An official website of the United States government
Please Note: This announcement has been extended to reflect a new closing date of April 5, 2018.
The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has been serving the economic interests of America for more than 200 years. We are responsible for granting US intellectual property rights for patents and trademarks. Our efforts have provided inventors exclusive rights over their discoveries. It is an effort that continues to contribute to a strong global economy, to encourage investment in innovation and to cultivate an entrepreneurial spirit for the 21st century. The USPTO is headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia, and has over 13,000 employees, including engineers, scientists, attorneys, analysts, IT specialists, etc. all dedicated to accomplishing the USPTO's mission, vision, strategic goals and guiding principles. For more information about the USPTO, please visit our websites at www.uspto.gov/careers
02/02/2018 to 04/05/2018
$126,148 - $174,500 per year
AD 00
many vacancies in the following locations:
No
Permanent - Full Time
Full-time - Permanent
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Yes
PTAB-2018-0002
488320100
An Administrative Patent Judge (APJ) serves as a member of the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). The PTAB has authority to:
Hear and adjudicate appeals from decisions of Primary Examiners as to Patentability in patent applications and reissue and re-examination of patents
Conduct Post-Grant Review proceedings, Inter Partes Review proceedings, Derivation proceedings, and Transitional Program for Covered Business Method Patent proceedings, and declare and conduct proceedings in legacy interferences.
As and APJ, you will be expected to:
Formulate ideas and communicate them effectively to various stakeholders; and
Draft decisions regarding patentability.
Though not required, PTAB prefers candidates with 10-15 years or more of patent experience, including those who have prosecuted and/or litigated patent cases and supervised professional IP teams and/or attorneys. In addition, PTAB prefers candidates with experience prosecuting and/or litigating electrical, computer, data processing or biotechnology/pharma patents and patent applications.
AND
A good understanding, both theoretical and practical, of the engineering sciences and techniques and their application to professional engineering. This can be demonstrated by one of the following:
You must meet the United States Office of Personnel Management's (OPM) qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement. To qualify for this position, you must be a Member in good standing of the Bar and meet the technical degree requirements outlined within the Qualification section.
Individuals with an Electrical Engineering and/or Biotechnology/pharma degree are strongly encouraged to apply.
To be considered for this position, you must possess the following:
(A) Proof of successful completion of a full 4-year course of study in an accredited college or university leading to a bachelor's or higher degree in the study of engineering, chemistry, or biology.
For an engineering degree, the curriculum must:
1. Be accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) as a professional engineering curriculum;
OR
2. Include differential and integral calculus and courses (more advanced than first-year physics and chemistry) in five of the following seven areas:
a) statics, dynamics
b) strength of materials (stress-strain relationships)
c) fluid mechanics, hydraulics
d) thermodynamics
e) electrical fields and circuits
f) nature and properties of materials (relating to particle and aggregate structure to properties)
g) any other comparable area of fundamental engineering science or physics, such as optics, heat transfer, soil mechanics or electronics
OR
(B) A combination of Education and Experience. This combination of college level education, training and/or technical experience must have furnished both:
• A thorough knowledge of the physical and mathematical sciences underlying professional engineering;
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. Visit the Selective Service System website for details. This is a Non-Bargaining Unit position.
This is a Public Trust position and has a risk level designation of "high." Background Investigation - If selected for this position, you may be required to complete a Declaration for Federal Employment (OF-306) to determine your suitability for Federal employment by authorizing fingerprinting, a credit check and a background investigation.
Probationary Period - If selected, you will be required to complete a trial period of up to two years.
Relocation expenses will not be paid.
All Federal employees must receive salary payments by direct deposit.
Drug Testing - All applicants tentatively selected for this position may be required to submit to a drug test to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment and, if appointed, the individual will be subjected to random drug testing procedures. All appointments are contingent upon a negative drug test result.
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 OGE 278 is available to the public. The primary purpose of disclosure is to assist agencies in identifying potential conflicts of interest between a filer's official duties and the filer's private financial interests and affiliations.
The USPTO participates in E-VERIFY. For more information on E-Verify, please visit here. http://www.dhs.gov/files/programs/gc_1185221678150.shtm
Federal agencies, including the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), must provide reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities where appropriate. USPTO Job Applicants requiring reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process should request accommodation(s) from the USPTO at https://uspto.entellitrak.com. Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis.
