Summary
Do you possess the strategic vision to guide and direct decisions on petitions and general patent examination policy matters? The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is seeking a highly motivated executive to serve as its next Director of the Office of Petitions (Director).
As the Director, you will have an unparalleled opportunity to enhance the overall patents process and to support the USPTO's mission to drive U.S. innovation and global competitiveness.
Duties
The Director of the Office of Petitions (OPET) provides strategic vision, guidance, and direction to ensure that OPET treatment of petition decisions by petition attorneys, examiners, and paralegals conforms to USPTO policy and reflects an accurate and timely analysis of all issues under consideration. In addition, the OPET Director oversees the OPET Help Desk that provides stakeholders with a resource to answer inquiries related to patent examining rules, policy, procedures and fees. The OPET Director performs the following duties:
- Prepares/approves USPTO petition decisions, including decisions that represent final agency action, according to current law, policies, practices and precedents in a clear accurate manner for signature by the OPET Director or the Deputy Commissioner for Patents- Legal.
- Gathers and analyzes statistical data related to filing, processing times and the granting of petitions in a manner that is transparent to within the USPTO and to stakeholders.
- Provides legal, policy and procedure guidance to the Commissioner for Patents, Deputy Commissioners for Patents and Assistant Commissioners for Patents.
- Supervises petitions attorneys, petitions examiners, petitions paralegals, and technical support and contract personnel, and oversees their performance and quality of work product and timely processing of incoming petitions as well as e petitions.
- Interfaces with the contracting officer's technical representative (COTR) that oversees administrative functions required to support contractor support staff.
- Provides staff guidance on patent examination policies, procedures and current rules to ensure that reliable and sound decisions are made.
- Stays abreast of changes to patent rules and policy changes and recommends modifications in protocols to properly evaluate and address impacts to the petition process and procedures.
- Ensures that new examination rules and regulations are interpreted properly and that proper mechanisms are in place to address impacts to petitions decision making, procedures, processes and processing times.
- Represents the DCPL in drafting of documents, reporting, stakeholder meetings, conferences and other events.
- Responsible for tracking and monitoring OPET Help Desk inquiries to identify trends and to relay analysis with recommendation(s) to appropriate party.
- Identifies and secures resources necessary to fulfill OPET activities.
- Identify areas of continuous improvement and initiate projects/initiatives to improve effectiveness and efficiency.
- Reviews and address resources, such as staffing, IT tools to ensure OPET mission is achieved.
- Represents the USPTO and explains US patent law and Office policies and procedures in letters, phone calls, lectures and other contacts with members of the public and the patent bar.
Requirements
Conditions of Employment
- Applicant must be a U.S. Citizen or National
- Required to pass a background investigation and fingerprint check
- Must be registered for Selective Service, if applicable (www.sss.gov)
- You must serve a one-year probationary period unless you previously completed one year in the Senior Executive Service.
- All qualification requirements must be met by the closing the date of the announcement.
- Financial Disclosure Report (OGE-278) will be required upon appointment.
Qualifications
Experience must have been at a sufficiently high level of difficulty to clearly show that the candidate possesses the required professional/technical qualifications and executive core 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.
Applicants are required to input narrative responses to the PTQs and ECQs in the text boxes as prompted by USAJobs. Each PTQ and each ECQ have a 10,000-character limit (to include spaces) and must be adhered to. When responding, you must clearly show that you possess the experience and competencies to perform the duties of this position. - Do not write "see resume". Uploaded documents addressing the PTQs and ECQs will not be accepted. The candidate must possess the following Professional Technical Qualifications:
- Experience in directing, supervising, and evaluating the activities of a professional, technical and legal organization unit. This includes the ability to: develop and achieve organizational goals; prepare and execute organizational budgets; delegate assignments; motivate subordinate groups and individuals; and establish and maintain a positive working environment.
- Knowledge of management principles, theories, and practices as applied to a professional organization. This includes knowledge of effective resource acquisition and utilization principles, production measurements concepts, and motivational techniques.
- Knowledge of public administration principles and their relationship to the development and implementation of agency programs and national policies. This includes the ability to: achieve policy goals; establish and execute programs to implement policies; effectively interact with the legal community; and make informative presentations to the public, including foreign dignitaries.
- Knowledge of the legal principles and technical subject matter associated with U.S. patent filing and prosecution processes, particularity with respect to patent-related petitions, including petitions relating to patent term adjustment, abandoned applications, expired patents, delayed priority/benefit claims, and filing date issues. This includes the ability to: understand technical subject matter, apply relevant patent law legal principles involved in patent prosecution proceedings, and effectively work with other areas of the USPTO to resolve complex technical and legal issues.
For the following five Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs), you are required to submit a narrative response addressing your specific knowledge, skills, and abilities that demonstrate your possession of these qualifications. Be sure to provide specific examples of what you've done that demonstrates your possession of each ECQ. For more information about the Executive Core Qualifications please visit this
site: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/senior-executiveservice/referencematerials/guidetosesquals_2012.pdf.
