Client Advisor (two posts)

The Client Advisor serves as a focal point for small and medium sized clients providing customer services and carrying out complex processing and examination duties for international patent applications in at least two languages. The role involves ensuring conformity with formalities requirements, providing expert input to PCT system development, and delivering high-quality client service.

Responsibilities

• Serve as focal point for small and medium sized clients, analyzing frequent defects, providing proactive advice and dedicated trainings to ensure a high level of customer service.
• Provide expert PCT Business input to development activities relating to the PCT system including IT tools and PCT rule changes.
• Examine in at least two languages formality requirements of complex international applications and related documents and correspondence, ensuring conformity with set standards and timely follow-up as required.
• Forward unusual or contentious formalities issues to Team Head for further instructions.
• Ensure high level customer services to users, reply to complex queries, and find solutions to problems in a timely manner.
• Liaise with PCT users and authorities and provide follow-up as required.
• Sort, identify, prioritize, and distribute work within the team in accordance with established guidelines.
• Ensure work items are completed within deadlines and make proposals to improve and rationalize workflows and work processes based on quantitative and qualitative targets.
• Follow up as necessary.
• Carry out quality control of applications and publication review and identify and resolve problems.
• Share knowledge on how to address such issues during internal quality control meetings.
• Monitor the late and non-payment of fees and take appropriate action (e.g., block application, send reminder).
• Participate in customer support on PCT electronic services.
• Participate in testing PCT electronic systems and tools, with a view to proposing improvements and contributing to its further enhancement.
• Participate in presentations on PCT operations practices in missions and meetings.
• Keep abreast of changes in established procedures, rules, regulations, work processes and relevant IT tools.
• Train and coach junior and new staff.
• Perform other related tasks.

Requirements

• First-level university degree.
• At least three years of relevant professional experience with the PCT, including in an IP office or comparable working environment.
• Experience with formalities examination of patent applications.
• Experience in providing customer service and training (desirable).
• Excellent written and spoken knowledge of English and excellent written and spoken knowledge of either French or German.
• Knowledge of other PCT publication languages: Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Russian or Spanish (desirable).
• Demonstrated ability to communicate with people from the technical and business field.
• Excellent understanding of the PCT and ability to explain or provide training on the rules, regulations and procedures governing the area of work.
• Ability to use IT tools and systems used for data capture and transmission, quality control and customer services.
• Client orientation, with the ability to deliver high quality client services with a focus on improving service execution, delivery and outcomes.
• Results-oriented.
• Excellent time management and work organization skills; highly adaptable to new environments, tasks and demands.
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Integrity in dealing with confidential and sensitive data.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills and ability to maintain effective partnerships and working relations in a multicultural environment with sensitivity and respect for diversity.

Skills

• Formalities Examination
• Patent Application Processing
• Customer Service
• Client Training
• PCT Rules and Procedures
• Bilingual Communication
• Data Capture Technology
• Quality Control
• IT Tools Utilization
• Client Orientation
• Time Management
• Work Organization
• Analytical Skills
• Problem Solving
• Confidential Information Handling
• Interpersonal Skills
• Multicultural Sensitivity

Languages

English, French, German