Paralegal II

Job Description

Role Summary

We are currently seeking an Intellectual Property (IP) Litigation professional to provide proactive, high-quality and reliable paralegal support for the IP legal group in Rahway, NJ, a part of the Office of the General Counsel (OGC).

The individual in this role will coordinate and perform multiple tasks for the IP litigation team in a dynamic environment, closely collaborating with attorneys, paralegals and administrative associates in the IP group. 

Paralegal II Responsibilities and Primary Activities:

1.   IP Litigation Budget Oversight

• Lead complete budget lifecycle planning for global IP litigation matters, including tracking of spend/invoices against budgets and assisting with forecasting and variance analysis, in coordination with law firms and in-house IP litigation counsels.

• Serve as liaison with OGC Legal Operations, Finance, legal network firms and financial matter management vendor teams to support accurate financial reporting and compliance.

• Ensure operational excellence across reporting and matter management workflows, financial accuracy, and compliance enforcement.

2.   Litigation Case Management

Provide case management support for global IP litigation efforts, including:

• Coordinating eDiscovery activities with internal teams, third-party vendors, and outside counsel;

• Coordinating meetings with internal and external witnesses and consultants;

• Managing legal hold notices, including preparing, distributing, and monitoring compliance;

• Handling acceptance of incoming subpoenas; and

• Maintaining litigation documents and case-specific files.

-    Perform legal and factual research, as required.

-    Develop or assist in developing initiatives to streamline case management processes and tools.

3.   Administrative Support

• Provide general administrative support for IP litigation attorneys, such as assisting with calendar management, coordinating travel and processing expense reports.

• Review correspondence and organize and maintain electronic and physical filing systems in accordance with the company’s records retention policies.

Required Qualifications

• Associate or bachelor's degree, or certifications (e.g. Paralegal Studies Certificate or Management Professional Certification) or High School Diploma with at least 3 years of equivalent experience.

• Enthusiastic, self-motivated team player with a strong work ethic.

• Advanced proficiency in software including, but not limited to, MS Office Suite (e.g., Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, SharePoint, OneNote, Teams) and Adobe Acrobat

• Experience with e-billing and matter management systems.

• Possess strong analytical skills and ability to address and effectively communicate with internal and external stakeholders.

• Ability to leverage independent judgment, creativity, and problem-solving capabilities while managing and prioritizing multiple work assignments

• High-level of attention to detail and organization.

• Strong communication and people skills.

• Collaborative, inquisitive, adaptive, and flexible.

Preferred Qualifications and Skillsets:

• Experience with Tymetrix 360 matter management system

• Experience with eDiscovery platforms, like Relativity

• Fundamental understanding of the lifecycle of a litigation and working knowledge of key documents related to a litigation

• Experience setting up and maintaining case-specific litigation files accessible by both in-house and outside counsel

• Documented experience as a strong performer in current and past positions.

#MSJR

Required Skills:

Adaptability, Adaptability, Budget Management, Cite Checking, Compliance Assurance, Confidentiality, Contract Administration, Cost Budgeting, Data Management, Finance, Financial Reports, Legal Acumen, Legal Case Management, Legal Documents Preparation, Legal Research, Legal Technology, Litigation Law, Litigation Preparation, Notary Services, Operational Excellence, Patent Databases, Patent Prosecution, Project Budgeting, Stakeholder Communications, Stakeholder Relationship Management {+ 2 more}

Preferred Skills:

Current Employees apply HERE

Current Contingent Workers apply HERE

US and Puerto Rico Residents Only:

Our company is committed to inclusion, ensuring that candidates can engage in a hiring process that exhibits their true capabilities. Please click here if you need an accommodation during the application or hiring process.

As an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer, we provide equal opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, age, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, disability status, or other applicable legally protected characteristics.  As a federal contractor, we comply with all affirmative action requirements for protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.  For more information about personal rights under the U.S. Equal Opportunity Employment laws, visit:

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We are proud to be a company that embraces the value of bringing together, talented, and committed people with diverse experiences, perspectives, skills and backgrounds. The fastest way to breakthrough innovation is when people with diverse ideas, broad experiences, backgrounds, and skills come together in an inclusive environment. We encourage our colleagues to respectfully challenge one another’s thinking and approach problems collectively.

Learn more about your rights, including under California, Colorado and other US State Acts

The salary range for this role is

$87,300.00 - $137,400.00

This is the lowest to highest salary we in good faith believe we would pay for this role at the time of this posting. An employee’s position within the salary range will be based on several factors including, but not limited to relevant education, qualifications, certifications, experience, skills, geographic location, government requirements, and business or organizational needs.

The successful candidate will be eligible for annual bonus and long-term incentive, if applicable.

We offer a comprehensive package of benefits.  Available benefits include medical, dental, vision healthcare and other insurance benefits (for employee and family), retirement benefits, including 401(k), paid holidays, vacation, and compassionate and sick days. More information about benefits is available at https://jobs.merck.com/us/en/compensation-and-benefits.

You can apply for this role through https://jobs.merck.com/us/en (or via the Workday Jobs Hub if you are a current employee). The application deadline for this position is stated on this posting.

San Francisco Residents Only: We will consider qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records for employment in compliance with the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance

Los Angeles Residents Only: We will consider for employment all qualified applicants, including those with criminal histories, in a manner consistent with the requirements of applicable state and local laws, including the City of Los Angeles’ Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance

Search Firm Representatives Please Read Carefully 
Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA, also known as Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC, Rahway, NJ, USA, does not accept unsolicited assistance from search firms for employment opportunities. All CVs / resumes submitted by search firms to any employee at our company without a valid written search agreement in place for this position will be deemed the sole property of our company.  No fee will be paid in the event a candidate is hired by our company as a result of an agency referral where no pre-existing agreement is in place. Where agency agreements are in place, introductions are position specific. Please, no phone calls or emails. 

Employee Status:

Regular

Relocation:

No relocation

VISA Sponsorship:

No

Travel Requirements:

10%

Flexible Work Arrangements:

Hybrid

Shift:

Not Indicated

Valid Driving License:

No

Hazardous Material(s):

n/a

Job Posting End Date:

08/10/2026

*A job posting is effective until 11:59:59PM on the day BEFORE the listed job posting end date. Please ensure you apply to a job posting no later than the day BEFORE the job posting end date.