Sun IP delivers IP management services to law firms and corporates worldwide, including foreign filing, translations, renewals, and IPMS and IP administration services. We work through a general network of local agents, translation agencies, and linguists, and have translated over one billion words.Position OverviewReporting to the COO, this role will lead and build out a new department with two goals: a vendor network that delivers the right quality at the right cost and works to Sun IP processes, and accurate, consistent country rules for every service we deliver, above all deadlines and official fees. The role leads an existing team and will hire as the department grows.Key Responsibilities Cost: Benchmark vendor cost and performance using data and AI-assisted analysis, run RFPs, and consolidate work with high-performing vendors to increase buying power Quality: Score vendors regularly on quality, price, and responsiveness, drive corrective action, and offboard vendors who fall short Vetting: Set qualification standards for each vendor type: prosecution expertise for filing agents, subject-matter and language expertise for translators, and payment and deadline controls for renewal agents Process conformance: Define service standards for each service line and hold every vendor to them Negotiation and relationships: Negotiate agreements, rates, and terms, and build long-term partnerships with key vendors Onboarding: Run one onboarding process for all vendors, covering agreements, platform training, and vendor recordsOwn the rules for every country and service line,



and serve as the company’s authoritative source, resolving conflicting guidance from agentsKeep one consistent, verified rules record per country: deadlines and official fees first, then formalities and documentation requirementsHold vendors to SLAs for advance notice of rule and fee changes, monitor official sources, and communicate changes to teams and clients before they take effectExtend these rules into prosecution lifecycle docketing rules for our IPMS platform, working with Product and Engineering on the rules engineLead and develop the existing team, and build out the department’s structure and hiring plan as it growsDrive adoption of AI and automation across the department’s workflows Qualifications 6+ years of hands-on IP operations experience, such as a senior paralegal, formalities or docketing specialist, or operations lead, including 3+ years leading teamsPractical experience with foreign filing, PCT national phase entries and EP validations, and/or renewals across multiple jurisdictionsProven experience selecting, negotiating with, and managing foreign IP agents; linguistic vendor experience a plusStrong command of country-level deadlines and official feesExperience with docketing rules or IP management systems strongly preferredExposure to AI tools in operations, and openness to using AI day to day, preferredStrong negotiator and communicator, comfortable working remotely across time zonesThis is a hands-on operations role; a law degree is not required #J-18808-Ljbffr

📌 Senior Manager, Vendor Network & Jurisdictional Rules (Cantabria)
🏢 Sun IP
📍 Cantabria