Serves as Agency Intellectual Property/Patent Counsel in the Office of the General Counsel at NASA HQ. Responsible for providing legal advice, assistance, policy development, and functional oversight to all organizational components of NASA in establishing protection, maintenance, licensing, right to use, disposal, and resolution of disputes of intellectual property rights in inventions, discoveries, innovations, writing, data, and computer software in the performance of NASA activities.
Summary
Serves as Agency Intellectual Property/Patent Counsel in the Office of the General Counsel at NASA HQ. Responsible for providing legal advice, assistance, policy development, and functional oversight to all organizational components of NASA in establishing protection, maintenance, licensing, right to use, disposal, and resolution of disputes of intellectual property rights in inventions, discoveries, innovations, writing, data, and computer software in the performance of NASA activities.
Yes—NASA may consider reimbursement of relocation expenses based on Agency discretion and/or organizational needs; relocation expense reimbursement is not guaranteed.
The area of consideration for this position is open to current civil service employees on career, career conditional, or NASA term appointments with conversion eligibility. A person is considered to be in the civil service only if occupying a civil service position at the time of application.
The Agency Counsel for Intellectual Property will:
-Serves as primary Agency authority on invention disclosures ensuring that legal positions of the Agency, inventors, and external partners are clearly defined.
-Provides guidance to senior management staff and officials at multiple levels of the Agency including installation Chief Counsels and Patent Counsels; senior staff of other Federal, State, and local agencies; educational institution personnel, and private sector partners on Intellectual Property (IP) matters.
-Provides legal advice on the review and negotiation of IP and data rights provisions for contracts, grants, cooperative agreements, domestic Space Act agreements, international agreements, and other types of transactions with external parties.
-Resolves all legal matters arising from the Agency's IP practice, including resolution or settlement of administrative claims for patent or copyright infringement.
-Manages and guides the IP core legal function within the Office of General Council enterprise. Coordinates and leads the IP legal function Agency-Wide. Exercises or delegates the authorities delegated to the IP Law Team Lead and provides functional direction to all field installation IP counsel as well as technical supervision of other attorneys assigned to IP matters.
-Develops and ensures implementation of regulations, management instructions, directives, delegations of authority, policy guidance, and procedures to enable NASA to comply with statutory and other requirements and to maximize and protect NASA interest in IP including patents, copyrights, trademarks, data, software, and licenses.
-Coordinates licensing activities with other technology transfer functions and activities within the Agency to ensure that consistent and compatible policies and procedures are adopted and maximize licensing of NASA technology. Determines whether patent coverage is sufficient to allow licensing of the Agency's inventions. Acts as the Agency's principal legal representative in negotiations for licensing rights.
-Directs attorneys in claims settlement processes. Leads settlement claims negotiations in highly complex or contentious cases, or in cases potentially involving very large sums of money. Initiates third-party mediation as appropriate; establishes Agency policies regarding settlements.
-Provides legal assistance or representation on behalf of the Agency, as required before appropriate courts, adjudicatory bodies, administrative tribunals and boards relating to IP matters including denial or termination of licenses and enforcement actions against infringers of NASA-owned patents.
-Manages the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) deposit account on behalf of the Agency; formulates and executes budget lines supporting the Inventions and Contributions Board and the USPTO Deposit Account.
The individual selected will be required to file an Executive Branch Personnel Financial Disclosure Report' (OGE-278) in accordance with the Ethics in Government Act of 1978.
Successful completion of a background investigation commensurate with the risk and sensitivity level of the position.
Successful completion of pre-employment and random drug screening may be required.
Must meet qualifications requirements by the closing date of this announcement.
You may be required to serve a probationary period.
Qualifications
Candidates must be a recognized subject matter expert with at least 1 year of directly related specialized experience equivalent to the GS-15 level in providing legal advice, assistance, policy development, and functional oversight on Intellectual Property/Patent law to a legal office and senior level clients. This includes protection, maintenance, licensing, right to use, disposal, and resolution of disputes of intellectual property rights.
Your resume must include a clear and detailed narrative description, in your own words, of how you meet the required specialized experience. Experience statements copied from a position description, vacancy announcement, or other reference material constitutes plagiarism and may result in disqualification and losing consideration for the job.
To meet the minimum qualification requirements for this position, you MUST address each Senior Level (SL) Evaluation Criteria separately not to exceed a total of ten (10) pages. If you fail to do so, your application will be rated ineligible. Please cite experience directly related to the specialized experience requirements (outlined above) when addressing the SL evaluation criteria #2 (Technical Excellence and Contributions) and SL evaluation criteria #5 (Corporate Cooperation and Technical Leadership Skills). For the full definition of the SL Evaluation Criteria and Process please click here. Please include your full name on all documents submitted.
SL EVALUATION CRITERIA:
1. Education Level and Training
2. Technical Excellence and Contributions
a. Experience/Accomplishments
b. Technical and Strategic Problem Solving
c. Information Transfer
3. Awards and Recognition
4. Outside Professional Activities
5. Corporate Cooperation and Technical Leadership Skills
Education
This position has a positive education requirement. To be eligible, you must clearly state in your resume the following: degree, major and/or minor, and college/university. You must possess a J.D. or LL.M from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association and be a member in good standing of a bar in a state/territory of the United States, District of Columbia, or Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR FOREIGN EDUCATION: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show that the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs. These education credentials must be deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. For further information, click here.
Additional information
Must be able to obtain and maintain a TS/SCI security clearance.
