Patent Examiner (Mechanical Engineering) Direct-Hire Authority (DHA)

Summary

The USPTO drives U.S innovation for the benefit of all Americans and providing intellectual property protection for innovators and entrepreneurs worldwide. We are looking for talented individuals to examine ideas that benefit society and bring innovation to market. You'll shape the future of patent examination, advance key processes, and support innovation in cutting-edge ways.

Duties

The physical worksite for this position is located in Alexandria, Virginia. Presence at the Alexandria, VA campus is required as this role includes onsite 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 leave year. Be part of history in the making - and help shape what's next. Learn how to become a patent examiner, explore the patent examiner disciplines crosswalk to find the areas that align best with your expertise, meet the people leading the way, and discover how you can use cutting-edge tools to protect breakthrough ideas. As a patent examiner, you will: Examine patent applications and help protect groundbreaking ideas. You will assess patent applications for new inventions, ensuring they meet our standards and determining if they are eligible for a patent. Early in your career, you will work closely with supervisors and senior examiners and receive extensive guidance and feedback as you develop your skills and evaluate your findings. You will explore Innovation in your review of patent applications. You will use specialized and cutting-edge technology to search prior art - information known publicly before the filing of a U.S. patent application - to determine whether inventions meet patentability standards and are eligible for a patent. Prepare clear and thoughtful office actions. You will draft written communications to applicant to convey your findings in detailed explanations of your examination decisions. You will discuss them with supervisors or senior examiners and refine your work based on feedback before issuing official communications. Please review the relevant conflict of interest laws and standards of ethical conduct that may affect you as a patent examiner. Carefully review the conflict of interest laws and standards of ethical conduct, if you have an interest in any company that manufactures devices or markets processes covered by your technology area, you will be subject to a disqualification regarding all patent applications in the technology area unless the value is below $15,000 for any one company and less than $25,000 for all companies. If you are an attorney applicant, you must also be able to comply with the relevant rules of professional conduct regarding any possible professional responsibility conflicts in connection with your application. Further, as an employee of the USPTO you are restricted as to your interest in patents consistent with 35 U.S.C. 4. 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 sexual orientation), national origin, political affiliation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions, retaliation for engaging in protected activity, 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 via email (oeeo@uspto.gov) or phone (571-272-8292).

Qualifications and evaluation

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above. Your resume, optional cover letter, and supporting documentation will be reviewed to determine if you meet the minimum qualification requirements for the position. Under the provisions of the Direct-Hire Authority (DHA), rating, ranking and veterans' preference does not apply; therefore, your responses to the questionnaire will not be used to determine a scored rating. While veterans' preference does not apply in DHA, preference eligibles may submit their supporting documentation (DD-214 stating disposition of discharge or character of service, VA letter, SF-15, etc.). OHR will review your resume and supporting documentation. All applicants who meet the minimum qualification requirements, as defined in the job opportunity announcement, and successfully pass the USA Hire assessment will be referred for selection consideration. You may receive an invitation to provide responses to an on-demand interview through the HireVue platform. If referred, your on-demand interview and application will be reviewed by the hiring manager for consideration. An interview does not guarantee selection. The USA Hire Competency-Based Assessments will evaluate you on the following competencies; Please do not provide a separate written response. Attention to Detail Flexibility Integrity/Honesty Interpersonal Skills Reading Comprehension Reasoning Self-Management Stress Tolerance Teamwork The questionnaire includes four short, free-response essay questions. Applicants will be required to certify that they are using their own words, and did not use a consultant or Super Intelligence (such as a large language model [LLM]). The responses cannot exceed 200 words per question. To preview the questionnaire please click the link below: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13052905 Responses to job questions that are not fully supported by the information in your resume may result in adjustments to your rating. Any experience claimed in a cover letter should be substantiated by information contained in your resume. An HR Representative will validate the qualifications of those applicants eligible to be referred to the hiring official.

Education

What are the work history and educational requirements for this position? Below are the Office of Personnel Management's (OPM) qualification requirements (including specialized experience and/or educational requirements) for the Patent Examiner (Computer Engineering) position. Please see OPM's information on the Engineering Individual Occupational Requirements. OPM's prescribed Group Coverage Qualification Standard for Patent Examiner Series, GS-1224, is available at OPM Patent Examiner Series 1224. If you are a student nearing graduation, within 9 months from the date of your applications, you can still apply! Just submit your application now, and we will verify your degree before your start date. Unless otherwise indicated by the school, 18 semester hours will be considered an academic year of graduate study. Education completed at foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the requirements. Please refer to General Schedule Qualifications Policies 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 coursework and the degree. A 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. 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). You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. If you are substituting education for experience, you must submit an unofficial transcript or a list of courses that includes: your name, name of accredited institution, grades earned, completion dates, and quarter and semester hours earned. For documentation requirements, see the Required Documents section.

