Patent Examiner (Computer Science) Direct-Hire Authority (DHA)

Duties

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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.

In addition, our Patent Examiner (Computer Science) positions may offer a $30,000 recruitment bonus for new federal employees (with a 48-month service commitment). Employees will receive $10,000 after entrance on duty (EOD) and may be eligible for a 2nd installment of $20,000 after attaining promotion(s) to GS-12 within 36 months of EOD.

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.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

• Applications will only be accepted from United States Citizens and Nationals.
• 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 are required to pass a background investigation and fingerprint check.
• You must be registered for Selective Service, if applicable (www.sss.gov).
• This is a Non-Bargaining Unit position.
• This is a Public Trust position and has a risk level designation of "moderate."
• You will be required to file a confidential financial disclosure report, i.e., the Office of Government Ethics (OGE) Form 450, within 30 days of assuming the position and annually thereafter.
• You will be required to complete ethics orientation within 3 months of beginning of your position.

Qualifications

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 Science) position. Please see OPM's information on the Individual Occupational Requirements for Computer Science Series. OPM's prescribed Group Coverage Qualification Standard for Patent Examiner Series, GS-1224, is available at OPM Patent Examiner Series 1224.

BASIC REQUIREMENTS for all grade levels in this series include:

A) Bachelor's degree in computer science; OR

B) Bachelor's degree with 30 semester hours in a combination of mathematics, statistics, and computer science. At least 15 of the 30 semester hours must have been any combination of statistics and mathematics that included differential and integral calculus. All academic degrees and coursework must be from accredited or pre-accredited institutions.

Applicants must also meet the additional requirements listed below.

Applicants for the GS-7 position have many ways to qualify. In addition to the basic requirements as stated above, applicants mayhave A, B, C, or D listed below to qualify:

(A) At least one year of graduate-level education leading to a master's degree or equivalent graduate degree from an accredited college and/or university in a computer science or other directly related field of study.

(B) Superior Academic Achievement. This can be defined by one of the following:

1. Class standingUpper third of the graduating class in the college, university, or major subdivision, such as the "School of Engineering and Applied Science" or "College of Science and Technology" based on completed courses.
2. Grade point average (GPA) as recorded on the final transcript3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0 as recorded on the official transcript, or as computed based on four years of education, or as computed based on courses completed during the final two years of the curriculum; or 3.5 or higher out of a possible 4.0 based on the average of the required courses completed in the major field or the required courses in the major field completed during the final two years of the curriculum. The GPA is rounded to one decimal place (2.95 = 3.0 and 2.94 = 2.9). The final transcript must cover the period being used to determine the GPA.
3. Honor society membershipElection to membership in a national scholastic honor society. Please review the list of qualified honor societies.

(C) One year of specialized experience applying basic biological science, physics, or scientific principles, theories, concepts, and methodologies used in the evaluation of technology; assisting in the collection of and recognizing discrepancies in data. Examples of work include taking measurements and collecting information, learning to take proper samples, conducting routine calculations, checking of numerical data, preparing graphs and data profiles, and/or accomplishing routine analyses.

(D) A combination of graduate level education that is less than 1 year and less than 1 year of specialized experience that together meet the qualification requirements for this position.

Applicants for the GS-9 position have many ways to qualify. In addition to the basic requirements as stated above, applicants must have 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 computer science or other directly related field of study.

(B) One year of specialized experience, interpreting and applying intermediate biological science, physics, 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 in college-level education, training, and/or technical experience.

(D) A combination of successfully completed graduate-level education, as described above, that is beyond the first year of progressive graduate study, and professional 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 must have 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 computer science or other directly related field of study.

(B) At least one year of specialized experience: interpreting and applying advanced biological science, physics, and/or scientific principles, theories, concepts, and methodologies used in the evaluation of technology; or planning and conducting technical research to draft technical papers; or 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 (computer science, engineer, etc.) work (such as those who have PhDs).

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

Education

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.

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 suitabi