Attorney Advisor (IP Attache for Europe) Job in Brussels, Belgium

Vacancy No. PTO-DE-25-12630008 Department Commerce, International Trade Administration
Salary $150,319.00 to $191,900.00 Grade 1 to 1
Perm/Temp Temporary FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 12/24/2024 Close Date 1/7/2025
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Public
Locations:
Brussels, Belgium


Summary

The incumbent will serve as an Attorney Advisor (IP Attache for Europe) in Brussels, Belgium for the International Trade Administration/Global Markets (ITA/GM) and United States Patent and Trademark Office. This position reports to the Foreign Commercial Service (FCS) Senior Commercial Officer and USPTO IP Attache Program Director. The latter directs the incumbent, reviews the incumbent's performance and ensures consistency with agency and administration priorities.
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Duties

The Attorney-Adviser (IP Attache for Europe) provides authoritative advice and guidance to post senior and executive staff, U.S. Embassy executives, other government agencies, international organizations, U.S. businesses, and foreign governments regarding complex legal issues, opinions specifically related to intellectual property rights, U.S. law, and the intellectual property infrastructure in the host country. As the Attorney-Adviser (IP Attache for Europe), the incumbent serves as adviser to U.S. Embassy staff, other DOC agencies, Foreign Service Commercial staff at posts, other U.S. government agencies, and U.S. companies; interpreting U.S. and host country laws, calling their attention to host country actions that may affect U.S. intellectual property policy and business concerns.

Typical duties performed include but are not limited to:

  • Serves as an expert in intellectual property, as well as international trade, legislative procedures and executive branch decision making related to intellectual property.
  • Promotes high standards of intellectual property protection and enforcement in host country and/or region. In doing so, the incumbent carries out U.S. objectives to promote improvements in patent, trademark and copyright legal systems internationally for the benefit of U.S. interests.
  • The incumbent develops, in consultation with appropriate USPTO representatives, strategic plans for engaging countries in the region to improve their intellectual property regimes.
  • Serves as the United States Patent and Trademark Office representative on U.S. delegations to international meetings on intellectual property to develop international agreements, revise existing agreements or address implementation of agreements or treaties.
  • Responsible for program areas of international trade and intellectual property; and identifies and addresses impediments affecting the program areas.
  • Exercises managerial authority over Locally Employed Staff.
Work may also involve:
  • Recommending policies and developing procedures and regulations to implement new or amend legislation.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

Applicants must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement. Please see "Additional Information" for requirements and Conditions of Employment. Any required investigations and clearances must be completed before the selectee can be placed in the position.

  • Must be a US Citizen or US National.
  • Must be able to obtain and maintain a Top-Secret security clearance.
  • Must pass pre-employment & post-employment random drug testing.
  • Must be 21 years of age.
  • Must be registered with Selective Service System.
  • Must be able to obtain a medical clearance for worldwide assignment.

Qualifications

To qualify for the FP 0905 1, (GS- 15 equivalency), you must have a minimum of four (4) years of general law practice and one (1) year of specialized experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to that of a GS-14 in the Federal Service. Your resume will be evaluated based on evidence of your ability to clearly demonstrate the required professional law experience, specialized experience and knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs).

Applicants must possess the following by the closing date of this announcement in order to be eligible for this position.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs):

  1. Ability to supervise, manage and oversea a subordinate staff engaged in legal work.
  2. Ability to write a variety of documents including policy, speeches, talking points, briefs, and options.
  3. Ability to provide succinct, timely and comprehensive reports, both orally and in writing.
  4. Knowledge of foreign and domestic intellectual property laws, the effect of U.S. political relationships and positions with respect to other countries on the protection of intellectual property internationally, foreign and domestic laws affecting the rights of U.S. citizens and foreign nationals and/or international agreements, treaties, etc., including business or economic matters affecting the same.
  5. Ability to prepare expert legal analysis on intellectual property issues developing in the host country and the region.
  6. Ability to express orally and in writing complex legal issues and interrelationships of public policy interests and issues impacting agency programs.
  7. Ability to develop and maintain effective working relationships with high-level officials.

Must have a minimum of four (4) years of general law practice and one (1) year of specialized experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to that of a GS-14 in the Federal Service.