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.
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.
All qualifications requirements must be met by 11/28/2022. You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications above.Applicants that meet minimum eligibility requirements outlined in the Qualifications and Education (if applicable) sections of the vacancy announcement will be referred to a panel of subject matter experts for further evaluation. The panel reviews the resume and responses provided to the SL Evaluation Criteria, which are standard for all NASA SL opportunities, as outlined above. The panel evaluates the candidates' experience against each criteria and determines which candidates will be interviewed. The panel will make a recommendation to the appropriate approving authority.
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.
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.
You must provide a complete application package. If you do not provide all required information and supporting documentation, you will not be considered for this position.
1. Resume showing relevant work experience (start/end dates stated in month/year, description of duties), applicable education at a minimum, and your contact information. For current or previous Federal employees, it should also include the Pay Plan, Series and Grade for each work experience entry. Limit your resume to 10 pages. If more than 10 pages are submitted, only the first 10 pages will be reviewed to determine your eligibility/qualifications.
2. SL Evaluation Criteria narrative responses. Limit your responses to 10 pages. If more than 10 pages are submitted, only the first 10 pages will be reviewed to determine your eligibility/qualifications.
You may be asked to provide additional documentation to support your eligibility and the information provided in your application package. For example, we may request transcripts, SF-50s, etc. Therefore, we encourage you to have these documents prepared and ready when requested by the agency. If you fail to provide the required documents within the stated time period, we may withdraw a job offer and/or remove you from further consideration.
If you are a veteran and you are claiming veterans' preference, we may request a DD214, Certificate of Release from Active Duty, which shows dates of service and discharge under honorable conditions. For more information on veterans' preference and possible other supporting documents that you may have to submit, please visit NASA's SL Application Evaluation Process or FedsHireVets.
To apply for this position, you must complete the online application and submit the documentation specified in the "Required Documents" section.
A complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration.
To begin, click Apply to access the online application. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account to apply. If you do not have a USAJOBS account, you will need to create one before beginning the application.
Follow the prompts to select your résumé and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package. You will have the opportunity to upload additional documents to include in your application before it is submitted. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
After acknowledging you have reviewed your application package, complete the Include Personal Information section as you deem appropriate and click to continue with the application process.
You will be taken to the online application which you must complete in order to apply for the position. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation is included with your application package, and submit the application.
To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account (https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login), all of your applications will appear on the Welcome screen. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/.
If you are unable to apply online or need to fax a document you do not have in electronic form, view the following link for information regarding an Alternate Application.
NASA provides reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities. If you are an applicant with a disability and need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify the agency contact center listed on the job vacancy announcement. The decision on granting reasonable accommodations will be on a case-by-case basis.
NASA Headquarters
300 E St SW
Washington, DC 20546
US
Next steps
Although you may or may not be contacted during the selection process, we will always advise you about the outcome of the announcement. If you have questions, please feel free to contact NASA Executive Staffing at Agency-Executive-Staffing@mail.nasa.gov.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
You must provide a complete application package. If you do not provide all required information and supporting documentation, you will not be considered for this position.
1. Resume showing relevant work experience (start/end dates stated in month/year, description of duties), applicable education at a minimum, and your contact information. For current or previous Federal employees, it should also include the Pay Plan, Series and Grade for each work experience entry. Limit your resume to 10 pages. If more than 10 pages are submitted, only the first 10 pages will be reviewed to determine your eligibility/qualifications.
2. SL Evaluation Criteria narrative responses. Limit your responses to 10 pages. If more than 10 pages are submitted, only the first 10 pages will be reviewed to determine your eligibility/qualifications.
You may be asked to provide additional documentation to support your eligibility and the information provided in your application package. For example, we may request transcripts, SF-50s, etc. Therefore, we encourage you to have these documents prepared and ready when requested by the agency. If you fail to provide the required documents within the stated time period, we may withdraw a job offer and/or remove you from further consideration.
If you are a veteran and you are claiming veterans' preference, we may request a DD214, Certificate of Release from Active Duty, which shows dates of service and discharge under honorable conditions. For more information on veterans' preference and possible other supporting documents that you may have to submit, please visit NASA's SL Application Evaluation Process or FedsHireVets.
To apply for this position, you must complete the online application and submit the documentation specified in the "Required Documents" section.
A complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration.
To begin, click Apply to access the online application. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account to apply. If you do not have a USAJOBS account, you will need to create one before beginning the application.
Follow the prompts to select your résumé and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package. You will have the opportunity to upload additional documents to include in your application before it is submitted. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
After acknowledging you have reviewed your application package, complete the Include Personal Information section as you deem appropriate and click to continue with the application process.
You will be taken to the online application which you must complete in order to apply for the position. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation is included with your application package, and submit the application.
To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account (https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login), all of your applications will appear on the Welcome screen. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/.
If you are unable to apply online or need to fax a document you do not have in electronic form, view the following link for information regarding an Alternate Application.
NASA provides reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities. If you are an applicant with a disability and need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify the agency contact center listed on the job vacancy announcement. The decision on granting reasonable accommodations will be on a case-by-case basis.
NASA Headquarters
300 E St SW
Washington, DC 20546
US
Next steps
Although you may or may not be contacted during the selection process, we will always advise you about the outcome of the announcement. If you have questions, please feel free to contact NASA Executive Staffing at Agency-Executive-Staffing@mail.nasa.gov.
Fair and transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
