The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), America's Innovation Agency, is a fee-funded bureau of the U.S. Department of Commerce with 13,000+ employees and projected fee revenue of approximately $5 billion. Headquartered in Alexandria VA but operating globally through partnerships with international IP bodies and offices (including IP5, WIPO, and trilateral collaborations), the USPTO grants patents and registers trademarks to power innovation, competitiveness, and economic growth.
Summary
The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), America's Innovation Agency, is a fee-funded bureau of the U.S. Department of Commerce with 13,000+ employees and projected fee revenue of approximately $5 billion. Headquartered in Alexandria VA but operating globally through partnerships with international IP bodies and offices (including IP5, WIPO, and trilateral collaborations), the USPTO grants patents and registers trademarks to power innovation, competitiveness, and economic growth.
All applicants will be assessed for executive competency against the five mandatory Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs). If your two page resume does not reflect demonstrated evidence of the ECQs and PTQs, you will not receive further consideration for the position. For more information regarding the SES and ECQs, please visit the Executive Core Qualifications page.
The incumbent serves as the Chief Information Officer (CIO) for United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and as such is the principal advisor to the Under Secretary and Deputy Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director and Deputy Director of the USPTO on the planning, execution, evaluation, and delivery of information technology (IT) services and support consistent with the mission, goals, and objectives of the agency.
The CIO provides enterprise-wide executive leadership for information technology (IT), cybersecurity, data governance, digital services, and information resource management. The incumbent directly leads and supervises an integrated team of senior executives to include the Deputy Chief Information Officer & the Chief Technology Officer (DCIO/CTO), the Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer (CAIO), the Chief Data Officer (CDO), and the Chief Information Security Officer, to delivery information technology (IT) services and support in carrying out the mission of the USPTO in the most effective and efficient manner.
The CIO provides leadership and management of the OCIO organization and is ultimately responsible for:
Overseeing an operating budget of approximately $800 million, leading a blended workforce of approximately 2000 federal staff and contractors.
Driving high-trust collaborations with mission owners-particularly Patent and Trademark teams.
Representing USPTO in interagency and international forums and collaborate on standards and share best practices.
Developing, communicating, and executing the agency's multiyear IT and digital strategy aligned to mission priorities.
Establishing enterprise architecture and technical standards to reduce duplication and enable interoperability and scalability.
Leading IT governance bodies to prioritize investments, manage the IT portfolio, and ensure performance against strategic objectives.
Directing the agency artificial intelligence strategies in coordination with the Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer (CAIO); implement successful adoption and execution of new artificial intelligence and emerging technologies.
Overseeing the enterprise-wide data governance in coordination with the Chief Data Officer (CDO); ensures data and information strategy, governance, control, and policy development effectively drive business outcomes.
Overseeing the agency information security program in coordination with the Chief Information Security Officer (CISO); implement continuous monitoring, incident response, supply chain risk management, and vulnerability remediation.
Ensuring reliable and resilient IT operations including networks, end-user services, enterprise platforms, data center/cloud services, and DevSecOps pipelines.
Maintaining business continuity and disaster recovery capabilities; measure and improve service-level outcomes and customer satisfaction.
Leading enterprise data governance; advance data quality, data sharing, and analytics for evidence-based decision-making, consistent with privacy and legal requirements.
Promoting innovation through pilots, partnerships, and adoption of emerging technologies consistent with risk tolerances and mission needs.
Representing the agency at interagency councils, Congress, and other oversight bodies; collaborate to share best practices and influence government-wide initiatives.
Communicating complex technical topics clearly to senior leaders and external stakeholders.
Subject to a 1-year Senior Executive Service (SES) probationary period (unless already completed).
Complete a Declaration for Federal Employment to determine your suitability for Federal employment.
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. (see https://www.sss.gov/RegVer/wfRegistration.aspx)
File a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report OGE-278e within 30 days of appointment and annually from then on.
May be subject to pre-employment and random drug tests.
You will be required to obtain and maintain an interim and/or final security clearance prior to entrance on duty. Failure to obtain and maintain the required level of clearance may result in the withdrawal of a job offer or removal.
Qualifications
Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution. Candidates will not be hired based on their race, sex, color, religion, or national origin.
To meet the minimum qualification requirements for this position, you must show that you possess the Executive Core Qualifications (ECQ) and Professional Technical Qualifications (PTQs) related to this position within your resume - NOT TO EXCEED 2 PAGES. Resumes over the 2-page limit, will not be reviewed beyond page 2 or may be disqualified. Your resume should include examples of experience, education, and accomplishments applicable to the qualification(s). If your resume does not reflect demonstrated evidence of these qualifications, you may not receive consideration for the position.
There is NO requirement to prepare a narrative statement specifically addressing the Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs) or the Professional Technical Qualifications (PTQs).
