About IP House

At IP House, we empower brands, legal professionals, and rights holders to manage and protect intellectual property—both online and offline—on a truly global scale. Through cutting-edge technology and deep cross-border expertise, we deliver scalable, end-to-end solutions for IP portfolio management, enforcement, and content and brand protection.

With over 700 experts operating across five continents, we are trusted by some of the world’s most recognized brands to combat counterfeiting, piracy, and IP infringement at scale. From digital platforms to physical marketplaces, we help clients safeguard what matters most—everywhere it matters.

Location: Office Based/Hybrid (Flexible)

Salary: 80,000 ZAR per month

Department: Operations

Reports To: Director, Global Field Investigations

Overview of the Role:

The Manager, Field Investigations (MEA) will manage IP House’s on-the-ground field investigations network, including in-house teams, networks, and strategic partnerships, ensuring robust execution across licensing, compliance, quality management, and business development. This is a highly visible role that will drive both revenue opportunity and operational excellence for our Middle East and Africa field investigations business.

The right candidate will bring a blend of practical field investigations expertise, strong leadership and team-building capacity, robust business judgment, and a relentless commitment to seamless client delivery. You’ll work cross-functionally within internal teams to ensure IP House’s global standards and commercial objectives are met. In addition, you will bring extensive experience of working with law enforcement, prosecutors and border patrol agencies.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

Investigative Operations & Leadership

• Manage the day-to-day MEA field investigations, overseeing all field activities, subcontractor engagement, and process development.
• Expand and scale a compliant, licensed (where required), and quality-focused field investigations network—with redundancy in key markets and a focus on coverage expansion, especially across high-priority cities and territories.
• Work with Director of Global Field Investigations to ensure standardization of field investigative protocols—including evidence handling, reporting, and client communications are followed to ensure consistency and compliance.
• Bring extensive experience working with law enforcement, prosecutors, and border patrol agencies. 

Licensing, Compliance & Quality Assurance

• Manage ongoing state licensure requirements, applications, and renewals, ensuring full coverage for current and future business needs, where required by law.
• In coordination with the Senior Coordinator, MEA Field Investigations work with Due Diligence Unit to ensure that the onboarding of field investigator network runs smoothly: license verification, insurance, references, background checks, and professional standards.
• Maintain compliance with all laws in country; champion continuous improvement and conformity to emerging regulations and best practices.
• Implement and monitor ongoing quality assurance, performance metrics, and process reviews throughout the MEA network.
• Ensure that all field work is ethical, necessary and proportionate to what it seeks to achieve and is aligned with the IP-House Code of Conduct for investigators and similar client codes.
• Promote legality, confidentiality, honesty and integrity as the cornerstone of all field investigations.

Business Development & Revenue Growth

• Partner with Product, Client Success, and Global Field Investigations teams to drive commercial expansion.
• Maintain relationships with key clients, acting as the primary escalation point for MEA-based field investigations and ensuring seamless, high-touch service.
• Drive the development of value messaging and client-facing materials that clearly differentiate IP House’s MEA field investigations offering, emphasizing national reach, integrated quality, and single-point accountability.

Process Alignment & Cross-Functional Integration

• Work with global Operations teams to standardize processes, technologies, and data/reporting practices across all MEA field investigative activities.
• Ensure alignment of MEA field investigations initiatives with global process excellence, technology, and commercial strategies—while adapting for local regulatory and operational nuance.

Team Building, Development & Culture

• Manage a high-performance MEA field investigations team, championing a culture of collaboration, innovation, accountability, and continuous learning.
• In collaboration with Director of Global Field Investigations establish clear expectations, KPIs, and ongoing development for both in-house and external field resources.
• Give regular performance feedback and promote strong cross-team alignment within the MEA field investigations teams.
• Work with the global team to design and deliver training to promote uniformity and best practice.

What You’ll Bring:

• A strong understanding of delivering Field Investigations in the MEA region within the private sector to support brand protection and content protection or protection against other forms of criminality specifically targeting businesses.
• Experience of leading teams.
• An understanding of risk management in the context of field investigations conducted within the private sector.
• Thorough knowledge of licensing and compliance within the region.
• Flexibility, dedication, innovation, strong cross-functional leadership, negotiation, and executive communication skills.
• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree or relevant certifications preferred.

Why IP House:

IP House is redefining how the world combats illicit trade and intellectual property theft—delivering scalable, end-to-end solutions that empower global brands and rights holders through innovation, strategic expertise, and a relentless commitment to global enforcement.

Achieving this ambitious mission requires the collaboration of an exceptionally talented team.  We believe our people are the foundation of everything we do—and we invest accordingly. From day one, we foster a culture rooted in continuous learning, professional growth, and shared excellence.

We also understand that meaningful work begins with a strong foundation. That’s why we offer a flexible work environment and a comprehensive benefits package designed to support the health, well-being, and financial security of our employees and their families.

Here, you’ll have the opportunity to shape a fast-scaling organization with a strong reputation for results—and room to grow with it. Join us in safeguarding the brands, content, and innovations that shape our world.

IP House is an equal opportunity employer dedicated to fostering a respectful, collaborative, and inclusive work environment.