Are you ready to join an innovative organization at the forefront of intellectual property? Then look no further! The United States Patent and Trademark Office is seeking a highly motivated and dedicated executive as the Deputy Chief Administrative Trademark Judge (DCATJ).
In this significant and impactful role, you will have the exciting opportunity to demonstrate your expertise and leadership skills while working with the Chief Administrative Judge (CATJ) and other managers.
Summary
Are you ready to join an innovative organization at the forefront of intellectual property? Then look no further! The United States Patent and Trademark Office is seeking a highly motivated and dedicated executive as the Deputy Chief Administrative Trademark Judge (DCATJ).
In this significant and impactful role, you will have the exciting opportunity to demonstrate your expertise and leadership skills while working with the Chief Administrative Judge (CATJ) and other managers.
As the Deputy Chief Administrative Trademark Judge you will have the opportunity to serve as a full voting member of the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board. You'll serve under the administrative direction of the Chief Administrative Trademark Judge, who reports to the Office of the Under Secretary and Director of the USPTO. As the DCATJ you will collaborate with various high level USPTO officials on varied agency initiatives, and with administrative trademark judges on a range of hearings, appeals and trial cases. You will work closely with a diverse team of judges, attorneys and Board managers on the full breadth of operations of the Board. You will also have the exciting opportunity to showcase your ability to develop and implement standard operating procedures (SOP) necessary for the internal operation of the Board.
If you are committed and motivated to make a positive impact and join an agency that drives economic growth, national prosperity and supports the development and collaboration among the diverse cultures of its employees, then this amazing next journey is just for you!
In this exciting role as the DCATJ:
You'll work closely with the CATJ to develop and deploy the strategic and policy initiatives of the Board, as needs may be identified by the Board or as strategic initiatives may be required by the Office of the Under Secretary and Director of the USPTO, to which the Board reports;
You'll provide leadership and guidance in executing comprehensive executive management, strategic planning, policy development, and financial functions that are essential to effective Board operations;
You'll develop and maintain quality, timeliness, and productivity performance standards for the administrative trademark judges, attorneys and support staff;
You'll collaborate with various stakeholders within the legal community including the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, bar associations, etc.;
You'll develop procedures for program operations and oversee assignments and completion of functions;
You'll play a significant role in ensuring employee engagement and promoting diversity within the Board and through personnel outreach efforts;
You'll represent the agency by actively participating in public conferences and meetings and will prepare and deliver high-level presentations to foreign dignitaries or officials regarding the Board and its operations;
You'll lead the efforts in assigning panels of administrative trademark judges to adjudicate all trademark appeals and trademark opposition, cancellation, concurrent use and interference proceedings and periodically serve on such panels;
You'll serve as the Acting CATJ during the absence of the CATJ and serve on a variety of USPTO enterprise-level committees;
You'll provide expertise skills, leadership and oversight on high level performance and initiatives of the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board.
Applications will only be accepted from United States Citizens and Nationals.
Required to pass a background investigation and fingerprint check.
You must serve a one-year probationary period unless you previously completed one year in the Senior Executive Service.
Must be registered for Selective Service, if applicable (www.sss.gov)
Financial Disclosure Report (OGE-278) will be required upon appointment.
Qualifications
Experience must have been at a sufficiently high level of difficulty to clearly show that the candidate possesses the required professional/technical qualifications and executive core qualifications set forth below.
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.
Applicants are required to input narrative responses to the PTQs and ECQs in the text boxes as prompted by USAJobs. Each PTQ and each ECQ have a 10,000-character limit (to include spaces) and must be adhered to. When responding, you must clearly show that you possess the experience and competencies to perform the duties of this position. - Do not write "see resume". Uploaded documents addressing the PTQs and ECQs will not be accepted.
The candidate must possess the following Professional Technical Qualifications:
Expert knowledge of the legal principles and technical subject matter associated with trademark appeals and trial proceedings. Demonstrated ability to understand technical subject matter; apply relevant trademark law legal principles; and effectively work with diverse groups of individuals, to resolve complex technical and legal issues.