PROFESSIONAL TECHNICAL QUALIFICATIONS (TQs): Your resume should demonstrate accomplishments that would satisfy the technical qualifications.
PTQ 1: Demonstrated executive-level experience developing a vision and strategy for a large information technology organization and aligning budget and implementation plans to that strategy.
PTQ 2: Demonstrated executive leadership directing strategic and tactical enterprise information technology, artificial intelligence, and cloud functions across a large, multifunctional organization which includes a blended workforce of federal employees, vendors, and contractors.
EXECUTIVE CORE QUALIFICATIONS (ECQs): In addition to the Professional Technical Qualification Requirements listed above, all new entrants into the Senior Executive Service (SES) under a career appointment will be assessed for executive competency against the following five mandatory ECQs. If your 2-page resume does not reflect demonstrated evidence of the ECQs and PTQs, you may not receive further consideration for the position.
There are five ECQs:
ECQ 1: Commitment to the Rule of Law and the Principles of the American Founding - This core qualification requires a demonstrated knowledge of the American system of government, commitment to uphold the Constitution and the rule of law, and commitment to serve the American people.
ECQ 2: Driving Efficiency - This core qualification involves the demonstrated ability to strategically and efficiently manage resources, budget effectively, cut wasteful spending, and pursue efficiency through process and technological upgrades.
ECQ 3: Merit and Competence - This core qualification involves the demonstrated knowledge, ability and technical competence to effectively and reliably produce work that is of exceptional quality.
ECQ 4: Leading People - This core qualification involves the demonstrated ability to lead and inspire a group toward meeting the organization's vision, mission, and goals, and to drive a high-performance, high-accountability culture. This includes, when necessary, the ability to lead people through change and to hold individuals accountable.
ECQ 5: Achieving Results - This core qualification involves the demonstrated ability to achieve both individual and organizational results, and to align results to stated goals from superiors.
Note: If you are a member of the SES or have been certified through successful participation in an OPM approved SES Candidate Development Program (SESCDP), or have SES reinstatement eligibility, you do not need to respond to the ECQs. Instead, you should attach proof (e.g., SF-50, Certification by OPM's SES Qualifications Review Board (QRB)) of your eligibility for noncompetitive appointment to the SES.
Education
There is no educational requirement for this position.
Additional information
OPM must authorize any employment offers made to current or former (within the last 5 years) political Schedule A, Schedule C, or Non-career SES employees in the executive branch. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, or Noncareer SES employee in the executive branch, you must disclose that to the Human Resources Office.
Mobility: Organizational and geographical mobility is essential in developing and managing SES leaders. Individuals selected for SES positions members may be subject to reassignment across geographical, organizational, and functional lines, and may be required to sign a Reassignment Rights and Obligation Agreement.
Veterans Preference: Veterans' preference is not applicable to the SES.
Tiering: The USPTO structures its SES positions into categories (i.e. tiers) to determine the pay range for each position. The categories are based on the position scope, breadth, functions, and placement within the structure of organizational levels across the Department/Agency. This position falls within Tier I of USPTO's structure.
The USPTO participates in E-Verify. For more information on E-Verify, please visit https://www.e-verify.gov.
USPTO Job Applicants requiring reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process should request accommodation(s) from the USPTO at http://www.uspto.gov/accommodation.
The United States Patent and Trademark Office is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, 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 via email (oeeo@uspto.gov) or phone (571-272-8292).
Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.
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.
Once the application process is complete, a review of your resume and supporting documentation will be conducted. If you meet minimum qualifications, your Application Package will be further reviewed to determine if you possess the Executive Core Qualifications (ECQ) and Professional Technical Qualifications (PTQs) listed above. ECQs and PTQs must be thoroughly addressed within your two (2) page resume. Separate narratives will not be accepted or reviewed. Superior applicants may undergo one or more interviews and may be referred to the selecting official for further consideration.
Upon selection, if not already a member of the SES serving under a career appointment, the individual selected must have his/her executive qualifications certified by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management's SES Qualifications Review Board (QRB) before appointment to this position. The selected individual's application will be forwarded to the OPM for review and certification by the QRB, unless the selectee provides evidence of their noncompetitive status (i.e., a current SES, OPM QRB certified SESCDP graduate, or SES reinstatement eligible). Upon QRB certification, the selected individual will be required to serve a one-year probationary period. For more information regarding the SES, go to https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/senior-executive-service/.
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 complete application consists of all items listed below. Required materials must be submitted by the conclusion of the staffing process. Applications that are incomplete at that time may not be considered.
Please carefully review the following list to determine what documentation you need to submit. Some documents may not apply to all applicants.
