Deputy Commissioner for Patents

Do you want to play a key role in ensuring the best possible processes are in place to issue high quality patents that directly promote innovation, create jobs, and add value to the global economy? Then come join the dynamic, skilled, and collaborative team at the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). We have an exciting opportunity available for someone who is interested in bringing their expertise to the USPTO and working as a Deputy Commissioner for Patents.

Duties

The Deputy Commissioner for Patents (DCP) is responsible for initiating programs consistent with the priorities and goals of the Agency, communicating policy and decisions within the context of her/his responsibilities, mentoring and coaching of subordinates, coordinating Patent strategic initiatives, establishing procedures, participating in activities which promote the goals of the Office and supporting improvements and programs presented by the Commissioner.

Other major duties and responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Provide strategic vision, guidance, and direction to ensure that the necessary monitoring, assessment, and training required to instill confidence in the patent system are provided to internal and external stakeholders.
• Make managerial and technical decisions required for successful program development, administration, and management.
• Frame out vision-oriented initiatives and provides strategic direction to individuals/teams for accomplishing these initiatives.
• Ensure administrative policies and procedures are communicated to Patent business unit employees and maintain responsibility for communicating issues that arise in the organization to the Commissioner for Patents.
• Represent the Commissioner for Patents and has full authority in contacts with members of the public, officials of other Government agencies, Department of Commerce and Patent and Trademark Office employees, members of Congress, and foreign government officials.
• Provide administrative oversight to patent technology centers in their direct chain of oversight and coordinates with the other DCPs, who also oversee technology center components, to enable and ensure the examination of applications for and reissues of patents to ascertain if applicants are entitled to patents under the law; prepares the grants of patents to those so entitled.

If you are ready to lead at the highest levels of government and have the vision, expertise, and commitment to drive transformative innovation initiatives, we encourage you to apply and help advance the mission of the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

Salary

• $150,160 - $225,700/year

Conditions of Employment

• Must be a U.S. Citizen
• If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System or are exempt from having to do so. To verify registration visit SSS.gov.
• May be required to successfully complete a 1-year SES probationary period.
• A Financial Disclosure Report, OGE-278, and the supplemental form, Confidential Statement of Employment and Financial Interest is required within 30 days after the selection for this position.
• You will be required to obtain and maintain an interim and/or final security clearance prior to entrance on duty. Failure to obtain and maintain the required level of clearance may result in the withdrawal of a job offer or removal.
• Must participate in the direct deposit pay program.
• Complete a Declaration for Federal Employment to determine your suitability for Federal employment, at the time requested by the agency.
• May be subject to pre-employment and random drug tests.

Qualifications

To meet the minimum qualification requirements for this position, you must show that you possess the five Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs) and two Technical Qualifications (TQs), listed below in your resume. NOT TO EXCEED 2 PAGES. Resumes over the 2-page limit will not be reviewed and will be disqualified. Your resume should include examples of experience, education, and accomplishments applicable to the qualifications. If your resume does not demonstrate evidence of these qualifications, you may not receive consideration for the position.

PROFESSIONAL TECHNICAL QUALIFICATIONS (TQs): Your resume should demonstrate accomplishments that would satisfy the technical qualifications.

PTQ 1: Experience in directing, supervising, and evaluating the activities of a professional and technical organization unit. This includes the ability to: develop and achieve organizational goals, prepare and execute organizational budgets, delegate assignments, motivate subordinate groups and individuals, and establish and maintain a positive working environment.

PTQ 2: Demonstrated knowledge of experience with patent statutes, regulations, and court decisions. This includes the ability to advise senior level executives on and to recommend thoughtful solutions for complex legal issues.

EXECUTIVE CORE QUALIFICATIONS (ECQS): In addition to the Technical Qualification requirements listed above, all new entrants into the Senior Executive Service (SES) under a career appointment will be assessed for executive competency against the following five mandatory ECQs. If your 2-page resume does not reflect demonstrated evidence of the ECQs, you may not receive further consideration for the position.

ECQ 1: Commitment to the Rule of Law and Principles of the American Founding: Requires a demonstrated knowledge of the American system of government, commitment to uphold the Constitution and the rule of law, and commitment to serve the American people.

ECQ 2: Driving Efficiency: Involves the demonstrated ability to strategically and efficiently manage resources, budget effectively, cut wasteful spending, and pursue efficiency through process and technological upgrades.

ECQ 3: Merit and Competence: Involves the demonstrated knowledge, ability and technical competence to effectively and reliably produce work that is of exceptional quality.

