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Human Resources Specialist

Department of Commerce
Patent and Trademark Office
This job announcement has closed

Summary

Come work for the USPTO, we have been ranked as one of the Best Places to Work in the Federal Government®! The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has been serving the economic interests of America for more than 200 years. We are responsible for granting US intellectual property rights for patents and trademarks. The USPTO is headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia, and has over 12,000 employees. For more information about the USPTO, please visit the USPTO Careers Website

Overview

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Reviewing applications
Open & closing dates
03/15/2019 to 03/29/2019
Salary
$45,972 to - $73,105 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 07 - 09
Location
Alexandria, VA
Few vacancies
Telework eligible
No
Travel Required
Not required
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent - Career/Career-Conditional appointment in the Competitive Service.
Work schedule
Full-time - This is a Full-Time, Permanent
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
13
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Other
Drug test
No
Announcement number
OHR-2019-0011
Control number
527591400

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

Applications will be accepted from current United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) internal employees serving on a career or career-conditional appointment in the Competitive Service, and CTAP eligible candidates in the local commuting area.

Duties

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This position is an entry-level trainee position in the Office of Human Resources.  The incumbent will perform various on the–job assignments and receive training designed to develop knowledge and skills in the areas of staffing, classification, compensation, recruitment, workforce analysis, workforce development, leave, employee and labor relations and other related areas, while interpreting federal human resources regulations, policies and procedures. The incumbent, through training and work assignments, will develop the skills necessary to provide practical HR advice and direction in support of their customers in one of the following divisions within the Office of Human Resources:  

Office of Human Resources - Executive Resource Branch (ERD)

Provides position management, classification, recruitment and placement, pay, performance management, and awards services, and advice and guidance for the Senior Executive Service, Executive Schedule, Schedule C, Senior Level, and Administratively Determined programs throughout the USPTO.

Office of Human Resources Information Systems (HRIS)

Manages Human Resources (HR) technology projects and provides project management services to plan and implement HR systems in the Office of Human Resources.

Office of Human Resources - Enterprise Training Division

Enhance individual and organizational effectiveness by developing and delivering innovative and diverse training solutions as part of the USPTO's commitment to career enrichment and leadership development.

Compensation and Benefits

The Compensation Branch is a subgroup of the Compensation and Benefits Division. They are the primary liaison that works with the National Finance Center (NFC) on payroll and personnel documents for pay and other time and attendance (T&A) related issues. 

Benefits and Worklife Branch

The Benefits and Worklife Branch is a subgroup under the Compensation and Benefits Division. It provides guidance and regulatory interpretation and oversight of employee benefits. They counsel employees on benefit options related to health insurance, life insurance, the Thrift Savings Plan (TSP), retirement, flexible spending accounts, long term care insurance, and Workers’ Compensation. The Worklife team provides health and wellness education through EAP, LifeCare & Wellness.

Office of Human Resources - Workforce Relations Division

Provides advice and assistance to employees and managers for a variety of employee relation matters, including but not limited to administrative grievances, conflict resolution, problem intervention, and performance and conduct issues.

Office of Human Resources - Workforce Employment Division

Provides policy and operational guidance on external recruitment and appointments. Ensures that external hiring programs, including the Delegated Examining Unit (DEU) and other special programs comply with legal and regulatory requirements and meet customer needs.  Provides consultative, policy, and operational services on position and organizational management, staffing, and classification to the Patents business unit.

DUTIES MAY INCLUDE:

  • Performing routine human resources functions in one of the assigned divisions within the Office of Human Resources.
  • Responding to requests for information.
  • Performing limited research and analysis of applicable laws, regulations, policy, etc. and prepares summaries and recommendations for action.
  • As assigned, performing designated segments of more complex personnel assignments of higher-graded specialists.
  • Advising management, employees, and/or the public on human resources related matters.

  

 

 

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • You must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
  • You must meet the definition of specialized experience.
  • You must meet time-in-grade-requirements.
  • Required to pass a background investigation and fingerprint check.
  • Must be registered for Selective Service, if applicable (www.sss.gov)
  • Suitable for Federal employment.

Time-in-grade/band requirements must be met by the closing date of the announcement unless eligible for special hiring authority, reinstatement eligible, non-current Federal employee applying as a VEOA eligible which do not require time-in-grade/band.

