Director of the Office of Enrollment and Discipline and Deputy General Counsel

The United States Patent & Trademark Office (USPTO) is headquartered in Alexandria, VA. The mission of the USPTO is to promote innovation and competitiveness by providing quality and timely examination and issuance of patent and trademark applications, guiding domestic and international intellectual property policy, and delivering intellectual property information and education worldwide.

Duties

The Director of the Office Enrollment and Discipline is the principal advisor to the General Counsel on matters relating to the investigation and prosecution of attorney misconduct among patent attorneys and agents admitted to practice before the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). The incumbent performs a variety of complex and sensitive assignments relating to enrollment and disciplinary functions that affect the livelihood of patent attorneys and agents throughout the United States and abroad and manages the operations within the Office of Enrollment and Discipline (OED).

OED's responsibility includes the investigation of grievances relating to attorney and agent misconduct, determining what disciplinary proceedings are appropriate, and suspending or excluding from practice before the USPTO any practitioner found to be culpable of misconduct by violating USPTO Model Rules.

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

• Negotiating settlement arrangements on extremely sensitive cases, which may involve criminal or civil charges, and coordinates such settlements with the State bar associations, civil authorities, and the United States Attorney's Office.
• Managing the screening candidates who wish to be registered to practice before the USPTO and conducting investigations, preparing charges, collecting and presenting testimony and deciding whether to present cases for suspension or exclusion from practice of the attorneys and registered agents admitted to practice before the USPTO.
• Supervising the work of subordinate employees and works closely with attorneys in the Office of the Solicitor and General Law Office when they engage in disciplinary matters.
• Developing and formulating policies related to the enrollment and discipline of patent attorneys and agents. The incumbent will provide administrative and technical leadership for patent attorneys and technicians.
• Representing the USPTO, OGC, and OED before various committees and public and private sector groups, (e.g., the American Patent Law Association, the Patent, Trademark, and Copyright Committees of the American Bar Association), to gain support and acceptance of OED programs.

Salary

• $201,936 - $222,480/year

Conditions of Employment

• Must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
• Subject to a 1-year supervisory probationary period (unless already completed).
• Complete a Declaration for Federal Employment to determine your suitability for Federal employment, at the time requested by the agency.
• 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.
• May be subject to pre-employment and random drug tests.
• File a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report OGE-278e within 30 days of appointment and annually from then on.
• You may 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.

Qualifications

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution. Candidates will not be hired based on their race, sex, color, religion, or national origin.

To meet the minimum qualification requirements for this position, you must show that you possess the Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs) and Professional/Technical Qualifications (PTQs) related to this position within your resume - NOT TO EXCEED 2 PAGES. Resumes over the 2-page limit, will not be reviewed beyond page 2 or may be disqualified. Your resume should include examples of experience, education, and accomplishments applicable to the qualification(s). If your resume does not reflect demonstrated evidence of these qualifications, you may not receive consideration for the position.

There is NO requirement to prepare a narrative statement specifically addressing the Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs) or the Professional/Technical Qualifications (PTQs).

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

PTQ 1: Demonstrated knowledge of the controlling statutes, regulations, and case law pertaining to the subject matter of the particular issue sufficient to develop legal opinions whether through the litigation process or administratively.

PTQ 2: Demonstrated ability to express, orally and in writing, to pursue the particular legal issue against opposition, which vigorously contests the agency position and is highly sophisticated and talented, usually involving top attorneys in both the private and public sectors.

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 and TQs, you may not receive further consideration for the position.

There are five ECQs:

• ECQ 1: Commitment to the Rule of Law and the Principles of the American Founding - This core qualification 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 - This core qualification 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 - This core qualification involves the demonstrated knowledge, ability and technical competence to effectively and reliably produce work that is of exceptional quality.
• ECQ 4: Leading People - This core qualification 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 - This core qualification 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)) of your eligibility for noncompetitive appointment to the SES.

Education The incumbent must be a graduate from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association and be an active member in good standing of a state, territory of the United States, District of Columbia, or Commonwealth of Puerto Rico bar. A college or university degree generally must be from an accredited (or pre-accredited) college or university recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For a list of schools which meet these criteria, please refer to Department of Education Accreditation page. Foreign Education: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. If you are qualifying based on foreign education, you must submit proof of creditability of education as evaluated by a credentialing agency. For further information, visit: Recognition of Foreign Qualifications | International Affairs Office (ed.gov) 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. Tiering: The USPTO 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 agency. 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. 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 two (2) pages (i.e., 1 page that is double-sided or 2 pages that are one-sided each) showing all relevant experience. Applicants seeking initial career appointment to the Senior Executive Service (SES) must include evidence of the ECQs and TQs. PLEASE DO NOT USE USAJOBS RESUME BUILDER. 2. 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. 3. ADDITIONAL REQUIRED DOCUMENTS: Applicants are required to submit the following supporting documentation if applicable: CURRENT OR FORMER SES MEBERS: Must provide your SES appointment SF-50 (Notification of Personnel Action), and an SF-50 showing current career SES status or career SES reinstatement eligibility. SES CANDIDATE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM (SESCDP) GRADUATES: Verification of successful completion of an OPM-approved SESCDP and OPM SES QRB certification. STRONGLY RECOMMENDED: Most recent performance evaluation. 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.

Benefits A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Learn more about federal benefits.