Patent Attorney

This exciting position serves as an international and legislative expert in the field of intellectual property protection in the areas of patent, industrial design, and unfair competition law.

The following education requirements must be met for this position:

1) Possess a degree in one of the scientific/engineering disciplines (Engineering, chemistry, or biology).

AND

2) Possess a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree or Master of Laws (LL.M) degree from an American Bar Association accredited law school

If this position requires proof of higher education, or you are substituting education for experience, you must submit an unofficial transcript or a list of courses that includes the following information: name of accredited institution, grades earned, completion dates, and quarter and semester hours earned. Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the requirements. Please refer to http://www.opm.gov/qualifications/policy/ApplicationOfStds-04.asp for more information. You are not required to submit official documents at this time; copies are sufficient.

Special Instructions for Foreign Education: Qualifying education from colleges and universities in foreign countries must be evaluated in terms of equivalency to that acquired in U.S. colleges and universities. Applicants educated in whole or in part in foreign countries must submit sufficient evidence, including transcripts, to an accredited private organization for an equivalency evaluation of course work and degree. A listing of these accredited organizations can be found on the Department of Education's website - US Department of Education. Another listing of services that can perform this evaluation is available at the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) website. You must provide a copy of the letter containing the results of the equivalency evaluation with a course by course listing along with your application. Failure to provide such documentation when requested will result in lost consideration.

NOTE: Only education and experience acquired before the filing deadline will be considered. Report only attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

The physical worksite for this position is located in Alexandria,Virginia.

TELEWORK:

• This position is eligible for telework up to 4 (four) days per week and reports to USPTO's Alexandria, Va headquarters for the remaining 1 (one) day in the week.
• If selected for an interview, applicants are encouraged to discuss telework options and eligibility specific to the position in which they applied with the hiring manager.

This position is located in the Office of Policy and International Affairs, Patents Team.

This role is the ideal next career step for you if:

• You enjoy developing policy for the United States Government on patent and other intellectual property that arise in international organizations such as the World Intellectual Property Organization, the Organization for Economic Development and Cooperation, and International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV), etc.
• You're ready to embrace the role of developing legislative proposals in the areas of patent, industrial design and unfair competition related issues.
• You have analytical skills and are ready to begin conducting thorough studies and analysis of potential international agreements to determine positions for the US Government and USPTO.
• You're skilled in negotiating international agreements with other intellectual property offices.
• You're an effective communicator and will embrace representing USPTO at international meetings and diplomatic conferences.

You must meet the United States Office of Personnel Management's (OPM) qualification requirements (including specialized experience and/or educational requirements) for the advertised position. You must meet all eligibility and qualifications requirements by the closing date of the job announcement. OPM Qualifications Standards are available at OPM Website.

Specialized Experienceis experience that has equipped applicants with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the position to be filled. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the next lower grade level in the federal service.

GS-14 - Candidates for the GS-14 grade level must have at least 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower GS-13 grade level in the Federal service in the following:

• Experience developing U.S. and/or International Patent Policy; interacting with foreign and international intellectual property offices and/or organizations; handling PCT applications; and writing multiple types of legal documents including memoranda, speeches, testimonies, legislative proposals, etc.

GS-15: Candidates for the GS-15 grade level must have at least 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower GS-14 grade level in the Federal service in the following:

• Experience developing U.S. and/or International Patent Policy; interacting with foreign and international intellectual property offices and/or organizations; and negotiating on behalf of clients or the U.S. government in an international setting, foreign forum or international tribunal.

In addition to the specialized experience listed above, you must have:

GS 14: three (3) years post J.D. of the professional legal experience listed below.
GS 15: four (4) years post J.D. of the professional legal experience listed 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.