Leading Change - This core qualification involves the ability to bring about strategic change, both within and outside the organization, to meet organizational goals. Inherent to this ECQ is the ability to establish an organizational vision and to implement it in a continuously changing environment.
Leading People - This core qualification involves the ability to lead people toward meeting the organization's vision, mission, and goals. Inherent to this ECQ is the ability to provide a teamwork, and supports constructive resolution of conflicts.
Results Driven - This core qualification involves the ability to meet organizational goals and customer expectations. Inherent to this ECQ is the ability to make decisions that produce high quality results by applying technical knowledge, analyzing problems and calculating risks.
Business Acumen - This core qualification involves the ability to manage human, financial and information resources strategically.
Building Coalitions - This core qualification involves the ability to build coalitions internally and with other Federal agencies, State and local governments, nonprofit and private sector organizations, foreign governments, or international organizations to achieve common goals.
Applicants are encouraged to follow the Challenge, Context, Action and Result (C-C-A-R) model outlined in the Guide To SES Qualifications.
Challenge - Describe a specific problem or goal.
Context - Describe the individuals and groups you worked with, and/or the environment in which you worked, to address a particular
challenge (e.g., clients, co-workers, members of Congress, shrinking budget, low morale).
Action - Discuss the specific actions you took to address a challenge.
Result - Give specific examples of measures/outcomes that had some impact on the organization. These accomplishments demonstrate the quality and effectiveness of your leadership skills.
Note: Submit only the documents requested. Additional documents will not be reviewed by the rating panel. Uploaded documents addressing the PTQ's and ECQs will not be accepted. Current career SES members, former career SES members with reinstatement eligibility, and SES Candidate Development Program graduates who have been certified by OPM, only need to submit a resume and narrative statement covering each of the PTQs requirements and do NOT need to address the ECQs.
Education
The individual must have a scientific or technical degree, or the equivalent, and a law degree from an accredited law school.
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.
To be considered for this position, you must demonstrate in your application package that you meet the experience and competencies as defined under the "Qualifications" section, answer the PTQs, ECQs, and submit a detailed resume that supports your answers.
Your application package will be evaluated by a Human Resources Specialist and/or a subject matter expert. Falsifying your background, education, and/or experience is cause for not hiring you or for changing your scored responses to questions you've answered, which may affect your overall final score.
Please note that a complete application is required for consideration. (Please review the "Required Documents" section of this job announcement to see what must be included in a complete application).
Candidates are evaluated by an executive rating panel based on the degree to which they meet the PTQs, ECQs, and which considers the applicant's education, work-related experience, training, awards, and professional recognition, as set forth in the materials submitted by the candidates and placed in one of the pre-defined quality categories. These categories are "Highly Qualified", "Well Qualified" and "Qualified." Candidates placed in the "highest quality category" will be identified for referral to the hiring manager and may be invited for an interview.
Required Documents
A complete application consists of:
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. Please Note: Responses to job questions that are not fully supported by the information in your resume may result in adjustments to your rating.
2) Narrative responses to the Professional Technical Qualification (PTQs) and Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs). Do not write "see resume". Applicants are required to input narrative responses in the textboxes as prompted by USAJobs. Each PTQ and ECQ has a 10,000-character limit (to include spaces) and must be adhered to. Uploading documents addressing the PTQs and ECQs will not be accepted.
3) Technical and Law school transcripts. Unofficial copies are acceptable, 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 requirements. Inadequate or illegible information could result in non-qualification and loss of consideration.
If you are a Federal Employee, please submit a current Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50) that shows your position title, series, and grade level. If you are a current or previous Senior Executive Service career member you must submit a copy of your SF-50 to show proof.
NOTE: Submit only the documents requested. Additional documents will not be reviewed by the rating panel.
Your application and all required documentation must be received by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on the closing date of this job announcement.
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.
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
******If you are currently, or have been within the last five years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, or Non-career SES employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information in your application.
You MUST apply online. If you experience difficulties with the application process or do not have access to a computer, please contact the HR Specialist listed as the point of contact before the closing date of this job announcement. If you are a new user to the USAJobs Site and have never registered for an account; you will first need to create an account profile with your basic contact information and a resume to begin applying. You must be a registered USAJobs user AND you must be signed-in to your account in order to apply for this position. For help setting up an account or for general help using USAJobs, go to USAJobs Help Page. Once you have gathered all of the required information and are ready to begin the application process, click the "APPLY" button at the right side of the page. You will then be directed away from USAJobs to the Department of Commerce application site for USPTO. You must click "Submit" at the end of the application process to send your application for consideration.
To return to your saved application, log in to your USAJOBS account at http://www.usajobs.gov/ and click on "Applications." Click on the position title, then select "Update Application. "If you experience any difficulties with the application site, help is available! OPM has a Help feature on each page. Use this option when you need assistance. All required supporting documents will be collected electronically via the USAJobs "Saved Documents" feature.
Personally Identifiable Information (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. Please ensure that you have removed all PII from all documents prior to submitting or uploading your application material.
Next steps
You will receive notification through USAJobs at each of the following points during the application process: (1) application received, (2) applicant assessed for qualifications, (3) applicant referred or not referred, and (4) applicant selected or not selected.
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