Senior Level Patent Attorney

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), a progressive organization at the forefront of intellectual property issues around the world, is seeking a talented professional to serve as a Senior Level Patent Attorney. This unique position is located in the Office of the Deputy Commissioner for Patent-Legal and the individual will serve as the recognized expert in patent laws, examination guidelines and rules of practice and examining procedures.

Duties

Come join a great team whose efforts are critical to the success of the USPTO's mission to drive U.S. innovation, inclusive capitalism, and global competitiveness for the benefit of all Americans.

As a Senior Level Patent Attorney, you'll work together with the Deputy Commissioner for Patents-Legal on policy formulation and translation of policy decisions into revised guidelines, practices and procedures, and training materials for all professionals and technical support staff in organizations under the Commissioner for Patents.

The individual selected for this position will…

• Exercise a thorough knowledge of patent laws and patent regulations, examination guidelines, and rules of practice and examining procedures; know the views and goals of the Deputy Commissioner and utilize an understanding of the total functions of all USPTO offices.
• Review problem cases, special requests for administrative relief, existing MPEP provisions, etc., and identify issues on which there is a need for a statement of approved examining practice and/or procedure.
• Handle inquiries from the public requesting assistance in properly interpreting existing and proposed practices. Address suggestions from the public on revisions to practices. Represent the Deputy Commissioner in dealings with attorneys, industry representatives, and patent law associations in various matters, especially those concerning practice and procedure.
• Develop and review training materials and lectures for internal use, such as at the Patent Training Academy, and to external stakeholders including patent law groups and other members of the public on matters relating to recent developments in patent practice and other topics under the jurisdiction of the Deputy Commissioner.
• Review decisions on petitions relating to matters before the Office of the Deputy Commissioner, and decisions of the USPTO Patent Trial and Appeal Board, which require treatment of unusual issues involving patent examination and/or patent examination procedures.
• Assist the Commissioner for Patents and the Deputy Commissioner for Patents-Legal in performing managerial tasks.

Salary

• $147,649 - $204,000/year

Conditions of Employment

• Applicants will only be accepted from United States Citizens and Nationals.
• Background and/or Security Investigation, if selected for position.
• Must be registered for Selective Service, if applicable (www.sss.gov)
• If selected, you may be required to complete a two-year trial period.
• Financial Disclosure Report (OGE-278) will be required upon appointment.

Qualifications

To meet the minimum requirements for this position, candidates must demonstrate their experience in their narrative responses to the Professional Technical Qualifications (PTQs) questions and all narrative responses must be fully supported within their resume. *Applicants must use the USA Jobs text boxes to submit their narrative responses to the PTQs. Do not write "see resume" or "see attached documents". Each PTQ has a 10,000-character limit (to include spaces) that must be adhered to. Uploaded documents addressing the PTQs will not be accepted.

Experience must have been at a sufficiently high level of difficulty to clearly show that the candidate possesses the required professional/technical qualifications set forth below.

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.

Professional Technical Qualifications: Applicants must clearly demonstrate in their application materials that they possess technical attributes in the Professional/Technical Qualifications (PTQs).

Applicants are required to input narrative responses to the Professional Technical Qualifications (PTQs) in the text boxes as prompted by USAJobs. Each PTQ has a 10,000-character limit (to include spaces) that must be adhered to.

The Professional Technical Qualifications (PTQs) for this position are:

1. Knowledge of patent law, policy, practice and procedure, both domestically and internationally, as well as appreciable breadth of knowledge in scientific and technical fields;
2. Knowledge of the rule making process, examination practice and procedure, examination guidelines, and Official Gazette Notices involving statements of Office patent examination policy;
3. Knowledge of patent law, procedure and practices governing the treatment of requests for administrative relief;
4. Knowledge of legal writing and editing.

Note: Submit only the documents requested. Additional documents will not be reviewed. Uploaded documents addressing the PTQ's will not be accepted. Education The incumbent must have a scientific or technical degree, or the equivalent and must have a law degree (JD) from an accredited law school program and must be a current member of a bar in good standing, in the United States or a Territory of the United States. Other Information

This is a Non-Bargaining Unit position. This is a Public Trust position and has a risk level designation of 'high'.

