Swatch Group Administrative Assistant — Patents / Legal
- Location
- NeuchâtelNeuchâtelSwitzerland
- Employment
- Full-Time
- Seniority
- Junior
- Department
- Legal & Compliance
- Industry
- Fine Watches & Horology
- Posted
- May 17, 2026
About Swatch Group
ICB Ingénieurs Conseils en Brevets SA is the in‑house patent advisory practice of the Swatch Group, supporting the group's horological and jewellery maisons with intellectual property strategy, prosecution and portfolio administration. The firm operates within the Swatch Group ecosystem and serves a technically sophisticated, internationally oriented client base from its Swiss offices in Neuchâtel.
ICB (Swatch Group) in Neuchâtel seeks a full-time Administrative Assistant — Patents/Legal to provide docketing, document and legal-administrative support.
Role & Responsibilities
- Provide comprehensive administrative support to the patents and legal teams, including document preparation, correspondence and file management.
- Maintain patent and IP files, track deadlines and assist with docketing to ensure timely filings and renewals.
- Coordinate communications with external patent counsel, national patent offices and internal stakeholders.
- Manage calendars, organise meetings and travel arrangements for legal staff; prepare meeting materials and minutes.
- Process invoices and liaise with finance for coding and payment of legal and patent-related expenses.
- Prepare and format technical and legal documents (patent applications, assignments, powers of attorney) and ensure confidentiality and version control.
- Support ad hoc projects such as translations coordination, records audits and document archiving.
Qualifications
- Commercial apprenticeship (apprentissage commercial) or equivalent administrative/vocational diploma; additional training in legal or IP administration is an asset.
- Proven ability to handle confidential legal documents with discretion and accuracy.
- Excellent organisational skills with strong attention to detail and the capacity to manage competing deadlines.
- Professional written and oral communication skills; ability to interact with internal technical teams and external counsel.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications and comfort learning specialised docketing/document management systems.
Skills
Experience
Approximately 1–3 years of administrative experience, ideally in a legal, patents or technical environment; experience supporting IP practitioners or working within a corporate legal team is preferred.
Education
Commercial apprenticeship or equivalent administrative vocational qualification; coursework or certification in legal/IP administration is advantageous.
Workplace
This position is based in Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel, Switzerland.
Culture
ICB operates within the precision-driven culture of the Swatch Group, combining technical rigor with a collaborative, multidisciplinary environment. The workplace values confidentiality, professionalism and continual learning, offering exposure to complex IP matters across internationally recognised watch and jewellery brands.
About Cerulean
Cerulean is the definitive career portal for the global luxury industry. We match exceptional professionals with exclusive opportunities at the world's most prestigious brands. From haute couture and fine watchmaking to prestige beauty, hospitality, and boutique retail, Cerulean centralises luxury employment to help you find the career for which you were destined.
Frequently Asked Questions
The luxury industry is characterised by a diverse and nuanced nomenclature. Esteemed houses frequently employ proprietary terminology, and even within a single organisation like Swatch Group, titles may vary across global markets to reflect local conventions. To ensure absolute clarity, Cerulean assigns a standardised, industry-coherent canonical title to every listing. However, it is worth noting that this role is functionally synonymous with «Patent Administrative Assistant», «Legal Administrative Assistant», «IP Administrative Coordinator», «Patent Office Coordinator», «Patent & Legal Secretary», and other variations. Our sophisticated search architecture anticipates these variations, ensuring that inquiries using related terms will seamlessly yield the exact roles you desire.