Examiner

IMPORTANT NOTICE REGARDING APPLICATION DEADLINE:  Please note that the deadline for applications is indicated in local time as per the time zone of the applicant’s location.

This post is a limited-term fixed-term post.

a.    Organizational Setting

The post is located in the Operations Service of The Hague Registry, Brands and Designs Sector.  The Operations Service is responsible for the processing of international industrial design applications, registrations, decisions, renewals and changes related to the Hague System concerning the International Registration of Industrial Designs. It is also responsible for the issuance of official documents from the Hague Register such as certified copies and extracts.

b.    Purpose Statement

The incumbent examines international design applications and processes changes or decisions regarding international registrations.

c.    Reporting Lines

The incumbent works under the supervision of the Coordinator of the Operations Service.

d.    Work Relations

The incumbent liaises frequently with applicants and legal representatives from business fields.

The incumbent will perform the following principal duties:

a.   Conduct in-depth examinations of international design applications, ensuring timely and customer-focused follow-up as required.

b.   Enter, monitor, verify and maintain data concerning applications in the relevant computer system.

c.   Examine the conformity of applications for international registration according to the applicable legal texts (Hague Agreement Concerning the International Registration of Industrial Designs) and draft standard irregularity letters as instructed.

d.   Issue and follow-up on irregularity letters in relation to documents and replies received from applicants regarding non-conformity.

e.   Process modifications, renewals, refusals, rectifications or other documents received with respect to international design applications or registrations.

f.    Verify the payment of applicable fees and follow-up with the financial services unit as required.

g.   Provide procedural or process-related guidance to new Examiners. Keep abreast of changes in established procedures, rules, regulations, work processes, and relevant IT tools.

h.   Supply information of a practical nature to national Offices, lawyers and users of the industrial design system, relating to international registration procedures, the status of applications under examination or other service transactions.

i.    Perform other related duties as required.

Education (Essential)

Completed secondary education with relevant diploma.

Education (Desirable)

First-level university degree.

Experience (Essential)

At least eight years of relevant work experience, including in the area of industrial design or comparable work.  A relevant university degree may be accepted in lieu of two years of experience.

Experience (Desirable)

Experience in an Intellectual Property Office.

Language (Essential)

Excellent written and spoken knowledge of English.

Language (Desirable)

Good knowledge of other official UN languages or of languages of major user countries of the Hague System.

Job Related Competencies (Essential)

Good knowledge and understanding of the Hague Agreement. 

Good communication skills with the ability to communicate information clearly, both orally and in writing. 

Ability to use IT tools and systems used for data processing, data management, data search and customer services. 

Ability to work within the rules, regulations and procedures governing the area of work. 

Meticulous attention to detail and ability to spot irregularities. 

Excellent time management and work organization skills; highly adaptable to new environments, tasks and demands.

Excellent customer service skills.

Integrity in dealing with confidential and sensitive data. 

Ability to work on own initiative and with a marked sense of teamwork and shared responsibility. 

Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to maintain effective partnerships and working relations in a multicultural environment with sensitivity and respect for diversity.

1.     Communicating effectively.

2.     Showing team spirit.

3.     Demonstrating integrity.

4.     Valuing diversity.

5.     Producing results.

6.     Showing service orientation.

7.     Seeing the big picture.

8.     Seeking change and innovation.

9.     Developing yourself and others.

Mobility:  WIPO staff members are international civil servants subject to the authority of the Director General and may be assigned to any activities of the Organization. Accordingly, the selected candidate may be required to move from time to time to new functions.

Annual salary (Net of tax):  87,183 CHF

Please refer to WIPO’s Staff Regulation and Rules for detailed information concerning salaries, benefits and allowances.

Additional Information

* Initial fixed-term appointment of one year, renewable subject to satisfactory performance and other applicable conditions.  The selected candidate's appointment will be subject to an overall term of five years in this position, with no possibility of renewal beyond that term.  S/he may, however, apply and be considered for other positions at WIPO.

This is not applicable to WIPO staff members on fixed-term, continuing or permanent appointments, who were recruited following a competition under Staff Regulation 4.10 (“Appointment Boards”).

Dependency allowances

7,939 CHF per year for dependent spouse;  6,398 CHF per year for each dependent child.

Language allowance

Arabic, Chinese, English, French, German, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish\: 4,788 CHF per year for two of these languages, and 3,192 CHF per year for one of them.  The allowance is not payable for the mother tongue or the main working language of the staff member.  The grant of this allowance is subject to examination.

General Service posts are generally subject to local recruitment.  However, a limited international recruitment package may be applicable.

This vacancy announcement may be used to fill other posts at the same grade with similar functions in accordance with Staff Rule 4.9.5.

Applications from qualified women as well as from qualified nationals of unrepresented Member States of WIPO and underrepresented geographical regions are encouraged. Please click on the following links for the list of unrepresented Member States and the list of underrepresented regions and the WIPO Member States in these regions.

The Organization reserves the right to make an appointment at a grade lower than that advertised.

___________________________________________________________________

By completing an application, candidates understand that any willful misrepresentation made on this web site, or on any other documents submitted to WIPO during the application, may result in disqualification from the recruitment process, or termination of employment with WIPO at a later date, if that employment resulted from such willful misrepresentations.

In the event that your candidature is shortlisted, you will be required to provide, in advance, a scanned copy of an identification and of the degree(s)/diploma(s)/certificate(s) required for this position. WIPO only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU) / United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed through the link\: http\://www.whed.net/. Some professional certificates may not appear in the WHED and these will be reviewed individually.

Additional testing/interviewing may be used as a form of screening.  Initial appointment is subject to satisfactory professional references.

Additional background checks may be required.