Global IP Lead

At Perrigo, we are driven by our mission to make lives better through trusted health and wellness solutions, accessible to all. We are proud to be a Top 10 player in the European Consumer Self-Care market and the largest U.S. store brand provider of over-the-counter and infant formula. Dedicated to providing the best self-care for everyone, we are the people behind the brands you trust. We are committed to enhancing the wellbeing of our colleagues and consumers alike, fostering an inclusive, collaborative culture where each person can experience a sense of belonging.

Description Overview

The Global IP Lead is an enterprise-level leader responsible for shaping and executing Perrigo’s global IP strategy and maximising the commercial value of Perrigo’s IP assets. Reporting directly to the Legal VP, Category, Science & Commercial, this role acts as the global lead for all IP matters and leads Perrigo’s IP function, including one Global IP Counsel and an outsourced legal services provider.

This position blends deep IP expertise with strategic business leadership. The role ensures Perrigo’s brands, innovations, formulations, packaging and other assets are protected, competitive, high-value, and leveraged to support sustainable growth. The leader will develop a best-in-class global IP strategy aligned with Perrigo’s priorities, partnering across Legal, R&D, Category, Commercial, Business Development, and Supply Chain to embed IP thinking and value creation across the end-to-end product and innovation lifecycle.

This role covers Perrigo’s global IP agenda across three strategic pillars:

• IP Strategy - enterprise-wide direction setting, portfolio optimisation and management, and enforcement strategies.
• IP Dispute & Resolution – oversight of strategic IP disputes, and litigation prevention.
• IP Exploitation & Value Creation - licensing, partnerships, M&A support, and extracting commercial value from IP assets.

Dublin is the preferred base location for this role; however, we will also consider London as a location option, with occasional travel to Dublin required.

Scope of the Role

• Develop, lead, and continuously enhance Perrigo’s global IP strategy, ensuring robust protection, prioritisation, and commercialisation of brand and innovation assets.
• Serve as the legal lead on global IP matters, advising senior leaders on risks, opportunities, competitive intelligence, and long-term strategic direction.
• Drive the transformation and maturity of Perrigo’s global IP operating model, ensuring efficiency, consistency, digital enablement, and scalable processes.
• Lead global portfolio optimisation efforts, ensuring the IP portfolio reflects business priorities and delivers long-term value.
• Embed IP strategy across Perrigo by partnering closely with Legal, R&D, Category, Commercial, Business Development, and Supply Chain functions.
• Manage the transition of IP portfolio management to an outsourced model, ensuring quality, efficiency, and strategic alignment.
• Oversee the creation, protection, management, enforcement, and monetisation of the global IP portfolio, including trademarks (primary focus), designs, copyrights, patents, trade secrets, and domain names.
• Ensure trademarks and other rights are used strategically to support brand and commercial goals.
• Lead brand reputation protection globally, including anti-counterfeiting, misuse monitoring, and key risk-mitigation initiatives.
• Lead or oversee strategic IP disputes, including litigation prevention.
• Manage external counsel for complex or high-stake disputes, ensuring alignment with Perrigo’s risk appetite and commercial objectives.
• Advise senior stakeholders on litigation risks, resolution strategies, and potential business impacts.
• Lead legal support for IP licensing matters and IP-driven agreements, balancing commercial objectives, risk, and long-term strategic value.
• Develop and maintain licensing templates, negotiation playbooks, and governance frameworks to support efficient execution.
• Support due diligence activities relating to M&A, partnerships, and innovation opportunities.
• Identify and advance opportunities to leverage IP for commercial advantage and long-term value creation.

Cross-Functional Partnerships & Enablement

• Work closely with Legal, R&D, Category, Commercial, Business Development, and Supply Chain to integrate IP strategy throughout the business.
• Provide enterprise-wide guidance, training, tools, and One Perrigo best-practice guidelines on innovation, copy review, contracting, and IP risk management.

Leadership & Operational Excellence

• Lead, mentor, and develop the internal IP counsel; manage the outsourced IP service model to ensure a high-performing, business-aligned global IP function.
• Ensure optimal resource allocation between internal capabilities and external partners.
• Build and manage IP operational processes, KPIs, reporting, and budgets with a strong commercial and value-creation mindset.

Experience Required

• Fully qualified lawyer or Trademark Attorney.
• 8+ years of in-house legal experience with significant exposure to intellectual property strategy (especially in relation to trademarks), portfolio management, and licensing.
• Demonstrated experience influencing senior leaders and leading cross-functional strategic initiatives.
• Experience in a branded business is essential and experience in the private label industry will be advantageous.
• Experience managing individuals and/or external counsel preferred.
• Experience in contentious IP or strategic dispute management is advantageous.
• Deep technical understanding of IP rights (especially trademarks) and strong strategic IP decision-making capabilities.
• Strong negotiation skills and experience structuring complex licensing or IP-driven agreements.
• Executive presence with the ability to influence senior stakeholders across a global organisation.
• Excellent communication, leadership, and relationship-building skills.
• Strong business acumen with the ability to transform legal insight into actionable strategic guidance.
• Proven ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Operational discipline and ability to run the IP function efficiently, strategically, and cost-effectively.

Benefits

We believe our people are our greatest asset. Alongside competitive compensation, we offer benefits tailored to supporting you and your family, as well as career development opportunities to ensure you feel valued and supported, both professionally and personally.

Hybrid Working Approach

We love our offices and the setting they provide for in-person collaboration and celebration. But we also appreciate the opportunity to work remotely can energise you too, so we promote flexibility with the ability to work two days a week from home in many roles.

We are proud to be included in the Forbes list of "America's Best Employers by State 2024".

We are an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, colour, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, status as a protected veteran, or other characteristics protected by law.