Summary

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.

This job is open to

The public

U.S. Citizens, Nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.

Duties

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is seeking a high performing and innovative executive leader to join as the Commissioner of Trademarks. The Commissioner of Trademarks will serve as an on-site executive at the Alexandria, Virginia Headquarters, has responsibility for overseeing all aspects of the Trademarks organization. The Commissioner also serves as the primary agency official for Trademarks and interacts on a regular basis with a wide array of stakeholders domestically and internationally. The Commissioner oversees three main functional areas to ensure the trademark system runs smoothly and serves the public effectively:

Trademark Examination Policy develops and monitors consistency with the policy guidance used to evaluate applications, helping ensure consistent and accurate decisions across the agency, and provides customer assistance.
Trademark Administration manages the systems, records, and customer services that support the entire trademark life cycle-from application submission to registration and beyond.
Trademark Operations leads the examination of applications and review of maintenance filings, ensuring that reviews are timely, high-quality, and in line with legal standards.

Additional duties and responsibilities will include, but are not limited to:

Oversee initiatives to modernize and stabilize the IT infrastructure and systems that support trademark filing and examination.
Establish the vision for the future of the Trademarks organization and maps out vision-oriented initiatives and provides strategic direction for accomplishing the initiatives.
Engage engages 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, with a view toward harmonization of trademark laws and practice.

The Commissioner for Trademarks is a term appointment for five years and may be renewed for subsequent terms of five years.

Requirements

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.
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.
Complete a Declaration for Federal Employment to determine your suitability for Federal employment, at the time requested by the agency.
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.
May be subject to pre-employment and random drug tests.

Qualifications

To meet the minimum qualification requirements for this position, you must show in your two-page resume that you possess the five Core Qualifications and other qualifications, if applicable, listed below.

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.
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.
Merit and Competence: Involves the demonstrated knowledge, ability and technical competence to effectively and reliably produce work that is of exceptional quality.
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.
Achieving Results: Involves the demonstrated ability to achieve both individual and organizational results, and to align results to stated goals from superiors.

Education

The educational requirement for this position is a law degree and membership in good standing of the Bar of any state, District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, or any territorial court under the Constitution.

Additional 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.

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).

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.

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.

Review our 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.

Once the application process is complete, a review of your resume and supporting documentation will be conducted. If you meet minimum qualifications, your Application Package will be further reviewed to determine if you possess the Core Qualifications listed above. Core qualifications must be thoroughly addressed within your 2-page resume. Separate narratives will not be accepted or reviewed. Highly Qualified applicants will undergo one or more interviews for further consideration.

Required Documents

1. Resume: Please submit your 2-page tailored resume in a pdf format that best demonstrates your experience.
2. Transcript(s): You must submit copies of your law school transcripts for verification of the education requirements. Unofficial copies are acceptable; however if selected you will be required to furnish official transcripts.
3. 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.

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

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.

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.

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".
Add your two-page resume.
Select the documents you want to be included in this application.
Review the package to acknowledge that your documents were reviewed.
After reading and certifying the application is true and submitted in good faith, select "Continue to Agency Site."
Follow onscreen prompts and instructions to complete your application.
Add the supporting documents by indexing your documents with the dropdown. Upload any missing documents or optional documents.
Review and Submit Application.
While logged in, you can check the status of your application by selecting "+" next to the job title for this position.
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.

Agency contact information

Michelle Crawley

Phone: 571-270-5787
Email: michelle.crawley@uspto.gov

Address: EXRD - Office of the Under Secretary and Director
Office of Human Resources
Mail Stop 171
P.O. Box 1450
Alexandria, VA 22313-1450
US

Next steps

The USPTO will conduct a qualifications evaluation of applicants who submit the required material. Qualified applicants will be rated and ranked by an executive-level rating panel. Best-qualified candidates will be referred to the hiring official for further consideration and possible interview. You will be notified of the outcome after the completion of the selection process.

Commissioner for Trademarks Job in Alexandria, VA