European Patent Office : Employer profile

Company profile

The EPO strives to support innovation and promote a knowledge-based society in Europe:

• Patent protection enables inventors and companies to be rewarded for their innovation.
• The EPO has built up the world's largest databases of technical information, which it makes available to the public free of charge.
• It also offers a complete range of training on patenting and IP issues

The EPO's mission is to secure the highest quality standards in patenting:

• The European Patent Convention (EPC) provides the legal backbone for its patenting practice.
• The EPO offers a uniform application procedure leading to patent protection in up to 40 European countries.
• Processes at the EPO are fair, transparent and closely monitored for quality at all times.

As an employer, the EPO provides a distinctly multinational work environment in an intellectually stimulating atmosphere:

• We focus on building long-term relationships with our employees.
• We empower our staff to take responsibility and make the right decisions.

The EPO is an equal opportunity employer providing our staff with the chance to build long-term stable careers. We offer one of the most comprehensive and family-friendly benefits packages in Europe.

Work of an examiner
Today, patent quality is more important than ever. So not every invention can qualify for a European patent. And the people who take that decision are the EPO's patent examiners.
Patent examiners work at the forefront of technology and deal every day with the latest and most challenging technical innovations.

Science and law
Their daily work combines scientific expertise with analytical research and an eye for the legal aspects of intellectual property.
The main tasks of an examiner are to search and examine patent applications received by the EPO. Patent applications are texts and drawings describing an invention and submitted by individuals or companies seeking legal protection.

• The purpose of the search is to find the most relevant previously published technical disclosures ("prior art") against which the patentability of the application can be assessed.
• Substantive examination enables the applicant (or authorised representative such as a patent attorney) to be informed of any objections to the grant of a patent, with a view to resolving these through correspondence and, where necessary, oral proceedings.
• Examiners may also be involved in opposition proceedings if the patent is contested.

• Citizenship of one of the member states of the European Patent Organisation.
• Full university degree in physics, chemistry, engineering or natural sciences.
• Excellent knowledge of one official language (English, French and German) and the ability to understand the other two