This is a full-time competitive career development detail, open to current USPTO employees with comparative experience at the GS-13 level. Detailees will be selected for up to 120 days and may be extended in increments of up to 120 days for a total detail of one year. This is an in-person detail on location at the AI Center in San Francisco. These detail hours are not considered production related for production award purposes. Situational telework may be authorized.
Summary
This is a full-time competitive career development detail, open to current USPTO employees with comparative experience at the GS-13 level. Detailees will be selected for up to 120 days and may be extended in increments of up to 120 days for a total detail of one year. This is an in-person detail on location at the AI Center in San Francisco. These detail hours are not considered production related for production award purposes. Situational telework may be authorized.
As the Emerging Technologies Office Director, you will lead the effort to bring critical innovation and intellectual property resources our to stakeholders throughout the AI and emerging technologies community.
The detailee will be responsible for, but not limited to, the following:
Facilitate, coordinating and leading high-level engagements with stakeholders at the local, state and Federal levels.
Supporting activities and efforts that promote and protect intellectual property rights, and incentivize innovation from stakeholders such as individual inventors, small/medium/large corporations, start-ups, entrepreneurs and venture capital, among others.
Leading engagement with startups in artificial intelligence, quantum, and other emerging technologies, connecting them with USPTO resources, IP education, and pathways to protect and commercialize innovation.
Coordinating
with the Department of Commerce engagement network and partner bureaus (e.g., NIST and NTIA), the Director will co-host roundtables and workshops, share best practices on standards and data stewardship, and strengthen public-private collaboration to support America's innovation ecosystem.
Leading the development and implementation of an engagement strategy that meets the needs of the emerging technologies community.
As indicated above, this detail is open to all current non-probationary GS-13 USPTO employees and above with at least FULLY SUCCESSFUL in the most recent performance rating.
To be eligible for this position, the candidate must possess:
Experience directly related to the duties as described in the "Duties" section above.
A background or skills that demonstrates the ability to succeed at stakeholder and community outreach and development.
Understanding of how to support, facilitate, coordinate and lead high-level engagements at the local, state and Federal levels; to share visions, effect change and incentivize behavior that will benefit and encourage growth of our innovation-based economy across the entire region.
The Detailee should be conversant in AI/ML and responsible-AI considerations as they relate to patents and trademarks, able to translate complex technical topics for diverse audiences and surface stakeholder feedback to inform USPTO programs and guidance.
Here are some major AI areas the Detailee should explore and understand how each relates to the USPTO:
AI-assisted invention and patent disclosure: Engage startups using AI in R&D to clarify inventorship (human contribution), enablement, and disclosure of AI-assisted methods and datasets-helping applicants meet statutory requirements and avoid prosecution pitfalls.
AI for prior art, search, and examination quality: Track advances in semantic/multilingual search and domain-specific AI to inform USPTO tools and examiner training; gather stakeholder feedback on search coverage (including non-patent literature) and transparency needs.
Education
This job does not have an education qualification requirement.
Additional information
Please be advised that this detail is a career development opportunity only; selectee will be assigned to the detail position at his/her current grade level.
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.
To ensure candidate evaluations are fair and equitable, the following knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA's) will be considered. Applicants are encouraged to submit but not required to submit a narrative statement individually addressing how you meet each of the following knowledge, skills, and abilities. Be sure to provide specific examples of what you did that would demonstrate your possession of each factor.
KSA 1 - Knowledge of the patent and trademark systems.
KSA 2 - Skills to effectively lead programs and/or people.
KSA 3 - Skills to support, facilitate, coordinate, and lead high-level engagements at the local, state, and Federal levels, to share visions, effect change, and incentivize behavior that will benefit and encourage the growth of our innovation-based economy.
KSA 4 - Ability to inspire others and to establish and maintain positive working relationships with others and in teams working toward common goals.
KSA 5 - Ability to resolve conflicts and excellent communication skills.
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.
Resume, or any other written document addressing related experience, education, special accomplishments, and awards. Please note your resume must be limited to a maximum of two pages. Resumes exceeding this limit will not be considered eligible. Please submit only one resume. Only the document uploaded under the "Resume "section as the "Document Type" will be reviewed to assess your qualifications and for evaluation purposes.
A copy of their most recent performance evaluations/ratings. (Must include the end of year rating that clearly displays at least a Fully Successful rating or higher, with the signature of their approving official(s), in order to be accepted.)
Detail Interest Form with the signature of their approving official(s). (Must be either digital or ink signatures. The digital signature equates to the signature ability in the Adobe PDF program that includes the person's name, date and signature authority. No other forms of electronic signature will be accepted). Interest form is located on the OCAO Detail Announcement SharePoint or use the hyperlink below.
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 detail 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, 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 applications material.
TMCO - Office of Public Engagement
Office of Human Resources
Mail Stop 171
P.O. Box 1450
Alexandria, VA 22313-1450
US
Next steps
After all application packages have been received, we will review your application.
You can check the status of your application by logging into USAJOBS. 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 detail announcement.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
Resume, or any other written document addressing related experience, education, special accomplishments, and awards. Please note your resume must be limited to a maximum of two pages. Resumes exceeding this limit will not be considered eligible. Please submit only one resume. Only the document uploaded under the "Resume "section as the "Document Type" will be reviewed to assess your qualifications and for evaluation purposes.
A copy of their most recent performance evaluations/ratings. (Must include the end of year rating that clearly displays at least a Fully Successful rating or higher, with the signature of their approving official(s), in order to be accepted.)
Detail Interest Form with the signature of their approving official(s). (Must be either digital or ink signatures. The digital signature equates to the signature ability in the Adobe PDF program that includes the person's name, date and signature authority. No other forms of electronic signature will be accepted). Interest form is located on the OCAO Detail Announcement SharePoint or use the hyperlink below.
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 detail 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, 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 applications material.
TMCO - Office of Public Engagement
Office of Human Resources
Mail Stop 171
P.O. Box 1450
Alexandria, VA 22313-1450
US
Next steps
After all application packages have been received, we will review your application.
You can check the status of your application by logging into USAJOBS. 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 detail announcement.
Fair and transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
