Patent Examiner (Chemistry and comparable STEM backgrounds)

Department of Commerce - Patent and Trademark Office • Anywhere in the U.S. (remote job)

Company

Department of Commerce - Patent and Trademark Office

Location

Anywhere in the U.S. (remote job)

Type

Full Time

Job Description

The United States Patent and Trademark Office's (USPTO) patent examiners evaluate next-generation technologies, products, tools, and systems that change how billions of people connect, explore, and interact with one another. The patents we issue and the trademarks we register have the potential to change the world! We are looking for STEM candidates who bring unique perspectives and fresh ideas and energy from all areas of science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine.

Learn more about this agency

Conditions of Employment

Applications will be accepted from all United States Citizens and Nationals. You must be suitable for Federal Employment.
Your resume and question responses must demonstrate the job-related competencies. You must meet the definition of specialized experience.
You are required to pass a background investigation and fingerprint check.
If this is your first federal appointment, you will be required to complete a one-year probationary period. Current federal service employees may be given a new appointment, and a new probationary period may be required.
You must meet all qualification requirements upon the closing date of this announcement.
You must be registered for Selective Service, if applicable (www.sss.gov).
This is a Bargaining Unit position and is represented by the Patent Office Professional Association (POPA).
This is a Public Trust position and has a risk level designation of "moderate."

Qualifications

BASIC QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS:

To be considered for this position, you MUST Have:

(A) At least a bachelor's degree in physical sciences, life sciences, or engineering that included 30 semester hours in chemistry, supplemented by coursework in mathematics through differential and integral calculus, and at least 6 semester hours of physics.

OR

(B). Have a combination of education and experience--course work equivalent to a major as shown in A above, including at least 30 semester hours in chemistry, supplemented by mathematics through differential and integral calculus, and at least 6 semester hours of physics, plus appropriate experience or additional education.

Applicants must also meet the additional requirements listed below.

Applicants for the GS-9 position have many ways to qualify. In addition to the basic requirements as stated above, applicants musthave A, B, C, or D listed below to qualify:

(A) At least two years of graduate-level education leading to a master's degree or equivalent graduate degree from an accredited college and/or university in a physical sciences, life sciences, or engineering field of study.

(B) One year of specialized experience interpreting and applying chemistry and/or scientific principles, theories, concepts, and methodologies used in the evaluation of technology; participating in planning and conducting research; applying appropriate references to the claimed invention; etc. Work experience would have involved following established methods and procedures, or detailed instructions; using some judgment in applying basic principles and procedures; and independently completing recurring assignments, but referring deviations, problems, and unfamiliar situations to a designated person for decision or help.

(C) A combination of education and experience. For chemistry, applicants must possess at least a bachelor's degree in chemistry, physical sciences, life sciences, or engineering that include 30 semester hours in chemistry, supplemented by course work in mathematics through differential and integral calculus, and at least 6 semester hours of physics AND have experience applying chemistry principles and theories in the engineering field.

(D) A combination of successfully completed progressive graduate-level education, as described above, that is beyond the first year of graduate study and professional chemistry experience, as described above.

Applicants for the GS-11 position have many ways to qualify. In addition to the basic requirements as stated above, applicants musthave A, B, or C listed below to qualify:

(A) At least three years of progressively higher-level graduate-level education leading to a Ph.D. degree or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree from an accredited college and/or university in the fields of study as described.

(B) At least one year of specialized experience: (1) interpreting and applying advanced chemistry and/or scientific principles, theories, concepts, and methodologies used in the evaluation of technology; or (2) planning and conducting technical research to draft technical papers; or (3) applying appropriate references and case law to claimed inventions. Experience may include independent responsibility for a well-defined study or for a phase of a larger study that required the planning and carrying out of routine (physics, engineer, biological, etc.) work (such as those who have PhDs). They have ability to independently perform moderately difficult and responsible work.

(C) A combination of successfully completed graduate-level education, as described above, that is beyond the second year of progressive graduate study and professional chemistry experience, as described above.

Education

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 Documentssection.

Additional information

USPTO Job Applicants requiring reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process should request accommodation(s) from the USPTO at Accommodations for Job Applicants.

Please review the relevant conflict of interest laws and standards of ethical conduct that may affect you as a patent examiner. 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.

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.

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.

Please search USAJobs for "Patent Examiner" or visit our Careers Website for further information.

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 pregnancy and gender identity), national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, 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 & Diversity via email ([email protected]) or phone (571-272-8292).

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Date Posted

09/29/2024

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