ECQ 4: Leading People: Involves the demonstrated ability to lead and inspire a group toward meeting the organization's vision, mission, and goals, and to drive a high-performance, high-accountability culture. This includes, when necessary, the ability to lead people through change and to hold individuals accountable.

ECQ 5: Achieving Results: Involves the demonstrated ability to achieve both individual and organizational results, and to align results to stated goals from superiors.

Note: If you are a member of the SES or have been certified through successful participation in an OPM approved SES Candidate Development Program (SESCDP), or have SES reinstatement eligibility, you do not need to respond to the ECQs. Instead, you should attach proof (e.g., SF-50, Certification by OPM's SES Qualifications Review Board (QRB)) or your eligibility for noncompetitive appointment to the SES.

Education The educational requirement for this position is at least a bachelor's degree in an engineering, scientific, or technical field. Other Information This is a Non-Bargaining Unit position. Except as prohibited by law, all applicants tentatively selected for positions needing a Top-Secret Clearance will be required to submit to a urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment and, if appointed, the incumbent will be subjected to random drug testing procedures. The USPTO participates in E-Verify. For more information on E-Verify, please visit https://www.e-verify.gov. Veteran's preference does not apply to the Senior Executive Service. Mobility: Organizational and geographical mobility is essential in developing and managing SES leaders. Individuals selected for SES positions members may be subject to reassignment across geographical, organizational, and functional lines, and may be required to sign a Reassignment Rights and Obligation Agreement. OPM must authorize any employment offers made to current or former (within the last 5 years) political Schedule A, Schedule C, Schedule G, or Non-career SES employees in the executive branch. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political appointee, you must disclose that to the Human Resources Office. Tiering: The Department/Agency structures its SES positions into categories (i.e. tiers) to determine the pay range for each position. The categories are based on the position scope, breadth, functions, and placement within the structure of organizational levels across the Department/Agency. USPTO Job Applicants requiring reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process should request accommodation(s) from the USPTO at http://www.uspto.gov/accommodation.The United States Patent and Trademark Office is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, 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 (oeeo@uspto.gov) or phone (571-272-8292). Required Documents

A complete application includes items described below. Please note that if you do not provide all required information, as specified in this announcement, you may not be considered for this position (or may not receive the special consideration for which you may be eligible). Please carefully review the following list to determine what documentation you need to submit. Some documents may not apply to all applicants.

1. RESUME: All applicants are required to submit a resume limited to 2-pages, pdf format no less than 11pt font and 0.8 margins, showing all relevant experience. Applicants seeking initial career appointment to the Senior Executive Service (SES) must include evidence of the ECQs and TQs.

2. ADDITIONAL REQUIRED DOCUMENTS: Applicants are required to submit the following supporting documentation if applicable:

• CURRENT OR FORMER SES MEMBERS: Must provide your SES appointment SF-50 (Notification of Personnel Action (or equivalent)), or SF-50 showing career SES reinstatement eligibility.
• SES CANDIDATE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM (SESCDP) GRADUATES: Verification of successful completion of an OPM-approved SESCDP and OPM SES QRB certification.

3. EDUCATION DOCUMENTATION: For positions with an education requirement, submit a copy of your transcripts or equivalent. An official transcript will be required if you are selected and not already on file. See "Education" for more details.

Documents submitted as part of the application package, to include supplemental documents, may be shared beyond the Human Resources Office. Some supplemental documents contain personal information such as SSN and DOB and some documents such as military orders and marriage certificates may contain personal information for someone other than you. You may sanitize these documents to remove said personal information before you submit your application. You must provide an un-sanitized version of the documents if you are selected.

How to Apply

You must submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section.

To receive consideration, the complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on the closing date.

1. Select Apply. If you are not logged in, you will be prompted to log in or create an account. Then prompted to Start the Application Process by selecting "Start Application".
2. Add your two-page resume.
3. Select the documents you want to be included in this application.
4. Review the package to acknowledge that your documents were reviewed.
5. After reading and certifying the application is true and submitted in good faith, select "Continue to Agency Site."
6. Follow onscreen prompts and instructions to complete your application.
7. Add the supporting documents by indexing your documents with the dropdown. Upload any missing documents or optional documents.
8. Review and Submit Application.
9. While logged in, you can check the status of your application by selecting "+" next to the job title for this position.
10. You can review or revise your application at any point during the open period of the announcement. To update an application, you should log into your USAJOBS account and select "+" next to the job title for this position. Select "Update Application" for this job.