Patent Agent

General Mills' Office of Intellectual Property Counsel seeks a highly motivated and experienced Patent Agent to join our team in Golden Valley, MN. You will play a critical role in protecting General Mills' most strategically important innovations across a diverse portfolio of brands and technologies. This is a unique opportunity to contribute directly to the company's continued success by safeguarding its intellectual property.

Responsibilities:

• Draft and prosecute high-quality U.S. patent applications before the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), focusing on strategically important inventions.
• Provide expert guidance to international counsel on patent prosecution matters in foreign jurisdictions.
• Collaborate closely with patent attorneys and business clients to develop and execute comprehensive intellectual property strategies.
• Support patent attorneys in right-to-practice matters, including reviewing, analyzing, and advising clients on patent filing decisions.
• Demonstrate a deep understanding of legal terminology and documentation related to patent prosecution.
• Proactively identify potential issues, assess information effectively, and make sound, timely decisions.
• Independently manage and prioritize multiple concurrent projects, demonstrating excellent organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Prepare clear, concise, and persuasive legal correspondence and documents.
• Stay current on relevant legal developments and best practices in patent prosecution.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Food Science, Chemistry, Biochemistry, Biology, Microbiology, or a closely related scientific field.
• Registration to practice before the USPTO.
• Minimum five years of experience drafting and prosecuting U.S. patent applications.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience drafting and prosecuting U.S. patent applications related to food science, packaging, mechanical engineering, industrial processes, or pet and animal science.
• Proven ability to manage complex intellectual property activities, including U.S. and international patent preparation and prosecution.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite and experience with specialized legal software applications such as Anaqua or Legal Tracker.
• Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills; ability to communicate complex technical information clearly and concisely to both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Demonstrated initiative, sound judgment, and decision-making skills within defined parameters.
• A proactive approach to problem-solving and process improvement.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively within a team environment
• Strong interpersonal skills

We exist to make food the world loves. But we do more than that. Our company is a place that prioritizes being a force for good, a place to expand learning, explore new perspectives and reimagine new possibilities, every day. We look for people who want to bring their best - bold thinkers with big hearts who challenge one other and grow together. Because becoming the undisputed leader in food means surrounding ourselves with people who are hungry for what's next.

Salary Range

The salary range for this position is $108900.00 - $163500.00 / Annually. At General Mills we strive for each employee's pay at any point in their career to reflect their experiences performance and skills for their current role. The salary range for this role represents the numerous factors considered in the hiring decisions including, but not limited to, educations, skills, work experience, certifications, etc. As such, pay for the successful candidate(s) could fall anywhere within the stated range. Beyond base salary, General Mills offers a competitive Total Rewards package focusing on your overall well-being. We are proud to offer a foundation of health benefits, retirement and financial wellbeing, time off programs, wellbeing support and perks. Benefits may vary by role, country, region, union status, and other employment status factors. You may also be eligible to participate in an annual incentive program. An incentive award, if any, depends on various factors, including, individual and organizational performance.

Reasonable Accommodation Request

If you need to request an accommodation during the application or hiring process, please fill out our online accommodations request form by following this link: Accommodations Request.