OfferDrill.

Jobs › Abbott

This position has closed. Abbott removed this listing from their careers page on Oct 6, 2026. The interview prep below is still useful, and there are similar open roles at the bottom of this page.

Patent Searcher

Abbott · Abbott Park, IL · $78,000–$156,000 a year · Full time

Posted Aug 31, 2026 · We last checked this listing on Oct 5, 2026

Likely interview questions for this role

Written from this job description, not a generic list. Each one notes what the interviewer is really checking.

About your past

Tell me about a time you found a key reference others had missed. How did you find it?

What they are checking: Persistence and creative searching, which is where a searcher earns their value.

How do you handle confidential invention disclosures and keep search work private?

What they are checking: Respect for confidentiality, since leaked search topics can reveal company plans.

Abbott covers devices, diagnostics, nutrition and drugs. How do you get up to speed on a technical area you don't know well?

What they are checking: Whether they can learn new technology quickly enough to search it accurately.

What would you do

An attorney needs a search done in two days that would normally take a week. What do you do?

What they are checking: Whether they can scope honestly, deliver the most important part, and say clearly what was not covered.

About the work

Walk me through how you run a freedom-to-operate search for a medical device feature. Where do you start?

What they are checking: Whether they follow a method that a patent attorney can rely on when advising on launch risk.

How is a prior art or patentability search different from a freedom-to-operate search?

What they are checking: Whether they understand that each search answers a different legal question and must be built differently.

Which patent databases and classification systems do you use most, and when do you lean on CPC codes versus keywords?

What they are checking: Real search craft, since keywords alone miss patents written in odd language.

How do you search non-patent literature, and why does it matter?

What they are checking: Awareness that journal articles and product manuals can be prior art that changes an outcome.

How do you write up search results so an attorney can act on them quickly?

What they are checking: Whether they organize findings by relevance and explain why each reference matters.

How do you know when a search is done?

What they are checking: Whether they have a defensible stopping point instead of searching forever or stopping too soon.

Practice this interview out loud.

Offer builds a real interview for this exact role at Abbott from your resume and this job description, asks the questions one at a time, and tells you what landed. The first one is free.

Practice this out loud

The full job description

As published by Abbott.

Abbott is a global healthcare leader that helps people live more fully at all stages of life. Our portfolio of life-changing technologies spans the spectrum of healthcare, with leading businesses and products in diagnostics, medical devices, nutritionals and branded generic medicines. Our 115,000 colleagues serve people in more than 160 countries. JOB DESCRIPTION: Working at Abbott • At Abbott, you can do work that matters, grow, and learn, care for yourself and your family, be your true self, and live a full life. You’ll also have access to: • Career development with an international company where you can grow the career you dream of. • Employees can qualify for free medical coverage in our Health Investment Plan (HIP) PPO medical plan in the next calendar year. • An excellent retirement savings plan with a high employer contribution • Tuition reimbursement, the Freedom 2 Save student debt program, and FreeU education benefit - an affordable and convenient path to getting a bachelor’s degree. • A company recognized as a great place to work in dozens of countries worldwide and named one of the most admired companies in the world by Fortune. • A company that is recognized as one of the best big companies to work for as well as the best place to work for diversity, working mothers, female executives, and scientists. The Opportunity This position works out of our Abbott Park: Lake County IL (other locations: Santa Clara, CA, Alameda, CA, Chicago, IL, Plymouth, MN, or St. Paul, MN.) The position As IP Research Information Scientist, you will support Abbott businesses by managing legal risks through the discovery, analysis, and application of information from clinical, biomedical, and patent literature sources, leveraging advanced research, analytics, and information management methodologies. Working as part of the Abbott Research Center (ARC), Abbott’s corporate library, you will collaborate with other ARC functions, the Legal IP department, and fellow IP researchers to develop patent search strategies, identify relevant third-party patents, and communicate findings through visualizations, presentations, and other deliverables that support strategy, decision-making, and innovation. What You’ll Do • Conduct Freedom to Operate (FTO), patentability, and other IP research projects supporting Abbott business units. • Develop and implement patent search strategies, analyze findings, and communicate insights to IP attorneys and business stakeholders. • Identify emerging technologies, patent trends, competitive threats, and innovation opportunities through patent and scientific research. • Apply data science, analytics, AI, and information management methodologies to solve complex IP and competitive intelligence challenges. • Develop and evaluate novel applications of analytics, machine learning, natural language processing, visualization, and AI to advance patent intelligence, competitive intelligence, and innovation insights. • Create visualizations, dashboards, landscapes, and other research deliverables that support strategic decision-making across Abbott. • Evaluate and integrate new IP research technologies, including AI-enabled tools, to improve research effectiveness, knowledge sharing, and insight generation. • Assess technologies, patent portfolios, and third-party intellectual property relevant to Abbott products. • Partner and collaborate with cross-functional teams across Legal, R&D, and ARC to support innovation, product development, and risk-management initiatives. Required Qualifications • Bachelor’s degree or higher in a scientific or engineering field • Minimum 3 years patent and/or scientific literature searching experience in biotechnology, pharmaceutical, medical device, healthcare, or related industry • Minimum 3 years of experience analyzing competitive intelligence and developing corresponding IP strategy Preferred Qualifications • Expertise in medical devices or similar health care products,, especially those involving digital/software solutions • Degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or a related technical discipline, with demonstrated ability to understand and analyze electrical, software, firmware, AI, connectivity, and digital health technologies • Experience applying analytics, machine learning, natural language processing, AI, or other advanced information technologies to research, competitive intelligence, knowledge management, or related business challenges • Registered patent agent with USPTO • Proven ability to perform successfully in cross-functional teams • Experience analyzing competitive intelligence and developing corresponding IP strategy Learn more about our health and wellness benefits, which provide the security to help you and your family live full lives: www.abbottbenefits.com Follow your career aspirations to Abbott for diverse opportunities with a company that can help you build your future and live your best life. Abbott is an Equal Opportunity Employer, committed to employee diversity. Connect with us at www.abbott.com , on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Abbott and on Twitter @AbbottNews and @AbbottGlobal The base pay for this position is $78,000.00 – $156,000.00 In specific locations, the pay range may vary from the range posted. JOB FAMILY: Operations & Business Support DIVISION: GENC General Counsel LOCATION: United States > Abbott Park : AP06B ADDITIONAL LOCATIONS: United States > Alameda : 2601 Harbor Bay Parkway, United States > Chicago : Willis Tower Building 233 S Wacker Dr., United States > Minnesota > Plymouth : 5050 Nathan Lane N, United States > Minnesota > St. Paul > Lillehei : One Lillehei Plaza, United States > Santa Clara : Building A - SC WORK SHIFT: Standard TRAVEL: Yes, 5 % of the Time MEDICAL SURVEILLANCE: Not Applicable SIGNIFICANT WORK ACTIVITIES: Continuous sitting for prolonged periods (more than 2 consecutive hours in an 8 hour day), Keyboard use (greater or equal to 50% of the workday) Abbott is an Equal Opportunity Employer of Minorities/Women/Individuals with Disabilities/Protected Veterans. EEO is the Law link - English: http://webstorage.abbott.com/common/External/EEO_English.pdf EEO is the Law link - Espanol: http://webstorage.abbott.com/common/External/EEO_Spanish.pdf