Take your career to the next level by becoming one of USPTO's senior leaders within the Patents Corps! As a Supervisory Patent Examiner, imagine being responsible for fostering innovation and enabling the protection of intellectual property. The challenges and opportunities of a dynamic agency makes leadership at the USPTO a rewarding career!
You must meet the following United States Office of Personnel Management's (OPM) qualification requirements for the advertised position. OPM's prescribed Group Coverage Qualification Standard for Professional and Scientific Positions can be found at: Group Coverage Qualifications Standards for Professional and Scientific Positions and the Individual Occupational Requirements (IOR) for GS-1224, Patent Examining Series: General Schedule Qualification Standards. You must meet all qualification requirements including time-in-grade (refer to 5 CFR 300.604 for more information on time-in-grade) by the closing date of the job announcement. Patent Examining Series: 1224 Individual Occupational Requirements: Basic Requirements: Applicants for positions in this series must meet the basic requirements for the scientific, technological, or engineering occupational series related to the area for which they are examining patents. Those requirements are described in the individual occupational requirements for the particular series, e.g., Chemistry, GS-1320; Food Technology, GS-1382; etc. Evaluation of Graduate Education: Qualifying graduate education must have been in a field appropriate to the position to be filled. An LL.B. or J.D. degree from a recognized law school or membership in the bar of any State, territory, or the District of Columbia is also qualifying for GS-9. Specialized Experience: is experience that has equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the position to be filled. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the next lower grade level in the federal service. Candidates for the GS-15 grade level must have at least 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-14 grade level in the Federal service. Specialized experience is defined as experience examining patents in art areas involving experience searching and/or examining patent applications involving one or more of the following art areas: biotechnology, biomedical, pharmaceutical, materials engineering, mechanical, business methods, electrical, computer, physics or chemical technologies. Selective Placement Factor: Must have full signatory authority. Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.
As a supervisory patent examiner, you will: Drive innovation in how we examine patents. Beyond day-to-day examination, you'll contribute to improving our processes through analytical research and active involvement in shaping the future of patent work. Test new ideas and methods. Try alternative examination approaches and share valuable feedback to help improve efficiency and performance. Play a key role serving as head of a Patent Examining Art Unit under the general administrative direction of the Group Director. Guide authoritative interpretation of legal precedents for making a wide variety of decisions involving the subject matter of a Technology Center. Evaluate cutting-edge technologies by testing innovative tools, including artificial intelligence, and provide insights on their potential to transform how we work; as well as participating in pilot programs and new initiatives. Help shape and refine new work structures and processes, offering recommendations for streamlining operations and improving outcomes. Lead through the energetic and dynamic exercising of the full range of supervisory and managerial duties associated with the direction of work in the art unit, developing and training employees, reviewing and evaluating the work and performance of subordinates, and determining the staffing needs of the unit. Selectee(s) may be required to perform an initial rotational assignment at the Patent Training Academy prior to assignment in the Technology Center. The physical worksite for this position is located in Alexandria VA. Applicants should familiarize themselves and must be able to comply with the relevant conflict of interest laws and standards of ethical conduct for employees of the executive branch regarding possible conflicts of interest in connection with their potential area of examination as seen here: https://www.commerce.gov/ogc/about-ogc/bureaus-and-offices/office-assistant-general-counsel-ethics-law-and-programs-office/ethics-rules. Attorney-applicants must also be able to comply with the relevant rules of professional conduct regarding any possible professional responsibility conflicts in connection with their applications. In particular, please notify the USPTO Office of Enrollment and Discipline at OED@uspto.gov if you currently represent clients before the USPTO and/or you have a family member who is representing clients or adjudicating matters in which this Office is involved so that we can evaluate any potential conflict of interest or disqualification issue that may need to be addressed under those circumstances. You will be required to file a confidential financial disclosure report, i.e. Office of Government Ethics (OGE) Form 450 annually.