We are seeking highly motivated professionals to join our team. If you want challenging work and a chance to make a big impact, come join us at the Office of Inspector General for the Department of Commerce! We improve the effectiveness of the Department's programs and operations. We also investigate waste, fraud, and abuse in the Department and those who do business with it.
Summary
We are seeking highly motivated professionals to join our team. If you want challenging work and a chance to make a big impact, come join us at the Office of Inspector General for the Department of Commerce! We improve the effectiveness of the Department's programs and operations. We also investigate waste, fraud, and abuse in the Department and those who do business with it.
All candidates who are:
1. Within the local commuting area and are current or former federal employees qualifying as Status Candidates, Federal employees currently serving on a VRA, CTAP/ICTAP eligibles, eligible for special hiring authorities (e.g., the Schedule A appointment for persons with disabilities, or covered by an Interchange Agreement), OR
2. Individuals, no matter where you reside, who are VEOA eligibles; OR
3. Land Management employees eligible under Public Law 114-47.
Provide recommendations on audit and evaluation planning around programs and processes including identification of challenges in trademark and patent programs facing the Department.
Review technical publications and attend technical committee meetings, conferences, and Congressional hearings on intellectual property.
Provide technical guidance to auditors and program analysts performing financial, performance, and compliance audits and evaluations to support oversight planning, audit conclusions, findings, and recommendations and ensure that necessary information is contained within audit working papers.
Work as a team member on patent and trademark audits and evaluations.
Develop intellectual property portion of the annual Top Management and Performance Challenges Facing the Department of Commerce.
*****There is ONE position available located in either Washington, DC or Alexandria, VA. Duty Station will be determined after selection.*****
Click "Print Preview" to review the entire announcement before applying.
Please refer to "Conditions of Employment."
Must be U.S. Citizens or U.S. Nationals.
This opportunity is also open to the Public under Announcement DOC-OIG-2020-0026. Please refer to that announcement for details on open period, eligibility, and how to apply.
The experience may have been gained in either the public, private sector or volunteer service. One year of experience refers to full-time work; part-time work is considered on a prorated basis. To ensure full credit for your work experience, please indicate dates of employment by month/day/year, and indicate number of hours worked per week on your resume.
Qualifications
You must meet the following requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement.
Mandatory Qualifications Requirements: To meet minimum qualifications, applicants must possess the following professional technical competencies. These competencies would typically be gained through experience, education, and training that reflects progressive development and achievement in managing a Federal communications program for a nationwide organization. An individual’s total experience and education must demonstrate the ability to perform the duties of the position.
A. Professional Technical Qualifications – All applicants must include a narrative statement showing how their knowledge and experience relates to the following professional technical qualifications. The narrative statement should not exceed two pages for each qualification.
PTQ 1: Describe your demonstrated advanced patent and trademark knowledge related to compliance with standards, statutory and case law, authoritative interpretation of legal precedents, and understanding concepts and techniques associated with the patent and trademark examination process.
PTQ 2:Describe your demonstrated ability to conduct exceptionally difficult audits, evaluations, special projects, and/or other work assignments associated with intellectual property and USPTO.
PTQ 3: Describe your demonstrated ability to meet and reach consensus on complex issues with individuals, groups, and high-level officials within and outside the agency, and the ability to appropriately support the position of the organization when disagreements occur.
IMPORTANT: Structure your PTQ statements in terms of actions you have taken, the context or environment in which the action was taken and the outcome or results of those actions (Challenge - Context - Action - Result (C-C-A-R) Model).
Challenge-Context-Action-Result Model
Challenge. Describe a specific problem or goal.
Context. Talk about the individuals and groups you worked with, and/or the environment in which you worked, to tackle a particular challenge (e.g., clients, co-workers, members of Congress, shrinking budget, low morale).
Action. Discuss the specific actions you took to address a challenge.
Result. Give specific examples of the results of your actions. These accomplishments demonstrate the quality and effectiveness of your leadership skills.
Time After Competitive Appointment: Candidates who are current Federal employees serving on a non-temporary competitive appointment must have served at least three months in that appointment.
Education
A. Degree: major in a scientific, technological, or engineering field pertinent to the position to be filled, as shown in paragraph A of the individual occupational requirements for the particular series, e.g., Physics, GS-1310; Chemistry, GS-1320; etc.
OR
B. Combination of education and experience -- that meets the paragraph B provision of the individual occupational requirements for the particular series pertinent to the position to be filled, e.g, Physics, GS-1310; Chemistry, GS-1320; etc.
