Business Development Director

Join the leader in entertainment innovation and help us design the future. At Dolby, science meets art, and high tech means more than computer code. As a member of the Dolby team, you’ll see and hear the results of your work everywhere, from movie theaters to smartphones. We continue to revolutionize how people create, deliver, and enjoy entertainment worldwide. To do that, we need the absolute best talent. We’re big enough to give you all the resources you need, and small enough so you can make a real difference and earn recognition for your work. We offer a collegial culture, challenging projects, and excellent compensation and benefits, not to mention a Flex Work approach that is truly flexible to support where, when, and how you do your best work.

The Legal Department provides core legal support to all Dolby functions, runs several IP-centric businesses, and leads government relations.

The successful candidate will be a thought leader in patent-centric business development, with deep knowledge of joint licensing programs, including patent pools and licensing standard essential patents for use in consumer electronics products.  She or he will have a track record of exploring and developing new business opportunities, evaluating technologies adopted or likely to be broadly used across different services and device categories on a global basis, working closely with industry stakeholders on the development and launch of new joint licensing programs, including patent pools and acquiring patents.  You will have an entrepreneurial mindset to detect, pursue and grow new business opportunities within a complex and dynamic global patent licensing landscape. 

Responsibilities

• Develop strategies to grow and diversify Dolby’s patent licensing businesses, drive the development of new patent licensing programs, advise on royalty structures and financial models, negotiate program terms and oversee new programs
• Identify emerging technologies and standards, use cases, and market trends creating new opportunities for the acquisition or development and licensing of patents, especially standardized technology in the entertainment and communications spaces
• Conduct strategic technology, market, and business research, developing licensing and standards participation-related recommendations, in close collaboration with key internal colleagues and external service providers
• Identify patent acquisition opportunities, conduct patent landscaping, financial modeling and patent valuations, analyze third-party patents, standards documents, and commercial use cases, and manage the executing of those transactions as applicable
• Evaluate opportunities to strengthen mature programs and develop new ones, including making new standards contributions, participating in nascent standards and market adoption activities
• Liaise closely with internal stakeholders including Business Planning and Ops, Patents, Licensing, Litigation and Standards groups
• Support financial forecasting associated with our new pool and joint licensing programs, helping to drive ongoing engagements to meet or exceed financial targets
• Deliver appropriate communications, e.g., reports, memos, meetings, and presentations, to ensure that the Patent Licensing management team is appropriately informed of all significant events related to business development 

• Provide such other patent, standards, acquisition, licensing, enforcement or other intellectual property support as may be assigned
• International travel
• Reporting to the Head of Patent Licensing in our San Francisco office

Skills and Education

• 8-10+ years of experience in a top-tier law firm, or patent attorney firm, with experience working in-house for technology and IP-driven organisations
• Outstanding academic credentials
• Ability to develop highly complex, multi-faceted, patient-centric business strategies in the context of multilateral engagements such as patent pools and other joint licensing programs
• Substantial experience in patent acquisitions, exploitation, and related transactions, including patent licensing, pools, and enforcement
• Substantial experience developing and strengthening external business relationships and partnerships
• Experience with international standards bodies such as ETSI, MPEG or 3GPP
• Financial acumen related to patent valuation and licensing
• Solid knowledge of patent and contract law, as well as an understanding of antitrust law; patent pools and standards, and matters relating to licensing standards-essential patents
• Ability to evaluate data and make decisions quickly that will minimize risk while delivering the most value for the company, even when there is ambiguity
• Excellent communication skills (verbal and written); poised and confident to show up as an expert in speaking events at industry forums and conferences
• Interpersonal savvy, with the ability to interact effectively at all levels
• Self-initiative and ability to work with a minimum of direction
• Superior organization and project management skills
• Must demonstrate trust and credibility

Additional Desired Qualifications

• Technical qualification, coupled with a law degree from an accredited institution
• Accomplished attorney and/or business executive

The San Francisco/Bay Area base salary range for this full-time position is $195,000-$238,000 plus bonus, equity, and benefits, and can vary if outside of this location. Our salary ranges are determined by role, level, and location. Within the range, individual pay is determined by work location and additional factors, including job-related skills, competencies, experience, market demands, internal parity, and relevant education or training. Your recruiter can share more about the specific salary range and perks and benefits for your location during the hiring process.

Dolby will consider qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with the requirements of San Francisco Police Code, Article 49, and Administrative Code, Article 12

Equal Employment Opportunity:
Dolby is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. Our success depends on the combined skills and talents of all our employees. We are committed to making employment decisions without regard to race, religious creed, color, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, religion, marital status, family status, medical condition, disability, military service, pregnancy, childbirth and related medical conditions or any other classification protected by federal, state, and local laws and ordinances.