§Careers

Patent analyst jobs for people who notice what others skim

We hire engineers, scientists, illustrators, and commercial minds who would rather find the one reference that matters than skim a thousand. Work on a hybrid schedule in Albuquerque, or remotely from anywhere in the US.

Apply by e-mailSee how we search
A cabinet-of-curiosities drawer with compartments holding a fossil, a vacuum tube, a seed pod, a gear and a lens, and one empty compartment outlined in orange.
Fig. 5We keep one compartment empty — for what the next analyst will notice.

§ 01Context

What the work is actually like

Many patent analyst jobs are measured in volume: searches closed, references logged, hours billed. Ours are measured by what survives the second reader. You will use AI tools every day, and you will be expected to doubt them. You will read claims, figures, and journal papers closely enough to say which element a reference discloses and which it only gestures at. Then a colleague will review your work, and you will review theirs.

You will also learn where the line sits. Meta Dragons is not a law firm, so nobody here writes legal opinions on patentability, validity, or freedom to operate. Most analysts find that a relief. The job is to get the facts right and document them so well that a patent attorney or agent can rely on them. That is harder than it sounds, and more interesting.

We keep one compartment of every engagement open for the thing nobody expected: the 1990s conference paper, the foreign family member, the product manual that predates the patent. If finding that thing is what you enjoy, read on. The method page shows exactly how we work, and the people page shows how crews are staffed.

§ 02Culture

How we work together

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Everyone is reviewed

The second-reader rule applies to every report and every analyst, including the most senior. Reviewers are expected to push back, and being corrected is part of the job, not a mark against you.

12

Write it down

Every query, class, cut-off, and judgment call goes into the audit trail. The habit feels slow for a week and then becomes the reason your work holds up when a practitioner relies on it.

14

Small crews by discipline

You work with a lead analyst, a second reader, and, when needed, an illustrator and a commercial analyst. You will know everyone on your engagement and what they are responsible for.

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Honesty over volume

Fixed-fee quotes mean nobody benefits from padding a search or softening a finding. When the answer is no, we say so, and we expect you to say so first.

§ 03Benefits

What we offer, described plainly

Specific terms vary by role and location and are set out in writing in every offer.

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Hybrid in Albuquerque

A hybrid schedule from our Albuquerque office, with core collaboration during our client hours, Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. Mountain Time.

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Remote across the US

Fully remote roles are open to candidates anywhere in the United States, with the same review standards and the same tools.

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Learning budget

An annual learning budget for database courses, classification training, drawing software, and technical reading in your discipline.

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Tools to do it properly

Access to commercial patent and literature databases, the AI tools we use in client work, and Hoard, our analyst workspace.

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Health coverage and time off

Health coverage and paid time off, with details in your offer letter rather than in marketing copy.

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Mentoring through review

New analysts start as second readers, which pairs them with experienced colleagues on real work from the first week.

§ 04Open roles

Open roles

All four roles are full-time. Apply by e-mail with the role name in the subject line, a résumé, and a short note about a reference you found or a drawing you are proud of.

Patent Search Analyst (Electrical/Computer Engineering)

Full-time · Albuquerque, NM or US remote

Run prior-art, validity, clearance, and standards-mapping searches in semiconductors, wireless, computing, software, and power electronics. You will design queries, read and map references, and serve as second reader on colleagues’ work.

  • A degree in electrical engineering, computer engineering, computer science, or physics, or equivalent experience
  • Comfort reading patent claims and specifications closely, or a clear readiness to learn
  • Experience with Boolean and classification searching, or the patience to master CPC
  • Healthy skepticism toward AI output and the habit of checking it
  • Clear, plain written English
  • Apply with the subject line “Careers — Patent Search Analyst (Electrical/Computer Engineering)”

Patent Search Analyst (Life Sciences)

Full-time · Albuquerque, NM or US remote

Run searches in diagnostics, therapeutics, research tools, and biomedical devices, where the closest art often sits in journals, conference abstracts, and theses. You will read the literature as carefully as the patents.