How to apply

Please note your resume must be limited to a maximum of two pages. Resumes exceeding this limit will not be considered eligible. Please submit only one resume. Only the document uploaded under the "Resume" section as the "Document Type" will be reviewed to assess your qualifications and for evaluation purposes. You must be a registered USAJobs user and signed in to your account to apply online for this position. If you need general assistance creating a USAJobs account or experience technical issues with the USAJobs platform, please visit the USAJobs Help Center. For questions about your application process or application status, you may contact JoinUSPTO@uspto.gov or call 571-272-6000. If you are a new USAJobs user and have not yet registered for an account, you must first create a profile with your basic contact information and upload a resume before applying. Once your account is created and you are signed in, click the APPLY button on the right side of the page to begin. You will then be directed away from USAJobs to the Department of Commerce application site for the USPTO. To complete your application and have it considered, you must click Submit at the end of the application process. Please read the entire announcement and all instructions before beginning your application. To apply and be considered for this position, you must complete all required questionnaires and assessments and submit all required documentation as specified in the How to Apply and Required Documents sections. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM ET on the announcement closing date to receive consideration. Application Process Click the Apply Online button. Answer the questions in the application and attach all required supporting documentation. Click Submit Application before 11:59 PM ET on the announcement closing date. If you are required to complete any USA Hire assessments, you will be notified after submitting your application. The notification will appear in your application submission screen and will also be sent by email. It will include your unique assessment access link and the completion deadline. You can also select Track this application in USAJOBS to return to your assessment completion notice. Access USA Hire using your unique assessment link. You will log in using your USAJOBS credentials. Please review all instructions before starting your assessments. If you have a disability covered under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, you may request a testing accommodation before beginning the assessments. Set aside at least 2 hours to complete the USA Hire assessments, although most applicants finish in less time. If you need to stop and continue later, you may reuse your unique assessment link. Your USA Hire assessment responses are generally reused for one year from the date you complete them. If future applications require the same assessments, your responses will be automatically reused in most cases.Visit the USA Hire Applicant Resource Center for practice assessments and assessment preparation resources at https://support-usahire.opm.gov/hc/en-us. 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. To view the announcement status or your application status: Visit https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/howto/application/status/. Your application status page is where you can view your application status, USA Hire assessment completion status, and review your notifications sent by the hiring agency regarding your application. 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 Personally Identifiable Information from all documents prior to submitting or uploading your applications material.

Required documents

A complete application consists of: 1. A resume or any other written format you choose to describe your job-related qualifications; optional cover letter: Resumes must be limited to 2 pages. Your resume should indicate your citizenship and should list your educational and work experience including titles, employment dates (month and year), number of hours worked per week, duties, experience and how it relates to the specialized experience in the job announcement. 2.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. If you are combining and/or substituting education for specialized experience, you must submit an unofficial transcript or a list of courses that includes: your name, name of accredited institution, grades earned, completion dates, and quarter and semester hours earned. Supporting Documents: Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) documents -CTAP applicants MUST submit the following documents: 1. A copy of your RIF separation notice, notice of proposed removal for declining a directed geographic relocation outside of the local commuting area; a Certificate of Expected Separation (CES); or certification that you are in a surplus organization or occupation (this could be a position abolishment letter, a notice of eligibility for discontinued service retirement, or similar notice); 2. A copy of your SF-50 "Notification of Personnel Action", noting current position, grade/band level, and duty location; 3. A copy of your latest performance appraisal including your rating; and 4. Any documentation from your bureau/operating unit that shows your current promotion potential. ICTAP applicants MUST submit the following documents: 1. A copy of your RIF separation notice, notice of proposed removal for declining a directed geographic relocation outside of the local commuting area, notice of disability annuity termination, certification from your former agency that it cannot place you after your recovery from a work-related compensable injury; or certification from the National Guard Bureau or Military Department that you are eligible for disability retirement; 2. A copy of your SF-50 "Notification of Personnel Action", documenting your RIF separation, noting your position, grade/band level, and duty location, and/or Agency certification of inability to place you through RPL, etc.; 3. A copy of your latest performance appraisal including your rating; and 4. Any documentation from your agency that shows your current promotion potential. Veteran's preference does not apply under this Direct Hire Authority for these positions. You may provide documentation if desired. Your application and all required documents must be received by 11:59 pm ET on the closing date of this job announcement.

Additional information

This announcement serves as public notice. Applications may be gathered from additional recruitment sources. If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, you must certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System. If you are exempt from registration under Selective Service Law, you must provide appropriate proof of exemption. Please visit the Selective Service System website for more information. The final decision regarding a non-registrant's eligibility for employment lies with the agency granting the right or benefit. Background Investigation - If selected for this position, you will be required to complete a Declaration for Federal Employment (OF-306), which includes a fingerprint and credit check, to determine your suitability for Federal employment and to authorize a background investigation. The USPTO participates in E-Verify. For more information on E-Verify, please visit the Department of Homeland Security Website. All Federal employees are required to have Federal salary payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of their choice. Relocation Expenses are not authorized and will not be paid. Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) applicants will be eligible for selection priority if it is determined that they have exceeded the minimum qualifications for the position by attaining at least a "well qualified" rating of 85 out of 100. Information about CTAP and ICTAP eligibility is on the Office of Personnel Management's Career Transition Resources website at: OPM CTAP/ICTAP. CTAP/ICTAP documentation requirements are listed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement. More than one selection may be made from this announcement. All application materials become the property of the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Reasonable Accommodation (RA) USPTO Job Applicants requiring reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process should request accommodation(s) from the USPTO at http://www.uspto.gov/accommodation. If you believe a disability covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, may interfere with your ability to complete the USA Hire Competency-Based Assessment, you may request a reasonable accommodation (RA) through your online application. Please note: RA requests must be submitted before you begin the assessments. Decisions are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications for the position, you will receive an email invitation to complete the assessments after your request has been adjudicated. In most cases, all assessments must be completed within 48 hours of receiving the access URL. To determine whether you need a reasonable accommodation, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments, and follow the instructions provided. Please search USAJOBS for "Patent Examiner" or visit our Careers Website for further information.