Barnes & Thornburg
IP Mechanical/Electrical Engineering Patent Agent
Indianapolis · Full-time · Posted Aug 18, 2026
- Experience
- 3–5 years of patent prosecution experience; preferably at a large law firm or boutique IP firm.
- Education
- Bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering.
About the job
Prepare and prosecute mechanical and electrical engineering patent applications, with a focus on consumer electronics hardware and electromechanical systems.
What you'll do
- Draft and prosecute U.S. and international patent applications, including responding to USPTO Office Actions and coordinating prosecution strategy.
- Conduct prior art searches and support patentability, freedom-to-operate, invalidity, and clearance analyses.
- Interview inventors, support portfolio due diligence and post-grant proceedings, and manage docket deadlines and file records.
What they ask for
- Registration in good standing before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
- Bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering.
- Demonstrated experience drafting and prosecuting patent applications in mechanical and electrical engineering subject matter.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills and ability to manage a substantial docket and competing deadlines.
Nice to have
- Substantive familiarity with wireless device hardware.
- Experience with patent clearance and freedom-to-operate projects.
Tools
USPTO
Model-written summary · the original posting is authoritative