t impact your ability to do the job, including race, colour, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran or disability status. We are proud of Japanese heritage, with our values expressed through the Hitachi Spirit:

Wa – Harmony, Trust, Respect

Makoto – Sincerity, Fairness, Honesty, Integrity

Kaitakusha-Seishin – Pioneering Spirit, Challenge