Patent Examination Policy Advisor

Summary

Are you up for an exciting challenge to work with the Office of Patent Legal Administration (OPLA), Office of the Deputy Commissioner for Patent Examination Policy? The incumbent will support the development, review, and implementation of patent examination policies, procedures, rules and practices, including the Manual of Patent Examining Procedure, and provide guidance and training on patent-related legal and policy matters.

Duties

The physical worksite for this position is located in Alexandria, Virginia. Presence at the Alexandria, VA campus is required for this role, as it includes on site functions that must be performed in person. Position may be eligible for situational telework in accordance with agency policy/business unit discretion. The agency currently allows for 52 hours of telework per calendar year. The individual selected for this position will be... Applying comprehensive knowledge of applicable intellectual property laws, examination guidelines, and rules of practice and procedure; and utilizing a strong working knowledge of overall patent operations and related administrative functions to support policy, procedural, and operational decision-making. Performing comprehensive, in-depth reviews and analyses of complex individual intellectual property applications or systemic components of the examination process, identifying issues, evaluating procedures, and recommending improvements to ensure consistency, accuracy, and compliance with applicable laws, regulations, and standards. Developing, formulating, and implementing new or revised examination regulations, practices, and procedures by issuing regulatory or public notices, circulating internal memoranda, creating training materials, and updating forms and standardized guidance. Providing staff assistance to senior patent leadership by researching and developing legal position papers to resolve complex patent-practice issues as they arise; formulating and guiding patent practice and policy subject to public and legislative scrutiny; and coordinating stakeholder outreach, impact analysis, and implementation planning for adopted positions. Delivering briefings and presentations to organizational leaders, technical examiners, and external stakeholders-including practitioners and independent inventors-on legal and procedural updates, policy changes, and program initiatives to support consistent, informed practice. Drafting documents; including presentations, policy memoranda, public notices, and rulemaking packages-and delivering them to organizational leaders, technical examiners, and external stakeholders for review, consideration, and, where appropriate, public comment. Qualifications

You must meet the United States Office of Personnel Management's (OPM) qualification requirements (including specialized experience and/or educational requirements) for the advertised position. You must meet all eligibility and qualifications requirements by the closing date of the job announcement. OPM Qualifications Standards are available at Patent Administration Series 1220. Specialized Experience is experience that has equipped applicants with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform 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. For this position, the next lower grade level is a GS-14. Specialized experience for this position includes: Applying advanced engineering, scientific, and practical principles and methodologies to examine patent applications, assess patentability, and identify key issues. AND Interpreting and using administrative laws, policies, regulations, and precedents relevant to patent prosecution, reexamination, and reissue proceedings. AND Analyzing complex technical, factual, and legal matters to assess economic and technological impacts on major industries. 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.?

Education

Education may not be substituted for specialized experience at this grade level. How You Will Be Evaluated

Your resume will be evaluated based on evidence of your ability to demonstrate possession of any specialized experience and how well your background and experience relates to the job announcement. Any experience claimed in a cover letter should be substantiated by information contained in your resume. A HR Representative will validate the qualifications of those candidates eligible to be referred to the hiring official. Once the application process is complete, a review of your resume and required documentation will be conducted. If applicants are found minimally qualified, a rating panel will review the Accomplishment Record. Candidates must address all four competencies within a two-page limit using brief written narratives that describes one example of competency-related experience and demonstrates the candidate's proficiency in the following competencies: Compliance Interpersonal Communication Legal, Government and Jurisprudence Manages and Organizes Information Candidate resumes must provide evidence that supports the claims made in their Accomplishment Record. This document must be uploaded to the application under Accomplishment Record. An accomplishment record submitted outside the USA Staffing system will not be accepted. Narrative responses must be in the below format: Competency Title Position title and dates from your resume that this experience was obtained. Describe the situation (i.e., the challenged faced, the problem solved) Describe the specific actions you took State the outcome, results, or long-term impact of your accomplishment Name and email address of someone who can verify this information The best qualified candidates will be identified for referral to the hiring manager and may be invited for an interview. If referred all relevant documents submitted with your application package will be forwarded to the selecting official, due weight shall be given to performance appraisals and awards in accordance with 5 CFR § 335.103(b)(3), during the interview/selection process conducted by the hiring manager. Falsifying your background, education, and/or experience is cause for not hiring you or for changing your scored responses to questions you've answered, which may affect your overall final score. Please click the link below to preview the Assessment Questionnaire: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13060365 If you are invited for an interview, you will be asked to bring a copy of your most recent performance appraisal. Please note that a complete application is required for consideration. (Please review the "Required Documents" section of this job announcement to see what must be included in a complete application.) The United States Patent and Trademark Office is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including sexual orientation), national origin, political affiliation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions, retaliation for engaging in protected activity, parental status, military service, or other non-merit factors. If you believe that you have been discriminated against and would like to file an EEO complaint, you must do so within 45 days of the date of the alleged discriminatory act. Claims of employment discrimination must be submitted to the attention of the USPTO's Office of Equal Employment Opportunity via email ([email protected]) or phone (571-272-8292). Other Information

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be serving in a position in Schedule Policy/Career of the excepted service. You will obtain competitive status after two years of service in this position if applicable. Your employment in this position will be at-will. Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) appeals of adverse actions concerning performance, discipline, and other matters arising under chapters 23, 43, and 75 of title 5, United States Code will not be available to an individual serving in this position. Prohibitions on prohibited personnel practices will be enforced by the Office of General Counsel [or agency equivalent position] and not the Office of Special Counsel. If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, you must certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System. If you are exempt from registration under Selective Service Law, you must provide appropriate proof of exemption. Please visit the Selective Service System website for more information. This is a Non Bargaining Unit position. If selected for this position, you may be required to complete the Fair Credit Act Memo, which gives consent so that one or more consumer credit reports may be obtained for employment purposes. This is a Public Trust position and has a risk level designation of "high risk". Background Investigation - If selected for this position, you may be required to complete a Declaration for Federal Employment (OF-306), which includes a fingerprint and credit check, to determine your suitability for Federal employment and to authorize a background investigation. The USPTO participates in E-Verify. For more information on E-Verify, please visit the Department of Homeland Security Website. All Federal employees are required to have Federal salary payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of their choice. Relocation Expenses are not authorized and will not be paid. More than one selection may be made from this announcement if additional identical vacancies in the same title, series, grade, and unit occur within 90 days from the date the certificate was issued. All application materials become the property of the United States Patent and Trademark Office. USPTO Job Applicants requiring reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process should request accommodation(s) from the USPTO at USPTO Reasonable Accommodations.