OR
C. Four years of scientific, technological, or engineering experience that demonstrated knowledge of the fundamental principles of the field involved in the position to be filled equivalent to that which would have been obtained through successful completion of a full 4-year degree as shown in A above.
Additional information
- We may select from this announcement or any other source to fill one or more vacancies. - Relocation expenses are NOT Authorized. - This is a non-bargaining unit position. - A recruitment incentive may be offered. - Student loan repayment may be offered. - We offer opportunities for telework. - We offer opportunities for flexible work schedules.
CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT: - A one year probationary period may be required. - Must successfully complete a background investigation. - Complete a Declaration for Federal Employment to determine your suitability for Federal employment, at the time requested by the agency - If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System or are exempt from having to do so. - Have your salary sent to a financial institution of your choice by Direct Deposit/Electronic Funds Transfer. - Go through a Personal Identity Verification (PIV) process that requires two forms of identification from the Form I-9. Federal law requires verification of the identity and employment eligibility of all new hires in the U.S. - Obtain and use a Government-issued charge card for business-related travel. - File a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report within 30 days of appointment and annually from then on.
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
DOCOIG offers a comprehensive benefits package. Explore the benefits offered to most Federal employees at https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/working-in-government/benefits/.
Additional benefits available are flexible work schedules, transportation subsidy, fitness center, child-care facility, career development with a generous training program, credit union, etc.
Metrobus transit services in Washington, DC, Maryland and Virginia communities, car pools/van pools and more.
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
How you will be evaluated
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
Your application includes your resume, responses to the online questions, responses to the Professional Technical Qualifications, and required supporting documents. Please be sure that your resume includes detailed information to support your qualifications for this position; failure to provide sufficient evidence in your resume may result in a “not qualified” determination.
Rating: Your application will be evaluated in the following areas:
Technical Skills
Communication Skills
Analytical Skills
Your application will be rated and ranked among others, based on your responses to the online questions, regarding your experience, education, training, performance appraisals and awards relevant to the duties of this position. Your rating may be lowered if your responses to the online questions are not supported by the education and/or experience described in your application
Referral: If you are among the top qualified candidates, you will be evaluated by a panel of senior employees to determine the degree to which you possess the above Professional Technical Qualifications. As part of the assessment and selection process, the selecting official may invite you to participate in a structured interview and provide a writing sample or written assessment/exercise to further evaluate your qualifications for this position. References may also be checked after all assessment materials are reviewed.
We will not reimburse costs related to the interview such as travel to and from the interview site.
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
DOCOIG offers a comprehensive benefits package. Explore the benefits offered to most Federal employees at https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/working-in-government/benefits/.
Additional benefits available are flexible work schedules, transportation subsidy, fitness center, child-care facility, career development with a generous training program, credit union, etc.
Metrobus transit services in Washington, DC, Maryland and Virginia communities, car pools/van pools and more.
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
A complete application includes 1. A resume, 2. Vacancy question responses, 3. Professional Technical Qualification responses, and 4. Submission of any required documents. Please note that if you do not provide all required information, as specified in this announcement, you may not be considered for this position (or may not receive the special consideration for which you may be eligible).
All applicants are required to submit a resume either by creating one in USAJOBS or uploading one of their own choosing. (Cover letters are optional.) To receive full credit for relevant experience, please list the month/date/year and number of hours worked for experience listed on your resume. We suggest that you preview the online questions, as you may need to customize your resume to ensure that it supports your responses to these questions. Please view resume tips.
CURRENT AND FORMER FEDERAL EMPLOYEES -- Documentation Relating to Your Federal Employment: - You must submit a copy of your SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action, which shows your current (or most recent) grade and competitive service status. (The “position occupied” block on the SF-50 should show a “1” and your “tenure” block should show a “1” or “2”.) - If you are currently on a Veterans Recruitment Appointment (VRA), you must submit a copy of an SF-50 showing that. Also, you must submit a copy of your DD214 or other documentation showing dates of service and type of discharge (Member 4) and any other applicable documents such as SF-15, VA letters, etc. - Indicate on your application the highest permanent grade you have held; if this grade is different from your current grade, you must submit a copy of an additional SF-50 showing this grade.
- ALL APPLICANTS ARE REQUIRED TO SUBMIT A PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL: Provide a copy of your most recent rating of record (i.e., final annual performance appraisal issued and signed by appropriate management official). If the rating of record you submit is not dated within the last 18 months, you must provide an explanation in your application as to why one has not been issued within the past 18 months.