  • A degree in biology, biochemistry, pharmacology, biomedical engineering, or a related field, or equivalent experience
  • Confidence searching scientific literature and judging publication dates
  • Familiarity with sequence or chemical-structure searching is a plus
  • Precise technical writing for claim-element mapping
  • Willingness to be reviewed, and to review others candidly
  • Apply with the subject line “Careers — Patent Search Analyst (Life Sciences)”

Patent Illustrator (Utility & Design)

Full-time · Albuquerque, NM or US remote

Prepare USPTO-format utility drawings, shaded design views, GUI and AR/VR imagery, and 3D renders for pitch decks and licensing packets. You will work from the analysts’ record so every figure matches the finding.

  • A portfolio of technical, patent, or engineering drawings
  • Fluency in vector and CAD tools, with 3D rendering a strong plus
  • Working knowledge of USPTO drawing rules, or the discipline to learn them exactly
  • An eye for line weight, shading, and consistent reference numerals
  • Comfort with two structured revision rounds per set
  • Apply with the subject line “Careers — Patent Illustrator (Utility & Design)”

Commercialization Associate

Full-time · Albuquerque, NM or US remote

Support commercial valuations, buyer and licensee identification, evidence-of-use research limited to technical facts, and the coordination of brokerage and licensing engagements with clients’ counsel.

  • A background in business, economics, technology transfer, or engineering with commercial experience
  • Comfort building ranges from stated assumptions and writing those assumptions down
  • Meticulous record-keeping for outreach and introductions
  • Ease writing to strangers at companies you have never contacted
  • Understanding that agreements and legal terms belong to counsel
  • Apply with the subject line “Careers — Commercialization Associate”

§ 05Apply

Apply for a role

Each link opens an e-mail with the right subject line. Please don’t attach confidential material from a current or former employer.

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Patent Search Analyst (Electrical/Computer Engineering)

Semiconductors, wireless, computing, software, and standards mapping.

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Patent Search Analyst (Life Sciences)

Diagnostics, therapeutics, research tools, and deep literature work.

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Patent Illustrator (Utility & Design)

Utility figures, design views, GUI and AR/VR imagery, and 3D renders.

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Commercialization Associate

Valuation support, licensee identification, and transaction coordination.

§ 06Process

How hiring works

  1. 01

    Send an e-mail

    A résumé and a short note, with the role in the subject line. A sample of public work, such as a search you ran or a drawing you made, helps more than a cover letter.

  2. 02

    A first conversation

    A call with someone from your discipline about how you read, search, or draw, and what you want from the work.

  3. 03

    A work sample

    A short exercise built from public documents, never client material. We look for the reference that matters, honest mapping, and notes that explain your reasoning.

  4. 04

    A review conversation

    We walk through your sample the way a second reader would, and you get to see how we give feedback before you decide anything.

  5. 05

    A written offer

    Role, schedule, location, and benefits set out in writing.

§ 07Questions

Questions from candidates

Something else on your mind? Call (505) 357-5188 or write to info@metadragons.com.

Do I need patent search experience?

It helps, but it isn’t required for every role. Strong technical reading and the habit of checking your own work matter more. New analysts learn classification and database searching while working as second readers.

Do I need to be a registered patent agent or attorney?

No. The work is research, not practice before the USPTO, and nobody here gives legal opinions or prepares applications. If you are registered, you would work here as an analyst, not as anyone’s practitioner.

Can I work fully remote?

Yes. Every listed role is open to candidates in Albuquerque or anywhere in the United States. Remote analysts follow the same review rules and use the same tools.

What should I leave out of my application?

Anything confidential that belongs to a current or former employer or client. Public work samples are welcome. If you are unsure, describe the work in general terms instead.

Keep reading

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§Next step

Don’t see your role?

If you read technical documents for a living and want your work checked by people who care as much as you do, write to us anyway. Tell us what you would bring.

E-mail us about careersAbout Meta Dragons
(505) 357-5188info@metadragons.comMonday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. Mountain Time