We're Cruise, a self-driving service designed for the cities we love.

We’re building the world’s most advanced, self-driving vehicles to safely connect people to the places, things, and experiences they care about. We believe self-driving vehicles will help save lives, reshape cities, give back time in transit, and restore freedom of movement for many.

Cruisers have the opportunity to grow and develop while learning from leaders at the forefront of their fields. With a culture of internal mobility, there's an opportunity to thrive in a variety of disciplines. This is a place for dreamers and doers to succeed.

If you are looking to play a part in making a positive impact in the world by advancing the revolutionary work of self-driving cars, join us.

About the role:

The Cruise Legal team is seeking a highly motivated team player to join our Intellectual Property team as Senior Program Manager. This exciting and challenging role will report to our Senior Supervising Counsel, IP to support all aspects of our global IP portfolio management. While skill, experience, and knowledge are vital requisites of this role, the best candidates are personable, organized, and will demonstrate the ability to act with efficiency, flexibility, and creativity.

Responsibilities

• Directly support our IP legal team to develop a robust patent and trademark portfolio.
• Implement, optimize, and manage programs for patent portfolio management, including building and documenting processes for internal IP software tools and databases.
• Maintain systems to monitor department goals, track docketing dates, ensure task completion, and audit for data errors.
• Work closely with outside counsel and inventors at each stage of patent preparation and prosecution, including coordinating invention harvests and disclosures, adherence to company guidelines and USPTO rules, and IP budget management.
• Communicate internal reporting to keep inventors and leadership up to date on program status and individual inventions.
• Rally stakeholders and engineering teams through enhancing and managing recognition programs and inventor incentives.

Requirements

• College degree, paralegal certification, or equivalent.
• 9+ years relevant working experience, preferably with law firm and in-house experience.
• Experience with IP portfolio management systems.
• Substantial experience and knowledge of USPTO procedures.
• Exceptional written/verbal communication skills, especially for collaborating cross-functionally with attorneys, inventors, outside counsel, and business partners.
• Proactive and team-oriented approach to problem solving and communication.

Bonus Points!!

• Experience in trademark prosecution and administration.
• Familiarity with coding or interest in software automation of IP systems.
• Experience, understanding, or interest in autonomous vehicle technology.

Why Cruise?

• Our benefits are here to support the whole you:
  • Competitive salary and benefits 
  • 401(k) Cruise matching program 
  • Medical / dental / vision, AD+D and Life
  • One Medical membership
  • Flexible vacation and company paid holidays
  • Healthy meals and snacks provided for non-remote employees
  • Paid parental leave
  • Fertility Benefits 
  • Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account, subsidized by Cruise
  • Flexible Spending Account 
  • Monthly wellness stipend
  • Pre-tax Commuter Benefit Plan for non-remote employees

• We’re Integrated
  • Through our partnerships with General Motors and Honda, we are the only self-driving company with fully integrated manufacturing at scale.

• We’re Funded
  • GM, Honda, Microsoft, SoftBank, & T. Rowe Price, have invested billions in Cruise. Their backing for our technology demonstrates their confidence in our progress, team, and vision and makes us one of the leading autonomous vehicle organizations in the industry. Our deep resources greatly accelerate our operating speed.

• We’re Independent
  • We have our own governance, board of directors, equity, and investors. Our independence allows us to not just work on the edge of technology, but also define it.

• We’re Vested
  • You won’t just own your work here, you’ll have the potential to own equity in Cruise, too. We are competing in a market that is projected to grow exponentially, which gives our company valuation room to grow.

Cruise LLC is an equal opportunity employer. We strive to create a supportive and inclusive workplace where contributions are valued and celebrated, and our employees thrive by being themselves and are inspired to do the best work of their lives. 

We seek applicants of all backgrounds and identities, across race, color, ethnicity, national origin or ancestry, citizenship, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran status, marital status, pregnancy or parental status, or disability. Applicants will not be discriminated against based on these or other protected categories or social identities. Cruise will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records, in accordance with applicable laws.

Cruise is committed to the full inclusion of all applicants. If reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process please let our recruiting team know or email HR@getcruise.com.

We proactively work to design hiring processes that promote equity and inclusion while mitigating bias. To help us track the effectiveness and inclusivity of our recruiting efforts, please consider answering the following demographic questions. Answering these questions is entirely voluntary. Your answers to these questions will not be shared with the hiring decision makers and will not impact the hiring decision in any way. Instead, Cruise will use this information not only to comply with any government reporting obligations but also to track our progress toward meeting our diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging objectives.

Vaccine Mandate. 

At Cruise, we’re tasked with leading in the communities we serve — and doing our part to help keep our communities and our teams safe. Our #StaySafe culture transcends and informs all we do, and because of this, as of October 31, 2021 Cruise will be mandating COVID-19 vaccinations for all US-based Cruisers who need or want to access any of our US Cruise facilities and engage in any business travel — including attending any in-person Company-sponsored event. 

If you are unable to get a vaccine due to a medical condition, disability, or a strongly-held religious belief, Cruise will consider requests for an accommodation.

Note to Recruitment Agencies: Cruise does not accept unsolicited agency resumes. Furthermore, Cruise does not pay placement fees for candidates submitted by any agency other than its approved partners.