Director for Trademark Petitions

Summary

Do you believe in preserving an effective and secure trademark register and want to work with us to protect our trademark community? We have an exciting opportunity for you! If you're ready to take on this rewarding and challenging career, come join our team as the Director of the Office of Petitions and support our ongoing efforts to provide consistent, high-quality and timely trademark services.

Duties

The physical worksite for this position is located in Alexandria, Virginia. Presence at the Alexandria, VA campus is required for this role, as it includes on site functions that must be performed in person. Position may be eligible for situational telework in accordance with agency policy/business unit discretion. The agency currently allows for 52 hours of telework per calendar year. If you're inspired and up for an exciting challenge, we invite you to join the dynamic, skilled and collaborative team located in the Trademarks' Office of Petitions, Office of the Deputy Commissioner for Trademark Examination Policy (DCTEP). The DCTEP is responsible for developing, communicating, and measuring consistency in trademark examination policy to help ensure that the USPTO issues high-quality and timely registrations. In addition, DCTEP develops and administers trademark regulations that implement examination policy and procedures. The Petitions Office is responsible for deciding Petitions to the Director requesting equitable relief and for determining whether third-party evidence submitted in a Letter of Protest should be referred to examination. As Director for Trademark Petitions: You'll oversee the activities and resources of a high-level team of attorney-advisors, and paralegals within the Trademarks Petitions and Liaison Office. You'll be responsible for the development and formulation of new petition practices and procedures as well as revising existing practices, procedures and associated training material. You'll provide legal counsel to senior leadership on complex, controversial, and visible legal matters and be involved in the cutting edge of drafting, interpretation, and application of Trademark regulations, orders opinions or other legal instruments. You'll provide expert analysis and application of the substantive and procedural aspects of controlling Trademark statues, regulations and case laws that impacts the agency. You'll play a critical role in determining whether to grant or deny petitions seeking equitable relief under the delegated authority of the USPTO Director and the Commissioner for Trademarks, as well as whether to forward evidence contained in Letters of Protest to examination. You'll provide high-quality written responses to Members of Congress, federal and state agencies, and the public regarding trademark inquiries.

Qualifications

To meet the minimum requirements for a Senior Level position, candidates must be a recognized subject matter expert with directly related experience. Typically, experience of this nature will have been gained at the GS-15 or equivalent level in the federal service or its equivalent in the private sector. Candidates must demonstrate their experience meets the Professional Technical Qualifications for this position in their two-page resume and this experience must have been at a sufficiently high level of difficulty to clearly show the candidate possesses the required subject matter expertise and 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. To meet the minimum qualification requirements for this position, you must show that you possess the Professional Technical Qualifications (PTQs) related to the position within your resume - NOT TO EXCEED 2 PAGES. Resumes over the 2-page limit, will not be reviewed beyond page 2 or may be disqualified. Your resume should include examples of experience, education, and accomplishments applicable to the qualification(s). If your resume does not reflect demonstrated evidence of these qualifications, you may not receive consideration for the position. PROFESSIONAL TECHNICAL QUALIFICATIONS (PTQS): Your resume should demonstrate accomplishments that would satisfy the technical qualifications. PROFESSIONAL TECHNICAL QUALIFICATIONS (PTQS): Demonstrated ability to plan and execute high-level programs and/or projects that are highly specialized and impact the agency or organization level. This includes establishing vision and strategy, making decisions and influencing others, and directly affecting the quality of program or project outcomes. Experience providing legal advice and guidance on trademark laws, examination guidelines and rules of practice, and examining procedures. Collaborates with legal professionals by providing expertise knowledge in trademark programs and activities, to support the development of trademark IT systems. There is NO requirement to prepare a narrative statement specifically addressing the Professional Technical Qualifications (PTQs).

Education

The candidate must have a law degree from an accredited law school program and must be a member of a bar in good standing, in the United States or a Territory of the United States. A college or university degree generally must be from an accredited (or pre-accredited) college or university recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For a list of schools which meet these criteria, please refer to Department of Education Accreditation page. FOREIGN EDUCATION: Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the requirements. You must show proof the education credentials have been deemed to be at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U.S. education program. It is your responsibility to provide such evidence when applying.

How You Will Be Evaluated

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 Professional/Technical Qualifications (PTQs) listed above. PTQs must be thoroughly addressed within your two (2) page resume. Separate narratives will not be accepted or reviewed. Superior applicants may undergo one or more interviews and may be referred to the selecting official for further consideration.