Professional Legal/Law Experience for all attorneys is experience that has equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities and/or competencies to perform successfully the duties of the position to be filled. This experience is characterized by:

  • Breadth and depth of experience in rendering professional legal advice and services with respect to questions, regulations, practices, or other matters falling within the purview of a Federal government agency, private sector, law firm, or other organization;
  • Preparing interpretative and administrative orders, rules, or regulations to give effect to the provisions of governing statutes or other requirements of law;
  • Drafting, negotiating, or examining contracts or other legal documents;
  • Drafting, preparing formal comments, or making substantive recommendations regarding proposed legislation;
  • Editing and preparing for publication statutes enacted by Congress and opinions or decisions of a court, commission, or board;
  • Drafting and reviewing decisions for consideration and adoption by an organization or official;
  • Conducting investigations to obtain facts; determining questions of law; studying, analyzing and evaluating legal precedents, to present findings.
Legal work is described as:
  • Etremely complex and difficult and requires a high order of original and creative legal endeavor in balancing conflicting interests;
  • Having broad or wide-scope impact on an economy, industry, private or public interests; and
  • May involve directly or indirectly very large sums of money.
Work may also involve acting as principal attorney in charge of the preparation and presentation of cases; recommending policies and developing procedures and regulations to implement new or amended legislation; and acting as legal, general or senior counsel to a major firm or organization.

Specialized Experience is defined as:
Specialized experience is defined as experience that has equipped you with the knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position.
  • Experience demonstrating knowledge of all fields of Intellectual Property (IP) and International IP agreements;
  • Experience assisting in and/or devising the correct strategy for resolving complex issues by applying sound knowledge of the fields of foreign policy, international trade and IP;
  • Strong communication skills to liaise with local contracts and work closely with appropriate Consulate officials on developments;
  • Experience providing guidance and assistance in negotiating on IP matters in bilateral and/or multilateral settings.;
  • Experience planning, organizing and/or executing training and outreach programs on complex IP issues;
  • Experience providing guidance and assistance on the basic principles governing protection of intellectual property, such as patents, trademarks, copyrights and trade secrets and/or treaties administered by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in order to monitor foreign governments' implementation of trade agreements and to assess foreign governments' compliance with international trade obligations;
  • Experience supervising professional staff and managing resources in a technical or legal organization; AND
  • Experience demonstrating of U. S. statues, regulations, decisions and policies and international agreements pertaining to international trade and intellectual property to enable development of proposals or recommendations that may alter (e.g., improve property protection for U. S. interests) domestic and international law on international property or affect the role or operation of the U. S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

Education

POSITIVE EDUCATIONAL REQUIREMENTS: (All grade levels): You must have a graduate degree, with an LL.M. or J. D. from a full course of study in a School of Law accredited by the American Bar Association, or a State Accredited Law School, and be a current member in good standing of the bar of a State, Territory of the United States, the District of Columbia, Commonwealth of Puerto Rico or the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.

  1. Possess a graduate degree, with an LL.M or J. D. from a full course of study in a School of Law accredited by the American Bar Association, or a State Accredited Law School;
  2. Be a current member in good standing of the bar of a State, Territory of the United States, the District of Columbia, Commonwealth of Puerto Rico or the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands;
  3. Possess at least four (4) years of professional legal/law experience; and
  4. Possess at least one (1) year of specialized experience.

Additional information

Initial tour of duty is two (2) years. Management may extend limited appointments, in increments of one year, to the statutory maximum of five (5) years, under 22 .S.C.§ 3949 (a), based on the need of the Service. However, extensions are not guaranteed and no promise of an extension is implied. Foreign Service Officer benefits include group life insurance, health benefits and Thrift Savings Plan; Government provided quarters or housing allowance, if overseas; generous leave accrual policy; cost of living adjustments and post differential pay for certain overseas assignments; and educational allowances for children if overseas

  • SECURITY CLEARANCE: You must obtain and maintain a Top-Secret security clearance.
  • DRUG TESTING: Under the Department of Commerce's Drug Free Workplace Plan, all applicants tentatively selected for this position 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.
  • TOUR OF DUTY: Initial tour of duty is two years. Extension(s) up to a maximum of 5 years is possible; however, extensions are not guaranteed, and no promise of an extension is implied.
  • FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE: You must complete a Financial Disclosure Report within 30 days of appointment.
  • FOREIGN SERVICE: Starting Foreign Service Officer Salary is commensurate with experience. Current Federal employees will be converted at their current grade level and pay shall be set at the Foreign Service salary that equals or exceeds the employee's current pay.
  • RE-EMPLOYMENT WITH LOSING AGENCY: An employee of any agency who accepts, with the consent of the head of that agency, a limited appointment in the Foreign Service under section 309 of the Foreign Service Act of 1980 is entitled, upon the expiration of that appointment, to be reemployed in that employee's former position or in a corresponding or higher position in that agency. Upon reemployment under this section, an employee shall be entitled to any within-grade increases in pay which the employee would have received if the employee had remained in the former position in the agency.
  • APPLICANTS WITH A DISABILITY: The Department of Commerce provides reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify the Office of Foreign Service Human Capital contact identified in this vacancy. The decision on granting reasonable accommodation will be on a case-by-case basis. THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE IS AN EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY (EEO) EMPLOYER.
  • SELECTIVE SERVICE REQUIREMENT: Male applicants born after December 31, 1959, must certify at the time of appointment that they have registered with the Selective Service System or are exempt from having to do so under Selective Service law.

