Swatch Group Senior European Patent Attorney
- Location
- Seniority
- Senior
- Department
- Legal & Compliance
- Industry
- Fine Watches & Horology
- Posted
- Apr 28, 2026
About Swatch Group
Swatch Group is a leading Swiss watchmaking conglomerate encompassing multiple prestigious maisons including Blancpain, Breguet, Omega, Longines, Rado, Tissot and Swatch. The Group manufactures movements, components and finished timepieces across its brands and maintains an extensive patent portfolio. I·C·B Ingénieurs Conseils en Brevets SA is the Swatch Group’s affiliated firm dedicated to managing patent affairs for the Group.
Swatch Group in Neuchâtel seeks a Senior European Patent Attorney to manage EPO prosecution, oppositions and IP strategy.
Role & Responsibilities
- Manage and prosecute European patent applications and national validations on behalf of the Swatch Group before the EPO and national patent offices.
- Develop and execute IP strategy for assigned technologies and brand portfolios, prioritizing prosecution, oppositions, appeals and maintenance actions.
- Conduct patentability, freedom-to-operate and validity analyses; draft clear opinions to inform R&D, product and business teams.
- Coordinate and supervise external counsel across jurisdictions, ensuring consistent prosecution strategy and cost control.
- Represent the employer in EPO opposition and appeal proceedings and support litigations or enforcement actions in collaboration with external litigators.
- Assess invention disclosures, draft and review patent applications and related documentation, and mentor junior colleagues in patent drafting best practices.
- Participate in IP due diligence for transactions, licensing negotiations and cross-border projects; draft and negotiate IP clauses in contracts as needed.
Qualifications
- European Patent Attorney qualification with entitlement to represent clients before the European Patent Office (EPO).
- Technical degree (MSc, MEng or PhD) in engineering, physics, materials science or a closely related discipline.
- Proven track record in drafting and prosecuting patent applications and handling oppositions/appeals before the EPO.
- Strong analytical skills with experience conducting patentability, FTO and validity assessments for complex mechanical/electromechanical technologies.
- Excellent stakeholder management and ability to collaborate with engineering, R&D and commercial teams; experience supervising external counsel.
Skills
Experience
Senior-level patent practitioner with significant post-qualification experience in European patent prosecution and opposition work; demonstrable experience managing sizeable corporate patent portfolios and advising R&D/engineering teams. Preferably several years of experience in mechanical, precision engineering or horology-related technologies and in supervising external counsel.
Education
Technical university degree (MSc/MEng or PhD) in engineering, physics, materials science or equivalent.
Workplace
The role is situated in Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel, Switzerland.
Culture
The Swatch Group combines Swiss engineering rigor with creative brand diversity across multiple maisons. I·C·B operates as a specialised, technically minded in-house patent practice that collaborates closely with multidisciplinary teams and external partners to protect innovation across the Group.
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 «European Patent Counsel», «Senior Intellectual Property Attorney», «Senior Patent Counsel (EPO-qualified)», «Senior IP Counsel – Patents», and other variations. Our sophisticated search architecture anticipates these variations, ensuring that inquiries using related terms will seamlessly yield the exact roles you desire.