Qualifications

You must meet the following United States Office of Personnel Management's (OPM) qualification requirements for the advertised position. OPM's prescribed Group Coverage Qualification Standard for Administrative and Management positions can be found Here. You must meet all qualification requirements including time-in-grade (refer to 5 CFR 300.604 for more information on time-in-grade) by the closing date of the job announcement.

Specialized Experience:is experience that has equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the position to be filled. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the next lower grade level in the federal service.

Candidates for the GS-07 grade level must have at least 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-05 grade level in the Federal service.

Specialized experience for this position includes experience in providing support to human resources specialists applying human resources management laws, principles, systems, policies, methods and practices.

OR

Completion of 1 full academic year of graduate level education.

OR

Bachelor's Degree with Superior Academic Achievement demonstrated through class standing (upper third of the graduating class); grade point average (a GPA of 3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0 based on 4 years education or courses completed during the final 2 years; or a GPA of 3.5 or higher out of a possible 4.0 based on required courses in the major field); or election to membership in a national scholastic honor society. Please refer here for information on the OPM Superior Academic Achievement (S.A.A.) provision.

Candidates for the GS-09 grade level must have at least 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-07 grade level in the Federal service.

Specialized experience for this position includes experience applying human resources management laws, principles, systems, policies, methods and practices; experience in researching, identifying, and applying human resources rules and regulations to provide information, guidance and resolve problems; experience developing, interpreting, and analyzing data extracts and reports from automated human resources databases. 

OR

Master's or equivalent graduate degree

or

2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree

or

LL.B. or J.D., if related


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).  Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment.  You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

 

Education

Education may be substituted for specialized experience at the GS-07 and GS-09 grade level.

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 course work and degree. A listing of these accredited organizations can be found on the Department of Education's website – US Department of Education. Another 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.

 

Additional information

Applicants applying for this position must be a United States Citizen. 

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.

This is a Non-Bargaining Unit position.

This is a Public Trust position and has a risk level designation of moderate.

Background Investigation - If selected for this position, you may 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.

Probationary Period- If selected, you may be required to complete an initial one-year probationary period. 

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.

CTAP and ICTAP candidates 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: http://www.opm.gov/ctap.  CTAP/ICTAP documentation requirements are listed in the "Required Documents" section of this announcement.

More than one selection may be made from this announcement if additional identical vacancies in the same title, series, grade, and unit occur within 90 days from the date the certificate was issued.

All application materials become the property of the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

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 (oeeod@uspto.gov) or phone (571-272-8292). 

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Your eligibility for consideration and qualifications for the position will be determined based upon a review of your detailed resume and your responses to job specific self-assessment questions. Your resume will be evaluated based on evidence of your ability to demonstrate possession of any specialized experience and how well your background and experience relates to the self-assessment questions in the job announcement.

The self-assessment questions relate to the following knowledge, skills, abilities, and competencies (KSA's). You do not have to respond to the KSA's.

KSA 1: Knowledge of, and skill in applying, fundamental human resources management laws, principles, systems, policies, methods, and practices.

KSA 2: Knowledge of the basic analytical methods and techniques coupled with skill sufficient to resolve a range of human resources-related problems that are susceptible to treatment by standard methods.

KSA 3: Ability to plan and organize work.

KSA 4: Ability to communicate factual and procedural information clearly, orally and in writing.

Your responses to the self assessment questions serve as the basis for your initial rating. You will receive a numerical score based on your responses to these questions. Next, your responses will be evaluated by a Human Resources Specialist and/or a subject matter expert against the information provided in your resume and optional cover letter. Your resume must support your answers to the self assessment questions, or your score may be adjusted or lowered accordingly which may affect your overall final rating. The best qualified candidates will be identified for referral to the hiring manager and may be invited for an interview. If referred all relevant documents submitted with your application package will be forwarded to the selecting official, due weight shall be given to performance appraisals and awards in accordance with 5 CFR § 335.103(b)(3), during the interview/selection process conducted by the hiring manager. Falsifying your background, education, and/or experience is cause for not hiring you or for changing your scored responses to questions you’ve answered, which may affect your overall final score.

If you are invited for an interview, you may be required to provide a writing sample.

If you are invited for an interview, you will be asked to bring a copy of your most recent performance appraisal.

Please note that a complete application is required for consideration. (Please review the "Required Documents" section of this job announcement to see what must be included in a complete application).


To preview questions please click here.

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