Demonstrated executive level experience in directing, supervising, and evaluating the activities of a professional, technical, and legal organizational unit. Demonstrated ability to develop and achieve organizational goals; prepare and execute organizational budgets; delegate assignments; motivate subordinate groups and individuals; establish and execute programs to implement policies; and establish and maintain a positive working environment.
Demonstrated executive level experience in effectively communicating orally and in writing regarding complex technical and legal issues; the ability to fully comprehend the complex technical and legal issues discussed in a work group; the ability to lead said work group(s); and the demonstrated experience to effectively interact with the legal community and other internal and external stakeholders.
For the following five Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs), you are required to submit a narrative response addressing your specific knowledge, skills, and abilities that demonstrate your possession of these qualifications. Be sure to provide specific examples of what you've done that demonstrates your possession of each ECQ. For more information about the Executive Core Qualifications please visit this site: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/senior-executive-service/reference- materials/guidetosesquals_2012.pdf
Leading Change - This core qualification involves the ability to bring about strategic change, both within and outside the organization, to meet organizational goals. Inherent to this ECQ is the ability to establish an organizational vision and to implement it in a continuously changing environment.
Competencies: Creativity and Innovation, External Awareness, Flexibility, Resilience, Strategic Thinking, and Vision.
Leading People - This core qualification involves the ability to lead people toward meeting the organization's vision, mission, and goals. Inherent to this ECQ is the ability to provide an inclusive workplace that fosters the development of others, facilitates cooperation and teamwork, and supports constructive resolution of conflicts.
Competencies: Conflict Management, Leveraging Diversity, Developing Others and Team Building.
Results Driven - This core qualification involves the ability to meet organizational goals and customer expectations. Inherent to this ECQ is the ability to make decisions that produce high quality results by applying technical knowledge, analyzing problems and calculating risks.
Competencies: Accountability, Customer Service, Decisiveness, Entrepreneurship, Problem Solving and Technical Credibility.
Business Acumen - This core qualification involves the ability to manage human, financial and information resources strategically.
Competencies: Financial Management, Human Capital Management and Technology Management.
Building Coalitions - This core qualification involves the ability to build coalitions internally and with other Federal agencies, State and local governments, nonprofit and private sector organizations, foreign governments, or international organizations to achieve common goals.
Competencies: Partnering, Political Savvy, and Influencing/Negotiation.
Applicants are encouraged to follow the Challenge, Context, Action and Result (C-C-A-R) model outlined in the Guide To SES Qualifications.
Challenge - Describe a specific problem or goal.
Context - Describe the individuals and groups you worked with, and/or the environment in which you worked, to address 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 measures/outcomes that had some impact on the organization. These accomplishments demonstrate the quality and effectiveness of your leadership skills.
Note: Submit only the documents requested. Additional documents will not be reviewed by the rating panel. Uploaded documents addressing the PTQ's and ECQs will not be accepted.
Current career SES members, former career SES members with reinstatement eligibility, and SES Candidate Development Program graduates who have been certified by OPM, only need to submit a resume and narrative statement covering each of the PTQs requirements and do NOT need to address the ECQs.
Education
The candidate must have a law degree from an accredited law school program and must be a current member of a bar in good standing, in the United States or a Territory of the United States. The individual must maintain membership of the bar of a state or territory of the United States, the District of Columbia, or Puerto Rico to uphold this position.
Additional information
Probationary Period: You will be required to serve a one-year probationary period unless you previously completed the probationary period in the SES.
Mobility: Organizational and geographical mobility is essential in developing and managing SES leaders and generally is a key to advancement. Therefore, applicants are expected to be mobile and once appointed SES members may be reassigned at the discretion of the appointing authority.
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 "high" risk.
The incumbent may be required to submit to a drug test to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment and, if appointed, the incumbent may be subjected to random drug testing procedures.
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.
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.
Veteran preference does not apply to the Senior Executive Service.
More than one selection may be made from a list of qualified applicants who respond to 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 Ethics in Government Act of 1978, as amended, requires senior officials in the executive, legislative and judicial branches to file public reports of their finances as well as other interests outside the Government. If selected for this position you will be required to file a Financial Disclosure Report (OGE Form 278). The OGE 278 is available to the public. The primary purpose of disclosure is to assist agencies in identifying potential conflicts of interest between a filer's official duties and the filer's private financial interests and affiliations.
