Contract - Intellectual Property Lead

At Honda we embrace inclusion in our various policies, so whilst our contracts state that the hours are as required to fulfil the role with a minimum of 35 hours per week, we offer flexibility for when you work.  The regular office hours are 08:00 – 16:00 Monday to Thursday with a half hour lunch break & 08:00 – 13:00 on a Friday.  However, we offer flexibility of when you work with our daily flex-time start of between 07:00 and 11:00 providing that there is no business requirement.

Whilst there is no contractual right to work from home, the flexibility we offer is that you can request to work from home 2 days per week, again providing there is no business requirement to attend the office.

The Role:
Reporting to the Department Manager of the IP Department, the successful candidate will support efforts to protect the Honda brand in Europe by managing anti-counterfeiting cases, including serving cease and desist letters. The role requires strong IP experience and knowledge of IP laws and processes.

Main Responsibilities:

• Lead anti-counterfeiting enforcement, including co-ordinating raids, issuing cease-and-desist letters and managing litigation to safeguard and strengthen Honda's brand reputation. 
• Implement proactive anti-counterfeiting initiatives, such as online marketplace monitoring and collaboration with customs authorities, to detect and prevent counterfeit goods before they reach Honda customers. 
• Manage contracting and licensing matters, including trademark licensing and reviewing IP-related clauses in commercial agreements to ensure compliance and alignment with business objectives. 
• Oversee complex, high-impact litigation related to counterfeiting, directing external counsel to mitigate brand risk and achieve favourable outcomes. 
• Drive IP awareness by developing and delivering training and guidance to Associates. 
• Develop and maintain strong relationships with external law firms, enforcement agencies and other stakeholders to enhance operational efficiency and results. 
• Collaborate closely with global Honda IP teams to align strategies, share best practices and strengthen cross-regional co-operation.

Qualifications, skills and experience:
Required

• Undertaken specialist training in the IP area, with relevant qualifications.
• Strong background in IP, with deep expertise in anti-counterfeiting and brand protection activities.
• Excellent communication, collaboration and inter-personal skills.
• Strong cultural awareness and adaptability, with experience working effectively across diverse regions and organisational systems.
• High level of business acumen and commercial awareness, ensuring IP strategies align with corporate goals. 
• Excellent organisational and project management skills, with the ability to handle multiple priorities and tight deadlines.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite, with advanced skills in Excel and PowerPoint.

Desirable

• Qualified Trademark Attorney, Patent Attorney or Solicitor in the UK or Europe.
• Additional European language skills.
• Experience or interest in advanced technologies, including AI tools.

Honda is committed to the principle of equal opportunity in the workplace for all employees, temporary workers, contractors, applicants and visitors. Honda also encourages respect for the individual differences and talents of others while making full use of one's own abilities, based on Honda's philosophy of respect for the individual.

At Honda, we value and celebrate diversity and are committed to being a fair, non-discriminatory company that promotes and welcomes the uniqueness and differences of people around the world. We recognise that a diverse workforce allows for different ideas and perspectives, and we encourage everyone to share them. We strive to foster a culture of belonging that is consistent with Honda's core values and lived out in the way we work and respect each other. For us at Honda, diversifying our workforce means increasing its overall strength by providing people with equal opportunities - regardless of personal characteristics or previous careers.

This commitment flows directly from the Honda philosophy and the belief that we are all working towards a common goal. Honda recruits, hires, trains and promotes the most qualified/experienced individuals at all levels without regard to race, origin, religion or belief, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability or any other protected characteristic.