Land Management Eligibles must provide all required documentation to verify eligibility, prior performance, and qualifications for the target position. You can find information on the Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act and eligibility HERE. Land Management Eligibles must compete under competitive merit promotion procedures and meet all applicable requirements as such (time-in-grade restrictions do not apply).
CAREER TRANSITION ASSISTANCE PLAN (CTAP) OR INTERAGENCY CAREER TRANSITION ASSISTANCE PLAN (ICTAP) DOCUMENTATION: If you are a displaced or surplus Federal employee, click CTAP/ICTAP for eligibility and a detailed list of required documents you must submit in order to be eligible.
If you are applying under a special hiring authority (e.g. Military Spouses, Interchange Agreement, VEOA, VRA, Schedule A Disability, etc.), please see applicant guide for required documentation. In order to be eligible under one of these authorities, you must submit all required documentation as outlined in the applicant guide.
EDUCATION DOCUMENTATION: You are not required to submit transcripts for this initial phase of the application process. Candidates will be referred for consideration based on their self-certification. If you are selected for a position which has a positive education requirement (as described in the vacancy announcement) and/or you are qualifying solely on your education, you will be required to submit official transcripts verifying your qualifications prior to a job offer being issued.
A college or university degree generally must be from an accredited (or pre-accredited) college or university recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For a list of schools which meet these criteria, please refer to Department of Education Accreditation page. If you are qualifying based on foreign education, you must submit proof of creditability of education as evaluated by a credentialing agency, if you are selected. Refer to the OPM instructions.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
DOCOIG has partnered with the Treasury's Bureau of the Fiscal Service to provide certain personnel services to its organization. Fiscal Service's responsibilities include advertising vacancies, accepting and handling applications, and extending job offers.
The following instructions outline our application process. You must complete this application process and submit any required documents by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the closing date of this announcement. We are available to assist you during business hours (normally 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. ET, Monday - Friday). If applying online poses a hardship, please contact us by noon ET on the announcement's closing date.
DOCOIG provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities on a case-by-case basis. Please contact us if you require this for any part of the application and hiring process.
To begin, either click the “Create a New Account” button and follow the prompts to register or if you previously registered, click the "Apply Online" button and follow the prompts.
You will be re-directed to DOCOIG's CareerConnector system to complete your application process; answer the online questions, and submit all required documents. (To submit supporting documents, click one of the available options; Upload; Fax; or Reuse existing documents. To protect your privacy, we suggest you first remove your SSN). Also, go to “My Account” to view and update your information, as necessary.
To complete, you must click the “Finish” button located at the bottom of the “Application Review” page.
To verify your application is complete, log into your USAJOBS account, select the Application Status link and then select the more information link for this position. The Details page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and any correspondence the agency has sent related to this application.
To return to an incomplete application, log into your USAJOBS account and click Update Application in the vacancy announcement. You must re-select your resume and/or other documents from your USAJOBS account or your application will be incomplete.
OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL
1401 Constitution Avenue N.W.
Washington, District of Columbia 20230
United States
Next steps
To check the status of your application for this position, please follow these steps:
1. Login to your USAJOBS account, select the "Applications" tab section and click on the vacancy that you have already applied to. 2. Under "Application Status," click the "Additional Application Information" link and you will be taken to DOCOIG’s CareerConnector website where you can check your application status.
The "Additional Application Information" link may not be available if your application status says "Unavailable." This indicates that your application is not complete. If the "Additional Application Information" link is not available and the vacancy is still open, you can click on the job announcement and the "Update Application" button to be taken back to the DOCOIG CareerConnector portion of the application.
Please notify us if your contact information changes after the closing date of the announcement. Also, note that if you provide an email address that is inaccurate or if your mailbox is full or blocked (e.g., spam-blocker), you may not receive important communication that could affect your consideration for this position.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
A complete application includes 1. A resume, 2. Vacancy question responses, 3. Professional Technical Qualification responses, and 4. Submission of any required documents. Please note that if you do not provide all required information, as specified in this announcement, you may not be considered for this position (or may not receive the special consideration for which you may be eligible).
All applicants are required to submit a resume either by creating one in USAJOBS or uploading one of their own choosing. (Cover letters are optional.) To receive full credit for relevant experience, please list the month/date/year and number of hours worked for experience listed on your resume. We suggest that you preview the online questions, as you may need to customize your resume to ensure that it supports your responses to these questions. Please view resume tips.
