Head of Intellectual Property
International Federation of Accountants
- New York City, NY
- Permanent
- Full-time
During 2024, IFAC shifted its strategic focus to maximizing member value and experience. The Member Value Proposition (MVP) was created and is currently being embedded into all of IFAC’s activities:
- IFAC, by connecting and uniting its members, makes the accountancy profession truly global.
- IFAC member organizations are champions of integrity and professional quality and proudly carry their membership as a badge of international recognition.
- IFAC and its members work together to shape the future of the profession through learning, innovation, a collective voice, and commitment to the public interest.
The Head of Intellectual Property (IP) is a senior-level professional responsible for overseeing, protecting, and optimizing the use of IFAC’s intellectual property assets across its global network of stakeholders. This role ensures the strategic development, implementation, and enforcement of IP policies and practices that safeguard IFAC’s brand integrity, publications, digital content, trademarks, copyrights, reproductions, translations, and licenses. This role also leads the end-to-end process for preparing, formatting, and delivering authoritative publications, including standards, guidance, and technical handbooks, for both print and digital platforms, including the e-International Standards (eIS) platform. The Head of IP also plays a key role in guiding the organization's digital rights strategy, international licensing agreements, and IP-related risk management.ESSENTIAL DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES:
Essential duties and responsibilities include those that are set out below. Other duties may be assigned to meet business needs.
- Develop and lead IFAC’s intellectual property strategy and governance framework, ensuring alignment with the organization’s MVP and global activities.
- Oversee the management and protection of IFAC’s trademarks, copyrights, licensing, reproductions, translations, and agreements across jurisdictions.
- Draft, review, and negotiate IP-related clauses in contracts and agreements, including those related to publishing, partnerships, vendors, and content licensing.
- Monitor and enforce compliance with internal IP policies and external legal and regulatory requirements.
- Collaborate with communications and technology teams to address rights management, brand protection, and digital asset security.
- Advise on IP considerations in the development of platforms or content, particularly in digital formats.
- Manage relationships with IP registration bodies and licensing partners as needed.
- Contribute to the strategic development of IFAC’s global presence through responsible and forward-looking use of intellectual property.
- Oversee and manage intellectual property rights for IFAC and IFEA content, including licensing, permissions, and translation processes through IFAC’s OPRI system.
- Ensure compliance with global IP laws and internal governance policies, serving as the primary liaison on copyright and trademark matters between IFAC and IFEA leadership.
- Safeguard the integrity and accessibility of IFAC and IFEA materials by developing and maintaining IP protocols in coordination with legal, communications, and operational teams.
- Manage, mentor, and coach the IP team to enhance leadership capabilities and drive organizational impact.
- Manage the outsourced service provider, ensuring timely production, quality control, and process alignment with IFAC’s IP policies for document formatting and the IP team.
- Lead and manage the IP team by providing mentorship and employee development.
- Advanced degree in law, intellectual property, business administration, or a related field.
- Minimum of 10 years of progressive experience in intellectual property management, preferably in a global or mission-driven organization.
- Demonstrated success managing trademarks, copyrights, content licensing, and IP enforcement on an international scale.
- Strong knowledge of IP law, digital rights management, and content protection strategies.
- Experience drafting and negotiating IP-related clauses in contracts and partnership agreements.
- Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills with sound business judgment.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to work effectively across legal, creative, and technical teams.
- Ability to lead cross-functional projects and manage multiple priorities with minimal supervision.
- Familiarity with content management and digital asset management systems.
- Legal qualification or bar admission is preferred but not required.
- Experience with standards-setting bodies, international organizations, or the accountancy profession is a plus.