You must meet the qualification requirements for this position no later than the closing date of the vacancy 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. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.

How You Will Be Evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

We will review your resume, optional cover letter, and supporting documentation to determine if you meet the minimum qualification requirements for the position as described in this vacancy announcement. If you meet the qualification requirements stated in the vacancy announcement, we will compare your resume and supporting documentation to your responses to the vacancy questions.

Your resume and supporting documentation must support your responses to the vacancy questions, or your score may be lowered. High self-assessment in the vacancy questions that is not supported by information in your resume and/or supporting documents may eliminate you from further consideration and/or best qualified status. The best qualified candidates will be identified for referral to the selecting official/hiring manager. Your answers to the questions in the online application process serve as the basis for your initial rating and will determine who is best qualified for this position; only the best qualified candidates will be referred to the selecting official for further consideration.

To preview questions, please click the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12630008

Required Documents

Required documents: In addition to a resume and the assessment questions, you must submit copies of the following documents:

Resume - showing relevant experience. Your resume MUST include the following information. Failure to do so may disqualify you from consideration for the position for which you are applying.

  • Full name, mailing address (including zip code), and day and evening telephone numbers.
  • Citizenship.
  • Confirmation of your registration in the Selective Service, if you are registered for Selective Service if you are a male born after 12/31/59.
  • Work experience including the dates (mm/dd/yy) of each employment along with the number of hours worked per week. Include paid and non-paid job-related work experience. For each job listed you are to provide:
    • Job title
    • Duties and accomplishments
    • Employer's name and address
    • Supervisor's name and phone number
    • Starting and ending dates (mm/dd/yy)
    • Salary
    • If Federal; Title, Series, and grade/pay band
Education: An applicant must have successfully completed a full course of study in a school of law accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA) and have the first professional law degree (LL.M. or J.D.). Law school transcripts must be submitted at the time of application.

Bar Membership: An applicant must be a current member in good standing of the bar of a State, Territory of the United States, the District of Columbia, Commonwealth of Puerto Rico or the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. A copy of your bar membership must be submitted at the time of the application.

IMPORTANT: If you do not submit required documentation described in this job opportunity announcement, your application will be deemed incomplete, and you will be ineligible for further consideration for this vacancy. You may submit required and/or supplemental documents through any of the following methods:
  • Upload your file(s).
  • Download from your USAJOBS account.

How to Apply

Applicants applying under this announcement are required to complete and submit an on-line application through the Office of Personnel Management's (OPM) application system, USAJOBS at website http://www.usajobs.gov/. The information you provide and your resume will become part of your application and will automatically be transferred to the Department of Commerce's application system when you apply on-line. Information you provide is general information that must be completed by all applicants.

There are several parts of the application process that will affect your overall evaluation: (i). Your on-line resume, (ii). Your responses to the vacancy questions, (iii). Your supporting documentation.

Your complete application, including required documents, must be received on-line by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the closing date of this announcement.

Agency contact information

Kelly Rider
Address
International Trade Administration
1401 Constitution Ave NW
Washington, DC 20230
US
Learn more about this agency

Next steps

You will receive notice that your application has been received. You can check the status of your application by accessing the USAJOBS website at http://www.usajobs.gov/. - Click on the MY USAJOBS, which brings you to the login screen. - Login to your account. - You can check your status by either clicking on Track your online job Applications or on the APPLICATIONS tab.

Other than the system status, we will not provide any additional information about why an applicant did not make the referral list.

Note: USAJOBS accounts are deactivated after 18 months of inactivity. If your account has been deactivated, you should create an entirely new resume. It is to your advantage to update your resume at least twice a year to maintain your marketability and to avoid deactivation.


Note: We cannot accept applications on behalf of Federal Agencies. Application instructions are listed within the Job Description.


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