Intellectual Property Expert

Role Overview

• Mercor is seeking senior intellectual property professionals to build evaluation tasks for AI systems operating in patent prosecution, licensing, and IP enforcement contexts.

• The workflows are calibrated to the technical complexity, commercial stakes, and procedural scope of major patent portfolios, licensing programs, and IP litigation.

• This role builds worlds on two tracks: a US track (35 U.S.C., MPEP, USPTO procedure) and an International track (European Patent Convention, PCT, WIPO treaties). Experts qualified in either or both tracks are encouraged to apply.

• Contributors design IP scenarios, draft reference outputs, and write rubrics that capture how senior IP counsel think.

Key Responsibilities

• Construct IP scenarios spanning patent prosecution and portfolio strategy, trademark and copyright disputes, and complex licensing or technology transfer processes.

• Build tasks across patent prosecution, IP litigation and enforcement, trademark and copyright practice, licensing and technology transfer, and freedom-to-operate analysis.

• Develop scenarios involving tools such as patent search platforms (PatSnap, Innography, USPTO PatFT), IP docketing and portfolio management systems (Anaqua, CPA Global), and claim-charting tools used across major IP practices.

• Apply IP methodologies (patentability analysis, claim construction, freedom-to-operate review) to the standards track a world targets (US: 35 U.S.C., MPEP, Federal Circuit precedent; International: EPC, PCT, WIPO treaties), and produce reference patent applications, office action responses, licensing agreements, and litigation memoranda.

• Author rubrics that distinguish authentic IP judgment from generic law school or bar exam-level recall.

Ideal Qualifications

• 5+ years working as an IP attorney or patent agent at a major IP firm or corporate IP department (Fish & Richardson, Finnegan, Wilson Sonsini, or in-house IP counsel at a technology or pharmaceutical company).

• Direct ownership of patent prosecution portfolios, licensing negotiations, or IP litigation matters.

• Fluency in IP tooling and methodologies, plus understanding of how USPTO/EPO procedure and international treaty systems actually work.

• A recognized professional credential is strongly preferred (JD with bar admission and USPTO patent bar registration, or an international equivalent such as European Patent Attorney); a technical/STEM background plus prior rubric or training authorship is a plus.

We consider all qualified applicants without regard to legally protected characteristics and provide reasonable accommodations upon request.

Contract and Payment Terms

• You will be engaged as an independent contractor.
• This is a fully remote role that can be completed on your own schedule.
• Projects can be extended, shortened, or concluded early depending on needs and performance.
• Your work at Mercor will not involve access to confidential or proprietary information from any employer, client, or institution.
• Payments are weekly on Stripe or Wise based on services rendered.
• Please note: We are unable to support H1-B or STEM OPT candidates at this time.

About Mercor

Mercor partners with leading AI labs and enterprises to train frontier models using human expertise. You will work on projects that focus on training and enhancing AI systems. You will be paid competitively, collaborate with leading researchers, and help shape the next generation of AI systems in your area of expertise.