Intellectual Property Attorney - Emerging Technologies and Commercialization Job in Alexandria, VA

Vacancy No. EXRD - OPIA-25-12585826 Department Patent and Trademark Office
Salary $147,649.00 to $204,000.00 Grade 00 to 00
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 10/30/2024 Close Date 11/20/2024
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Public
Locations:
Alexandria, VA


Summary

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 Intellectual Property Attorney - Emerging Technologies and Commercialization.

This unique position is located in the Office of Policy and Affairs and the individual will serve as the recognized expert in areas of intellectual property law, including patents and in related areas of law.

This job is open to

Clarification from the agency

All qualified individuals who are U.S. Citizens or Nationals.

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 Intellectual Property Attorney - Emerging Technologies and Commercialization, you'll work together with the Deputy Chief Policy Officer for Patents, Economics, and Innovation Policy by overseeing key USPTO initiatives in emerging technologies, innovation, and commercialization, both domestically and internationally.

The individual selection for this position will...

  • Render advisory legal and technical opinions on domestic and international intellectual property (IP) matters relating to emerging technologies and commercialization.
  • Lead USPTO policy initiatives in new and emerging areas of technologies as they may arise in the science, technology, and innovation ecosystem.
  • Oversee policy efforts in technology transfer and IP licensing, including to facilitate innovation in the marketplace and to enhance innovation using government funding.
  • Participate in interagency review of legal documents under consideration in intergovernmental organizations and in the interagency.
  • Position supervises and/or manages staff less than 25% of the time.
If you want to make an impact in the Intellectual Property community, apply now!

The physical worksite for this position is located in Alexandria, VA. However, this position is telework eligible in accordance with the unit's telework policy.

Requirements

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.
  • This is a drug testing position, the incumbent selected is subject to random testing for drug use
  • The incumbent must be able to obtain and maintain a Top Secret/SCI security clearance

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.

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

  1. Knowledge of domestic and international intellectual property law, with ten or more years of specialized experience in patent law, technology transfer, and other IP rights, including copyright and trade secrets.
  2. Ability to effectively communicate with high-ranking officials both within and outside the federal government, international organizations, and stakeholders regarding highly complex and sensitive issues pertaining to international intellectual property protection and enforcement laws.
  3. Experience in writing and reviewing complex legal documents pertaining to intellectual property protection and enforcement
  4. Experience in leadership positions and with managing resources in a technical, legal, or government organization.
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.

Additional 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, duty location, 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).

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.

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.

In order to be considered for this position, you must demonstrate in your application package that you meet the experience as defined under the "Qualifications" section, answer the Professional Technical Qualifications (PTQs), submit transcripts that satisfy the educational requirement, and submit a detailed resume that fully supports your answers to the PTQs and specialized experience.

*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.

Your narrative responses to the PTQs and resume 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). To preview PTQs click below.https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12585826

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.

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

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.

Agency contact information

Michelle Crawley
Address
EXRD - Office of Policy and International Affairs
Office of Human Resources
Mail Stop 171
P.O. Box 1450
Alexandria, VA 22313-1450
US
Learn more about this agency

Next steps

Candidates are evaluated by an executive rating panel based on the degree to which they meet the PTQs and considering the applicant's narratives to the PTQs, education, work-related experience, training, awards, and professional recognition, as set forth in the materials submitted by the candidates and placed in one of three 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.

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) selected or not selected.


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