Technical Information Specialist (Searcher)

U.S. Department of Commerce; Alexandria (VA); On-site; USD 75,000 - 105,000; Full time

Job summary

U.S. Department of Commerce's USPTO position is located in the Office of Information Technology for Patents (OITP), within the Scientific and Technical Information Center (STIC), Electronic Information Center Division (EIC) in Alexandria, VA.

Candidates must meet OPM qualifications, including a 4-year bachelor’s degree and one year of specialized experience equivalent to GS-11. Responsibilities include conducting searches in commercial databases, evaluating search requests, and assisting users

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent in a relevant field.
• One year of specialized experience equivalent to GS-11.
• Experience locating technical information and developing search strategies.

Responsibilities

• Conduct searches in commercial databases and systems to locate technical information.
• Review search requests and develop efficient, cost-effective search strategies.
• Assist users in a specialized library or information services environment.

Skills

Specialized information retrieval

Research databases

Customer service

Education

Bachelor's degree in a relevant field

Tools

Commercial databases

Job description

Take your career to the next level by joining one of the technical offices at the United States Patent and Trademark Office! This position is located in the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), Office of the Associate Commissioner for the Office of Information Technology for Patents (OITP), Scientific and Technical Information Center (STIC), Electronic Information Center Division (EIC). 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 Qual Standards.

Applicants must meet the basic occupational qualifications requirements for this position as follows:

Completed a full 4-year course of study that meets all the requirements for a bachelor's degree with major study in the subject-matter field of the position to be filled.

OR

Four years of experience that provided a knowledge of the basic principles, theories, practices, techniques, and terminology of a discipline or subject-matter field; an understanding of the standard methods, procedures, and techniques of research and analysis in the subject-matter field; and where appropriate, ability to read and comprehend nontechnical material in one or more foreign languages. Such experience must have been equivalent to that which would have been gained through a 4-year college curriculum.

OR

A combination of education and experience as described above.

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, you must possess one full year (52 weeks) of specialized experience equivalent to GS-11 in the Federal service.

In addition to meeting the basic occupational requirements stated above, applicants must possess one year of specialized experience equivalent in difficulty and responsibility to the GS-11 level in the Federal service.

Specialized experience for this position includes:

• Conducting searches in commercial databases and systems to locate specific technical information (e.g., related to engineering, scientific, chemical, biotechnology, or real-world process subject matter); AND
• Reviewing search requests and selecting appropriate resources to develop efficient and cost-effective search strategies to find relevant references; AND
• Assisting users in a specialized library or information services environment serving a defined customer group.

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.