The USPTO participates in E-Verify. For more information on E-Verify, please visit http://www.dhs.gov/files/programs/gc_1185221678150.shtm.

All Federal employees are required to have Federal salary payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of their choice.

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.

The Ethics in Government Act of 1978, as amended, requires senior officials in the executive, legislative and judicial branches to file public reports of their finances as well as other interests outside the Government. If selected for this position you will be required to file a Financial Disclosure Report (OGE Form 278).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 pregnancy and gender identity), 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 & Diversity via email (oeeod@uspto.gov) or phone (571-272-8292).

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 pregnancy and gender identity), 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 & Diversity via email (oeeod@uspto.gov) or phone (571-272-8292).

Required Documents

A complete application consists of the following Supporting Documents:

1. A resume or any other written format you choose to describe your job-related qualifications; optional cover letter: Your resume should indicate your citizenship and should list your educational and work experience including titles, salary, employment dates, duties, experience and how it relates to the specialized experience in the job announcement.

2. Thorough responses to the PTQs: Do not write "see resume". Applicants are required to input narrative responses to the PTQs in the text boxes as prompted by USAJobs. Each PTQ has a 10,000-character limit (to include spaces) that must be adhered to.

3. Transcripts: You MUST submit copies of your college transcripts for verification of the education requirements. Unofficial copies are accepted, however, if selected you will be required to furnish official transcripts. It is your responsibility to provide adequate proof that you meet the above educational requirement. Inadequate or illegible information could result in non-qualification and loss of consideration.

4. Bar Membership Documentation: You MUST submit documentation showing that you are an active member of the Bar in Good Standing of any State, District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, or any Territorial Court under the U.S. Constitution. This letter and/or certificate should be dated within the last six months of the closing date of this job announcement. If you are unable to obtain this information by the closing date of this announcement, you must contact the HR Specialist listed on this announcement to make other arrangements prior to the closing date of the announcement.

5. Veterans' Preference Documentation, if applicable: This position is in the excepted service, not the competitive civil service. There is no formal rating system for applying veterans' preference to attorney appointments in the excepted service; however, the USPTO considers veterans' preference eligibility as a positive factor consideration in the hiring process. If you are eligible for veterans' preference in hiring, you are encouraged to include that information in your application along with the supporting documentation, e.g., SF-15, DD 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty, or other supporting documentation. You may also find more information on positive consideration for attorney hiring.

6. Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50), if applicable - Please submit a current SF-50 if you are a current or former Federal Employee. Your status eligibility and highest permanent grade/step/salary held in the Federal service will be validated with a copy of your most recent SF-50, "Notification of Personnel Action".

You can upload your documents when you register or update your information on the Dept. of Commerce site which you access through the USAJobs site.

Your application and all required documents must be received by 11:59 pm ET on the closing date of this job announcement. NOTE: The preceding documents requirement are based on job requirements and individual applicant eligibility. Not all documents are applicable to all applicants; if you are unsure which documents apply to you, contact the HR Specialist listed on this announcement.

How to Apply

How to Apply: *If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, or Non-career SES employee in the executive branch, you must disclose this information within your application. To apply for this position, you must complete the online application and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below.

Personally Identifiable Information (PII)

Please ensure that you have removed all PII on from all documents prior to submitting or uploading your applications material. PII is defined as information that can be traced back to a specific individual and potentially compromise their security or privacy. Examples of PII include: date of birth, Social Security Number, and place of birth. A complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration.

• To begin, click Apply to access the online application. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account to apply. If you do not have a USAJOBS account, you will need to create one before beginning the application.
• Follow the prompts to select your resume and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package. You will have the opportunity to upload additional documents to include in your application before it is submitted. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
• After acknowledging you have reviewed your application package, complete the Include Personal Information section as you deem appropriate and click to continue with the application process.
• You will be taken to the online application which you must complete in order to apply for the position. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation is included with your application package, and submit the application.

To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account (https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login), all of your applications will appear on the Welcome screen. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/.You MUST apply online. Email, fax or paper resumes will not be accepted. If you experience difficulties with the application process, it is your responsibility to contact the HR Specialist listed in the "Contact Information" before the closing date of this job announcement.

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.

Review our benefits