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, 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).
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.
To be considered for this position, you must (1) demonstrate in your application package that you meet all the experience as defined under the "Qualifications" section, (2) answer the Professional Technical Qualifications (PTQs), Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs), and submit a detailed resume that supports your answers to the PTQs, ECQs and specialized experience.
Your responses to the PTQs, ECQs, and resume will be evaluated by a Human Resources Specialist and/or a subject matter expert. 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.
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).
Candidates who are evaluated by an executive rating panel based on the degree to which they meet the PTQs, ECQs, and considering the applicant's education, work-related experience, training, awards, and professional recognition, as set forth in the materials submitted by the candidates and placed in one of the pre-defined quality categories. These categories are "Highly Qualified", "Well Qualified" and "Qualified." Candidates placed in the "highest quality category" will be identified for referral to the hiring manager and may be invited for an interview.
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.
A resume or any other written format you choose to describe your job-related qualifications: Your resume should indicate your citizenship and should list your educational and work experience including job titles, salary, employment dates, duties and accomplishments, experience and how it relates to the PTQs and ECQs in the job announcement. Please Note: Responses to job questions that are not fully supported by the information in your resume may result in adjustments to your rating.
Written narrative responses to the PTQs and ECQs: Do not write "see resume". Applicants are required to input narrative responses to the Professional Technical Qualifications (PTQs) in the text boxes as prompted by USAJobs. Each PTQ have a 10,000-character limit (to include spaces) and must be adhered to. Uploading documents addressing the PTQs or ECQs will not be accepted.
Transcript (s): You must submit copies of your law school transcripts for verification of the education requirements. Unofficial copies are acceptable, however, if selected you will be required to furnish official transcripts.
Bar Membership Documentation: You must submit documentation showing that you are a current active member of the Bar in Good Standing of any State, District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, or any Territorial Court under the U.S. Constitution.
Notification of Personnel Action (SF50): Please submit a current SF-50 if you are a current or former Federal employee, that indicates federal status, grade, tenure, and type of service. Please redact your social security number and date of birth.
NOTE: Submit only the documents requested. Additional documents will not be reviewed by the rating panel.
Your application and all required documentation must be received by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on the closing date of this job announcement. Review your resume and responses carefully. Responses to job questions that are not fully supported by the information in your application package may result in adjustments to your rating. A Human Resources Representative will validate the qualifications of those candidates eligible to be referred to the hiring official.
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.
******If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, or Non-career SES employee in the executive branch, you must disclose this information within your application.
You MUST apply online. If you experience difficulties with the application process or do not have access to a computer, please contact the HR Specialist listed as the point of contact before the closing date of this job announcement.
If you are a new user to the USAJobs Site and have never registered for an account; you will first need to create an account profile with your basic contact information and a resume to begin applying. You must be a registered USAJobs user AND you must be signed-in to your account in order to apply for this position. For help setting up an account or for general help using USAJobs, go to USAJobs Help Page. Once you have gathered all of the required information and are ready to begin the application process, click the "APPLY" button at the right side of the page. You will then be directed away from USAJobs to the Department of Commerce application site for USPTO. You must click "Submit" at the end of the application process to send your application for consideration.
To return to your saved application, log in to your USAJOBS account at http://www.usajobs.gov/ and click on "Applications." Click on the position title, then select "Update Application. "If you experience any difficulties with the application site, help is available! OPM has a Help feature on each page. Use this option when you need assistance. All required supporting documents will be collected electronically via the USAJobs "Saved Documents" feature.
Personally Identifiable Information (PII) Personally Identifiable Information (PII) is defined as information that can be traced back to a specific individual and potentially compromise their security or privacy. Examples of PII include: date of birth, Social Security Number, and place of birth. Please ensure that you have removed all Personally Identifiable Information from all documents prior to submitting or uploading your application material.
EXRD - Trademark Trial and Appeals Board
Office of Human Resources
Mail Stop 171
P.O. Box 1450
Alexandria, VA 22313-1450
US
Next steps
You will receive notification through USAJOBS at each of the following points during the application process: (1) application received; (2) applicant assessed for qualifications; (3) applicant referred or not referred; and (4) selected or not selected.