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 USPTOs Office of Equal Employment Opportunity & Diversity via email (oeeod@uspto.gov) or phone (571-272-8292).
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
Your resume, supporting documentation and self-assessment answers will be evaluated for required competencies and specialized experience. The self-assessment questions cover the following competencies:
• Knowledge of legal matters associated with patent prosecution, examination, litigation, and administration.
• Knowledge of Patent Trial and Appeal Board jurisdiction, rules, and procedures.
• Ability to communicate effectively, orally and in writing
• Knowledge of evaluating, applying, and interpreting patent law
• Ability to lead people
Your application will then be evaluated and rated by a subject matter expert panel via federal government selection procedures.
Qualified applicants are assigned to one of these two categories:
• Best Qualified - Possessing recent exceptional experience with a background that demonstrates a superior level of knowledge, skills, abilities, and competencies required to perform the duties of the position
• Well Qualified - Possessing good recent experience with a background that demonstrates a satisfactory level of knowledge, skills, abilities, and competencies required to perform the duties of the position
To preview questions please click here.
IMPORTANT NOTE: You are expected to furnish all required documents to ultimately qualify for the position. Official undergraduate, graduate and law degree transcripts may be requested before employment. Proof of Bar Membership is due upon the closing date of the announcement. Official documents will be accepted after the application is submitted.
A complete application includes the following documents submitted BY THE CLOSING DATE of this announcement:
1. Cover Letter explaining, at a minimum, your interest in the position and your first preference for office location (if interested in multiple locations).
2. Resume including: • Citizenship • Job-related qualifications • Education • Work experience (including job titles, salary, employment dates, duties and accomplishments, and how any experience relates to the competencies listed in the job announcement.) Resumes should clearly address any relevant experience in electrical, computer, data processing or biotechnolgy/pharma patents and patent applications.
3. Responses to self-assessment questions. Answers to questions not fully supported by your resume may result in rating adjustments. Also, any experience claimed in a cover letter should also be substantiated by your resume.
4. Education Documentation • Transcripts: As part of the recruitment process, MUST provide a copy of school transcripts.
5. Proof of active Bar Membership (Good Standing)
Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
All application materials become the property of the USPTO. You MUST apply online. If you need help or do not have access to a computer, contact the HR Specialist listed as the point of contact before the closing date of this job announcement.
If you have never registered for a USAJobs account, you must first create an account profile with your basic contact information and a resume. Sign in to your account to apply. For help, see the USAJobs Help Page. When you have gathered all of the required information and are ready to begin applying, click the "APPLY ONLINE" button. You will be directed away from USAJobs to the Department of Commerce's USPTO application site.
NEED HELP? If you have problems completing the online application, contact the Monster Hiring Management Help Desk at 1-866-656-6831 or by email at MGSHELP@monster.com.
To submit supporting documents during the Vacancy Open Period:
• Upload documents when you register with USAJobs, or update your application on the Department of Commerce application site accessed through USAJobs, OR
• Fax documents to 571-258-4052 using the system-generated fax coversheet.
Your application and all required documentation must be received by 11:59 p.m. EST on the closing date of this job announcement. Questions? Contact the HR Specialist listed on this announcement.
You will receive a notice generated by the USAJobs System when you have successfully submitted your application. After all application packages have been received, we will review your application and transcript(s) (if you are qualifying based on education) to ensure you meet the basic qualification requirements. We will evaluate each applicant who meets the basic qualifications on the information provided and you may be contacted for follow-up supplemental documentation. It is the applicant's responsibility to provide any supplemental documents or information requested by the Office of Human Resources within the allocated timeframes. Failure to submit requested documents or information within 5 business days of receiving the request may result in your application not receiving further consideration. You can check the status of your application by logging into USAJobs (http://www.usajobs.gov). You may also sign up to receive automatic emails anytime the status of your application has changed by logging into your USAJobs Account, editing your profile and changing the 'Notification Settings' to indicate that you want to be notified by email when the status changes. Information regarding the status of your application should be updated in the system within 2 weeks after the closing date of this job announcement.
You will receive notification through USAJOBS at each of the following points during the applications process: (1) application received; (2) applicant assessed for qualifications; (3) applicant referred or not referred; and (4) selected or not selected.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
This job originated on www.usajobs.gov. For the full announcement and to apply, visit www.usajobs.gov/job/488320100. Only resumes submitted according to the instructions on the job announcement listed at www.usajobs.gov will be considered.
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