CURRENT AND FORMER FEDERAL EMPLOYEES -- Documentation Relating to Your Federal Employment: - You must submit a copy of your SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action, which shows your current (or most recent) grade and competitive service status. (The “position occupied” block on the SF-50 should show a “1” and your “tenure” block should show a “1” or “2”.) - If you are currently on a Veterans Recruitment Appointment (VRA), you must submit a copy of an SF-50 showing that. Also, you must submit a copy of your DD214 or other documentation showing dates of service and type of discharge (Member 4) and any other applicable documents such as SF-15, VA letters, etc. - Indicate on your application the highest permanent grade you have held; if this grade is different from your current grade, you must submit a copy of an additional SF-50 showing this grade.
- ALL APPLICANTS ARE REQUIRED TO SUBMIT A PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL: Provide a copy of your most recent rating of record (i.e., final annual performance appraisal issued and signed by appropriate management official). If the rating of record you submit is not dated within the last 18 months, you must provide an explanation in your application as to why one has not been issued within the past 18 months.
Land Management Eligibles must provide all required documentation to verify eligibility, prior performance, and qualifications for the target position. You can find information on the Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act and eligibility HERE. Land Management Eligibles must compete under competitive merit promotion procedures and meet all applicable requirements as such (time-in-grade restrictions do not apply).
CAREER TRANSITION ASSISTANCE PLAN (CTAP) OR INTERAGENCY CAREER TRANSITION ASSISTANCE PLAN (ICTAP) DOCUMENTATION: If you are a displaced or surplus Federal employee, click CTAP/ICTAP for eligibility and a detailed list of required documents you must submit in order to be eligible.
If you are applying under a special hiring authority (e.g. Military Spouses, Interchange Agreement, VEOA, VRA, Schedule A Disability, etc.), please see applicant guide for required documentation. In order to be eligible under one of these authorities, you must submit all required documentation as outlined in the applicant guide.
EDUCATION DOCUMENTATION: You are not required to submit transcripts for this initial phase of the application process. Candidates will be referred for consideration based on their self-certification. If you are selected for a position which has a positive education requirement (as described in the vacancy announcement) and/or you are qualifying solely on your education, you will be required to submit official transcripts verifying your qualifications prior to a job offer being issued.
A college or university degree generally must be from an accredited (or pre-accredited) college or university recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For a list of schools which meet these criteria, please refer to Department of Education Accreditation page. If you are qualifying based on foreign education, you must submit proof of creditability of education as evaluated by a credentialing agency, if you are selected. Refer to the OPM instructions.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
DOCOIG has partnered with the Treasury's Bureau of the Fiscal Service to provide certain personnel services to its organization. Fiscal Service's responsibilities include advertising vacancies, accepting and handling applications, and extending job offers.
The following instructions outline our application process. You must complete this application process and submit any required documents by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the closing date of this announcement. We are available to assist you during business hours (normally 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. ET, Monday - Friday). If applying online poses a hardship, please contact us by noon ET on the announcement's closing date.
DOCOIG provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities on a case-by-case basis. Please contact us if you require this for any part of the application and hiring process.
To begin, either click the “Create a New Account” button and follow the prompts to register or if you previously registered, click the "Apply Online" button and follow the prompts.
You will be re-directed to DOCOIG's CareerConnector system to complete your application process; answer the online questions, and submit all required documents. (To submit supporting documents, click one of the available options; Upload; Fax; or Reuse existing documents. To protect your privacy, we suggest you first remove your SSN). Also, go to “My Account” to view and update your information, as necessary.
To complete, you must click the “Finish” button located at the bottom of the “Application Review” page.
To verify your application is complete, log into your USAJOBS account, select the Application Status link and then select the more information link for this position. The Details page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and any correspondence the agency has sent related to this application.
To return to an incomplete application, log into your USAJOBS account and click Update Application in the vacancy announcement. You must re-select your resume and/or other documents from your USAJOBS account or your application will be incomplete.
OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL
1401 Constitution Avenue N.W.
Washington, District of Columbia 20230
United States
Next steps
To check the status of your application for this position, please follow these steps:
1. Login to your USAJOBS account, select the "Applications" tab section and click on the vacancy that you have already applied to. 2. Under "Application Status," click the "Additional Application Information" link and you will be taken to DOCOIG’s CareerConnector website where you can check your application status.
The "Additional Application Information" link may not be available if your application status says "Unavailable." This indicates that your application is not complete. If the "Additional Application Information" link is not available and the vacancy is still open, you can click on the job announcement and the "Update Application" button to be taken back to the DOCOIG CareerConnector portion of the application.
Please notify us if your contact information changes after the closing date of the announcement. Also, note that if you provide an email address that is inaccurate or if your mailbox is full or blocked (e.g., spam-blocker), you may not receive important communication that could affect your consideration for this position.
Fair and transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