1. RESUME: All applicants are required to submit a resume limited to two (2) pages (i.e., 1 page that is double-sided or 2 pages that are one-sided each) showing all relevant experience. Applicants seeking initial career appointment to the Senior Executive Service (SES) must include evidence of the ECQs and PTQs. PLEASE DO NOT USE USAJOBS RESUME BUILDER.
2. ADDITIONAL REQUIRED DOCUMENTS: Applicants are required to submit the following supporting documentation if applicable:
CURRENT OR FORMER SES MEBERS: Must provide your SES appointment SF-50 (Notification of Personnel Action), and an SF-50 showing current career SES status or career SES reinstatement eligibility.
SES CANDIDATE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM (SESCDP) GRADUATES: Verification of successful completion of an OPM-approved SESCDP and OPM SES QRB certification.
Documents submitted as part of the application package, to include supplemental documents, may be shared beyond the Human Resources Office. Some supplemental documents contain personal information such as SSN and DOB and some documents such as military orders and marriage certificates may contain personal information for someone other than you. You may sanitize these documents to remove said personal information before you submit your application. You must provide an un-sanitized version of the documents if you are selected.
***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.
To apply for this position, you must complete this application and submit any required documents specified in the Required Documents section and submit by 11:59 PM (EST) 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 and upload your resume and/or other required 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.
It is applicant's responsibility to verify that information entered and uploaded, (i.e., resume and other required documents) is complete, accurate, and submitted by the closing date. Human Resources will not modify or change any part of your application.
Application packages will NOT be accepted via mail. Due to security processes, mail delivery takes approximately 2-3 weeks to process at which time the vacancy announcement will be closed, and no further consideration will be given to additional application packages.
EXRD - Office of the Chief Information Officer
Office of Human Resources
Mail Stop 171
P.O. Box 1450
Alexandria, VA 22313-1450
US
Next steps
To verify the status of your application, sign in to your USAJOBS account (https://www.usajobs.gov/), 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://help.usajobs.gov/how-to.
The USPTO will conduct a qualifications evaluation of applicants who submit the required material. Minimally Acceptable applicants will be rated and ranked by an executive-level rating panel. Superior candidates will be referred to the hiring official for further consideration and possible interview. You will be notified of the outcome after the completion of the selection process.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
A complete application consists of all items listed below. Required materials must be submitted by the conclusion of the staffing process. Applications that are incomplete at that time may not be considered.
Please carefully review the following list to determine what documentation you need to submit. Some documents may not apply to all applicants.
1. RESUME: All applicants are required to submit a resume limited to two (2) pages (i.e., 1 page that is double-sided or 2 pages that are one-sided each) showing all relevant experience. Applicants seeking initial career appointment to the Senior Executive Service (SES) must include evidence of the ECQs and PTQs. PLEASE DO NOT USE USAJOBS RESUME BUILDER.
2. ADDITIONAL REQUIRED DOCUMENTS: Applicants are required to submit the following supporting documentation if applicable:
CURRENT OR FORMER SES MEBERS: Must provide your SES appointment SF-50 (Notification of Personnel Action), and an SF-50 showing current career SES status or career SES reinstatement eligibility.
SES CANDIDATE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM (SESCDP) GRADUATES: Verification of successful completion of an OPM-approved SESCDP and OPM SES QRB certification.
Documents submitted as part of the application package, to include supplemental documents, may be shared beyond the Human Resources Office. Some supplemental documents contain personal information such as SSN and DOB and some documents such as military orders and marriage certificates may contain personal information for someone other than you. You may sanitize these documents to remove said personal information before you submit your application. You must provide an un-sanitized version of the documents if you are selected.
***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.
To apply for this position, you must complete this application and submit any required documents specified in the Required Documents section and submit by 11:59 PM (EST) 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 and upload your resume and/or other required 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.
It is applicant's responsibility to verify that information entered and uploaded, (i.e., resume and other required documents) is complete, accurate, and submitted by the closing date. Human Resources will not modify or change any part of your application.
Application packages will NOT be accepted via mail. Due to security processes, mail delivery takes approximately 2-3 weeks to process at which time the vacancy announcement will be closed, and no further consideration will be given to additional application packages.
EXRD - Office of the Chief Information Officer
Office of Human Resources
Mail Stop 171
P.O. Box 1450
Alexandria, VA 22313-1450
US
Next steps
To verify the status of your application, sign in to your USAJOBS account (https://www.usajobs.gov/), 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://help.usajobs.gov/how-to.
The USPTO will conduct a qualifications evaluation of applicants who submit the required material. Minimally Acceptable applicants will be rated and ranked by an executive-level rating panel. Superior candidates will be referred to the hiring official for further consideration and possible interview. You will be notified of the outcome after the completion of the selection process.
Fair and transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
