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Subject Matter Expert (SME) – Patent Examination & Training Modernization

Carney

Alexandria, VA · HybridFull-timeSeen 1 day agoSeen in employer's feed 1 day ago

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At a glance

Compensation
No compensation found
Location
Alexandria, VAHybrid
Schedule
Full-time
Work Authorization
Citizenship required

Olive focuses on jobs in the United States, including remote roles you can work from there.

Requirements

Credentials this posting asks for.

Public Trust clearance, requiredBachelor's degree, required

Job overview

Carney seeks a subject matter expert to modernize training for the USPTO Patent Training Academy. The role provides technical oversight and curriculum guidance, revises up to 125 patent training courses, and advises on converting at least 25 courses into asynchronous eLearning. The SME coordinates with instructional design teams and USPTO leadership to ensure training reflects patent policies, statutory guidance, and federal accessibility standards.

Skills & qualifications

RequiredNice to have

Skills

Patent Law, requiredPatent Examination, requiredFederal Patent Training, requiredCurriculum Revision, requiredInstructional Design, requiredSCORM Standards, requiredInstructional Design Software, requiredLearning Management Systems, requiredCornerstone on Demand, requiredSection 508 Compliance, requiredPatent Examination Standards, nice to haveAdult Learning, nice to haveIntellectual Property Law, nice to haveAdult Education, nice to haveInstructional Technology, nice to haveTraining Pipeline Execution, nice to have

Qualifications

Bachelor's in STEM or Related, required8+ Years Patent Experience, requiredLarge-Scale Federal Curriculum Project Experience, requiredU.S. Citizenship, requiredUSPTO Patent Examiner Experience, nice to havePTA Instructor Experience, nice to havePTA Instructional Designer Experience, nice to haveMaster's, PhD, or JD, nice to have500+ Annual Trainee Experience, nice to havePublic Trust Clearance Eligibility, required

Full job description

Subject Matter Expert (SME) – Patent Examination & Training Modernization

Alexandria, VA

Full Time

Experienced

Location:Alexandria, VA (USPTO Headquarters)

Work Modality:Hybrid On-site

Security Clearance:Ability to obtain a Public Trust Clearance

About Team Carney

Carney delivers high-reliability educational services, professional training, and academic administration for elite federal agencies and military training academies. We specialize in instructional systems design (ISD), curriculum modernization, and interactive eLearning development to ensure federal workforces gain mission-critical operational capabilities.

Position Overview

Carney is seeking an experienced, high-caliberSubject Matter Expert (SME) in Patent Examination and Training Modernizationto support the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) Patent Training Academy (PTA). The SME will provide senior-level technical oversight, curriculum advisory, and pedagogical leadership to modernize the Academy’s training infrastructure. This initiative supports approximately 900 new patent examiners annually.

The SME will spearhead the strategic evaluation and structural revision of up to125 existing training coursesand lead the conversion of at least25 courses into fully asynchronous eLearning moduleshosted on the agency’s enterprise Cornerstone on Demand Learning Management System (LMS). Acting as a critical link between instructional design teams and USPTO senior leadership, the SME ensures that all training assets reflect accurate patent examination policies, statutory guidelines, and federal accessibility baselines.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

  • Curriculum Modernization Leadership:Direct the strategic evaluation, structural redesign, and curriculum mapping of up to 125 complex patent training courses to align with modern adult learning principles and patent examination standards.

  • eLearning Conversion Advisory:Provide deep technical and educational oversight for the conversion of at least 25 courses into high-quality, asynchronous eLearning modules.

  • LMS Integration Support:Oversee technical compatibility and compliance of all newly developed SCORM-compliant courseware for integration into the USPTO enterprise Cornerstone on Demand LMS.

  • Federal Quality & Compliance Assurance:Ensure all modern curriculum deliverables strictly adhere to USPTO-defined style guides, adult learning standards, and federal Section 508 accessibility regulations.

  • Stakeholder Coordination:Act as the primary technical liaison between Team Carney’s instructional design personnel and USPTO/PTA leadership to align training developments with evolving patent law, statutory guidance, and procedural updates.

  • Throughput Tracking & Metrics reporting:Develop comprehensive quality metrics, review workflows, and milestone tracking spreadsheets to ensure delivery schedules align with the continuous on-boarding of 900 new examiners annually.

Required Minimum Qualifications

  • U.S. Citizenship:Must be a U.S. citizen (federal client requirement).

  • Educational Background:Minimum of a Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution in a STEM discipline (Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics), Education, or a related field.

  • Experience:

  • Minimum of eight (8) years of progressive experience in patent law, patent examination, or direct support of federal patent training programs.

  • Demonstrated experience leading large-scale federal curriculum revision or instructional design projects (exceeding 50+ modules/courses).

  • Technical & LMS Proficiencies:Proven familiarity with SCORM standards, instructional design software, and enterprise Learning Management Systems (specifically Cornerstone on Demand).

  • Federal Standard Compliance:Direct experience developing or evaluating educational materials compliant with Section 508 accessibility guidelines.

Preferred Qualifications

  • Prior experience as a USPTO Patent Examiner or PTA Instructor/Instructional Designer.

  • Advanced degree (Master’s, PhD, or JD) with a focus on Intellectual Property Law, Adult Education, or Instructional Technology.

  • Hands-on experience executing training pipelines for cohorts exceeding 500+ professionals annually.

How this job compares

Set against the 844 open Subject Matter Expert jobs on Olive Jobs, counted November 13, 2026.

Pay
  • This postingNot listed
  • Virginia median$121–197K/yr74 salary ranges
  • US median$60–63/hr24 hourly ranges
Openings
Olive Jobs lists 162 open Subject Matter Expert jobs in Virginia and 844 across the US. 15% of them nationwide are listed as remote or flexible.
Hiring the most in Virginia
Experience
This posting asks for at least 8 years of experience; Subject Matter Expert postings that state a minimum ask for 8 years at the median (779 postings).
Education
This posting asks for a bachelor's degree; 490 of the 844 open Subject Matter Expert jobs (58%) ask for a bachelor's degree or higher.

Counted across the open, public US postings on Olive Jobs on November 13, 2026. Figures based on too few postings are left out.

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