You can check the status of your application by accessing the USAJOBS website at http://usajobs.gov/ and clicking on "Track Your Online Application."
You may also sign up to receive automatic emails anytime the status of your application has changed by logging into your USAJobs Account, editing your profile and changing the "Notification Settings" to indicate that you want to be notified by email when the status changes. Information regarding the status of your application should be updated in the system within 2 weeks after the closing date of this job announcement.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
A resume or any other written format you choose to describe your job-related qualifications: Your resume should indicate your citizenship and should list your educational and work experience including job titles, salary, employment dates, duties and accomplishments, experience and how it relates to the PTQs and ECQs in the job announcement. Please Note: Responses to job questions that are not fully supported by the information in your resume may result in adjustments to your rating.
Written narrative responses to the PTQs and ECQs: Do not write "see resume". Applicants are required to input narrative responses to the Professional Technical Qualifications (PTQs) in the text boxes as prompted by USAJobs. Each PTQ have a 10,000-character limit (to include spaces) and must be adhered to. Uploading documents addressing the PTQs or ECQs will not be accepted.
Transcript (s): You must submit copies of your law school transcripts for verification of the education requirements. Unofficial copies are acceptable, however, if selected you will be required to furnish official transcripts.
Bar Membership Documentation: You must submit documentation showing that you are a current active member of the Bar in Good Standing of any State, District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, or any Territorial Court under the U.S. Constitution.
Notification of Personnel Action (SF50): Please submit a current SF-50 if you are a current or former Federal employee, that indicates federal status, grade, tenure, and type of service. Please redact your social security number and date of birth.
NOTE: Submit only the documents requested. Additional documents will not be reviewed by the rating panel.
Your application and all required documentation must be received by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on the closing date of this job announcement. Review your resume and responses carefully. Responses to job questions that are not fully supported by the information in your application package may result in adjustments to your rating. A Human Resources Representative will validate the qualifications of those candidates eligible to be referred to the hiring official.
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.
******If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, or Non-career SES employee in the executive branch, you must disclose this information within your application.
You MUST apply online. If you experience difficulties with the application process or do not have access to a computer, please contact the HR Specialist listed as the point of contact before the closing date of this job announcement.
If you are a new user to the USAJobs Site and have never registered for an account; you will first need to create an account profile with your basic contact information and a resume to begin applying. You must be a registered USAJobs user AND you must be signed-in to your account in order to apply for this position. For help setting up an account or for general help using USAJobs, go to USAJobs Help Page. Once you have gathered all of the required information and are ready to begin the application process, click the "APPLY" button at the right side of the page. You will then be directed away from USAJobs to the Department of Commerce application site for USPTO. You must click "Submit" at the end of the application process to send your application for consideration.
To return to your saved application, log in to your USAJOBS account at http://www.usajobs.gov/ and click on "Applications." Click on the position title, then select "Update Application. "If you experience any difficulties with the application site, help is available! OPM has a Help feature on each page. Use this option when you need assistance. All required supporting documents will be collected electronically via the USAJobs "Saved Documents" feature.
Personally Identifiable Information (PII) Personally Identifiable Information (PII) is defined as information that can be traced back to a specific individual and potentially compromise their security or privacy. Examples of PII include: date of birth, Social Security Number, and place of birth. Please ensure that you have removed all Personally Identifiable Information from all documents prior to submitting or uploading your application material.
EXRD - Trademark Trial and Appeals Board
Office of Human Resources
Mail Stop 171
P.O. Box 1450
Alexandria, VA 22313-1450
US
Next steps
You will receive notification through USAJOBS at each of the following points during the application process: (1) application received; (2) applicant assessed for qualifications; (3) applicant referred or not referred; and (4) selected or not selected.
You can check the status of your application by accessing the USAJOBS website at http://usajobs.gov/ and clicking on "Track Your Online Application."
You may also sign up to receive automatic emails anytime the status of your application has changed by logging into your USAJobs Account, editing your profile and changing the "Notification Settings" to indicate that you want to be notified by email when the status changes. Information regarding the status of your application should be updated in the system within 2 weeks after the closing date of this job announcement.
Fair and transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