Required Documents

A complete application consists of all items listed below. Required materials must be submitted by the conclusion of the staffing process. Applications that are incomplete at that time may not be considered. Please carefully review the following list to determine what documentation you need to submit. Some documents may not apply to all applicants. 1. Resume: All applicants are required to submit a two-page resume (NOT TO EXCEED 2 PAGES). To receive full credit for relevant experience, please list the month/year and number of hours worked for experience listed on your resume. All applicants are required to submit a resume limited to two (2) pages (i.e., 1 page that is double-sided or 2 pages that are one-sided each) showing all relevant experience. Resume should clearly state your experience related to this position as described in the Duties section and Qualifications section. PLEASE DO NOT USE USAJOBS RESUME BUILDER. 2. Education Documentation: For positions with an education requirement, submit a copy of your transcripts or equivalent. An official transcript will be required if you are selected and not already on file. See "Education" for more details. 3. Proof of Good Standing and Active Membership: 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. 4. Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50): 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". 5. Special Hiring Authorities Documentation (Required, if applicable): If you are applying under a special hiring authority, submit a copy of proof of your eligibility. 6. Veterans' Preference Documentation, if applicable: Attorney positions are 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. If you are a veteran with preference eligibility, you will be asked to submit a copy of your DD-214 containing your discharge disposition, dates of service, and rank. If you are a preference eligible claiming a service-connected disability of 10 percent or more, you will be asked to submit documentation (i.e., a letter dated 1991 or later from the Department of Veterans Affairs or from a branch of the Armed Forces) certifying to the veteran's present receipt of compensation. Veterans must include dates of military service within the automated application process and submit a copy of each Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty, DD-214. For more information, please visit Feds Hire Vets. Your application and all required documents must be received by 11:59 pm ET on the closing date of this job announcement.

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. 1. You MUST apply online. To apply for this position, you must complete this application and submit any required documents specified in the Required Documents section and submit by 11:59 PM (EST) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration. 2. 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. 3. 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. 4. 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. 5. 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. 6. 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. It is the applicant's responsibility to verify that your application package (resume, supporting documents, and responses to the questionnaire) is complete, accurate, and submitted by the closing date. Uploaded documents may take up to one hour to clear the virus scan process. Additional information on how to complete the online application process and submit your online application may be found on the USA Staffing Applicant Resource Center. To update your application, including supporting documentation: During the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account, find your application record, and click Edit my application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed. Application packages will NOT be accepted via mail. Due to security processes, mail delivery takes approximately 2-3 weeks to process at which time the vacancy announcement will be closed, and no further consideration will be given to additional application packages. Personally Identifiable Information (PII) 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 applications material.

What to Expect Next

You will receive a notice generated by the USAJOBS system when you have successfully submitted your application. You may also sign up to receive automatic emails anytime the status of your application has changed by logging into your USAJOBS Account, editing your profile and changing the "Notification Settings" to indicate that you want to be notified by email when the status changes. You will be notified of your application status through USAJOBS at four points during the hiring process, as applicable. You can check the status of your application by accessing the USAJOBS website at http://usajobs.gov/ and clicking on "Track Your Online Application." The four points of notification are: 1. Application Received or Application Incomplete; 2. Minimum Qualification Requirement Met or Minimum Qualification Requirement Not Met; 3. Eligible (Application Referred to the Selecting Official) or Eligible (Application Not Referred to the Selecting Official); and 4. Selected or Not Selected. To verify the status of your application, sign in to your USAJOBS account (https://www.usajobs.gov/), 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://help.usajobs.gov/how-to. After all application packages have been received, the USPTO will conduct a qualifications evaluation of applicants who submit the required material. It is the applicant's res...

To meet the minimum requirements for a Senior Level position, candidates must be a recognized subject matter expert with directly related experience. Typically, experience of this nature will have been gained at the GS-15 or equivalent level in the federal service or its equivalent in the private sector. Candidates must demonstrate their experience meets the Professional Technical Qualifications for this position in their two-page resume and this experience must have been at a sufficiently high level of difficulty to clearly show the candidate possesses the required subject matter expertise and 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. To meet the minimum qualification requirements for this position, you must show that you possess the Professional Technical Qualifications (PTQs) related to the position within your resume - NOT TO EXCEED 2 PAGES. Resumes over the 2-page limit, will not be reviewed beyond page 2 or may be disqualified. Your resume should include examples of experience, education, and accomplishments applicable to the qualification(s). If your resume does not reflect demonstrated evidence of these qualifications, you may not receive consideration for the position. PROFESSIONAL TECHNICAL QUALIFICATIONS (PTQS): Your resume should demonstrate accomplishments that would satisfy the technical qualifications. PROFESSIONAL TECHNICAL QUALIFICATIONS (PTQS): Demonstrated ability to plan and execute high-level programs and/or projects that are highly specialized and impact the agency or organization level. This includes establishing vision and strategy, making decisions and influencing others, and directly affecting the quality of program or project outcomes. Experience providing legal advice and guidance on trademark laws, examination guidelines and rules of practice, and examining procedures. Collaborates with legal professionals by providing expertise knowledge in trademark programs and activities, to support the development of trademark IT systems. There is NO requirement to prepare a narrative statement specifically addressing the Professional Technical Qualifications (PTQs).