Supervisory Patent Examiner - TC3600

United States Patent and Trademark Office; Northern (KY); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

United States Patent and Trademark Office is seeking a Senior Supervisory Patent Examiner to lead the Patents Corps, oversee patent examinations, and ensure excellence in protecting intellectual property.

Candidates must meet OPM standards for the Patent Examining Series (GS-1224) and possess a relevant advanced degree or bar admission, with specialized experience in patent examination across listed art areas.

Qualifications

• Specialized experience examining patents in art areas such as biotechnology, biomedical, pharmaceutical, materials, mechanical, electrical, computer, physics or chemical technologies.
• Knowledge of patent laws and examination procedures as required by the Patent Examining Series.
• Must meet OPM qualification standards and time-in-grade requirements as described in the job announcement.

Responsibilities

• Lead patent examination teams across assigned art areas and supervise examiners.
• Evaluate patent applications with a focus on quality, consistency, and timeliness.
• Ensure compliance with OPM standards and GS-1224 requirements and maintain signatory authority.

Skills

Patent examination

Specialized experience

Signatory authority

Education

LL.B./J.D. degree

Bar admission

Job description

Take your career to the next level by becoming one of USPTO's senior leaders within the Patents Corps! As a Supervisory Patent Examiner, imagine being responsible for fostering innovation and enabling the protection of intellectual property.

The challenges and opportunities of a dynamic agency makes leadership at the USPTO a rewarding career!

You must meet the following United States Office of Personnel Management's (OPM) qualification requirements for the advertised position. OPM's prescribed Group Coverage Qualification Standard for Professional and Scientific Positions can be found at: Group Coverage Qualifications Standards for Professional and Scientific Positions and the Individual Occupational Requirements (IOR) for GS-1224, Patent Examining Series: General Schedule Qualification Standards. You must meet all qualification requirements including time-in-grade (refer to 5 CFR 300.604 for more information on time-in-grade) by the closing date of the job announcement.

Patent Examining Series: 1224 Individual Occupational Requirements:

Basic Requirements:

Applicants for positions in this series must meet the basic requirements for the scientific, technological, or engineering occupational series related to the area for which they are examining patents. Those requirements are described in the individual occupational requirements for the particular series, e.g., Chemistry, GS-1320; Food Technology, GS-1382; etc.

Evaluation of Graduate Education: Qualifying graduate education must have been in a field appropriate to the position to be filled. An LL.B. or J.D. degree from a recognized law school or membership in the bar of any State, territory, or the District of Columbia is also qualifying for GS-9.

Specialized Experience is experience that has equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to perform successfully 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.

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

Specialized experience is defined as experience examining patents in art areas involving experience searching and/or examining patent applications involving one or more of the following art areas: biotechnology, biomedical, pharmaceutical, materials engineering, mechanical, business methods, electrical, computer, physics or chemical technologies.

Selective Placement Factor: Must have full signatory authority.

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.