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 Jobs Website .
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Responsibilities
During the current period of mandatory telework required by the Agency’s COVID-19 response, telework will be mandatory. When it is determined the Agency will be moving to the reopening phase, the expectation will be to physically return to the office at the USPTO – Alexandria, VA campus. Telework days and any waiting period for eligibility will be determined at that time.
The incumbent is responsible for reviewing, determining and interpreting the general requirements of the Patent and Trademark Office Acquisition Guidelines (PTAG), Patent and Trademark Office Acquisition Manual (PTAM), Commerce Acquisition Regulations (CAR), Commerce Acquisition Manual (CAM) and Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR).
The incumbent is also responsible for reviewing and determining performance of FAR and CARs contract functions consistent with assigned mission; providing an interface for USPTO contract management policies and procedures with USPTO; and participating in working groups established to review DOC-wide contract management policies and procedures.
In addition to these duties, the incumbent will as be responsible for:
- Serving as a senior staff specialist responsible for developing, implementing and maintaining policies and procedures for managing the Procurement Analysis and Policy programs.
- Serving as senior advisor, technical expert and the USPTO program manager for the establishment and maintenance of a procurement policy handbook. Responsible for providing overall agency management, monitoring and policy direction regarding the procurement policy program.
- Developing policies and procedures and administers USPTO implementation of assigned performance based procurement policy through issuance of related USPTO policy and development and issuance of regulatory guidance.
- Providing expert technical guidance to PROC for use in resolving unusually difficult or precedent-setting issues, which may have far-reaching or continuing implications throughout’ USPTO or other Government and Federal departments and agencies, and industry.
- Implementing policies and/or initiatives by analyzing, evaluating, and advising on resource requirements, possible methodologies, and necessary policies or procedures. Also analyzes the impact (on efficiency, workload, etc.) a new/modified initiative may have on ongoing Office of Procurement operations.
- Performing vital quality assurance, testing, workflow analysis, and other studies of processes and procedures to improve the acquisition process.
- Identifying and analyzing procurement issues and their impact on local procedures.
- Supporting the development, implementation and maintenance of for policies and procedures for managing the Procurement Analysis and Policy programs.
- Planning, directing, and coordinating small and disadvantaged procurement preference programs. Reviewing all new contract actions and recommends appropriate method of procurement consistently achieve goals.
- Meeting with industry representatives of small, minority, and women-owned concerns and refers companies to Contracting Officers and program office customers. Conducting periodic review of progress towards meeting goals and recommends course of actions to improve performance.
- Reviewing, analyzing and interpreting FAR and DOC policies and procedural guidance as well as that prepared internally and by other agencies to determine impact on assigned mission responsibilities.
Travel Required
Not required
Supervisory status
No
Promotion Potential
14
Requirements
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.
- You must be registered for Selective Service, if applicable (www.sss.gov)
- You must be suitable for Federal employment.
- This position requires a Financial OF-450 Disclosure.
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 (including specialized experience and/or educational requirements) for the advertised position. OPM’s prescribed Group Coverage Qualification Standard for positions in the Contracting Series can be found at OPM Qualification Standards . You must meet all eligibility and qualifications requirements by the closing date of the job announcement. Additional information on the qualification requirements is outlined in the OPM Qualifications Standards Handbook of General Schedule Positions. It is available for your review on the OPM Website .
CANDIDATES FOR GS-14 GRADE LEVEL MUST MEET THE FOLLOWING BASIC REQUIREMENTS:
A. Completion of all mandatory training prescribed by the head of the agency for progression to GS-13 or higher level contracting positions, including at least 4-years experience in contracting or related positions. At least 1 year of that experience must have been specialized experience at or equivalent to work at the next lower level of the position, and must have provided the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the work of the position.
and
B. A 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor’s degree, that included or was supplemented by at least 24 semester hours in any combination of the following fields: accounting, business, finance, law, contracts, purchasing, economics, industrial management, marketing, quantitative methods, or organization and management.
C. Exceptions: Employees in GS-1102 positions will be considered to have met the standard for positions they occupy on January 1, 2000. This also applies to positions at the same grade in the same agency or other agencies if the specialized experience requirements are met. However, they will have to meet the basic requirements and specialized experience requirements in order to qualify for promotion to a higher grade, unless granted a waiver under Paragraph D.
D. Waiver: When filling a specific vacant position, the senior procurement executive of the selecting agency, at his or her discretion, may waive any or all of the requirements of Paragraphs A and B above if the senior procurement executive certifies that the applicant possesses significant potential for advancement to levels of greater responsibility and authority, based on demonstrated analytical and decision making capabilities, job performance, and qualifying experience. With respect to each waiver granted under this Paragraph D, the senior procurement executive must document for the record the basis of the waiver. If an individual is placed in a position in an agency on the basis of a waiver, the agency may later reassign that individual to another position at the same grade within that agency without additional waiver action.
IN ADDITION to meeting the basic requirements in paragraphs A and B, candidates must meet specialized experience requirements.
Specialized Experience: is experience that has equip
ped 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-14 grade level must have at least 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-13 grade level in the Federal service.
Specialized experience for this position includes:
- Experience serving as a technical expert in the procurement oversight process ensuring the office is in compliance with procurement laws, regulations, policies, and procedures;
- Experience providing acquisition-related training to diverse audiences that include contracting officers (CO), contract specialists (CS), contracting officer representatives (COR) and program office representatives; and/or
- Experience researching, writing vetting, and promulgating procurement policies, regulations, and procedures.
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 not be substituted for experience at this grade level.
If this position requires proof of higher education, or you are substituting education for experience, you must submit an unofficial transcript or a list of courses that includes the following information: name of accredited institution, grades earned, completion dates, and quarter and semester hours earned. Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the requirements. Please refer to Policy, Data, Oversight for more information.
You are not required to submit official documents at this time; unofficial copies are sufficient however your official transcripts are a required at the time of appointment.
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 Bargaining Unit position.
This is a Public Trust position and has a risk level designation of “MODERATE“.
This position requires a Financial OF-450 Disclosure. For more information on 450 filing, please visit: https://www.oge.gov
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.
Individuals who have special priority selection rights under the Agency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) will be eligible if they are assigned to the “well qualified” quality category under the category rating procedures. Information about CTAP/ICTAP eligibility is on the Office of Personnel Management’s Career Transition Resources website 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 ( [email protected] ) 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: Ability to interpret federal acquisition laws, regulations and procedures related to acquisition and contract management.
KSA 2: Ability to design procurement policy to meet an organization’s vision, mission and goals.
KSA 3: Ability to implement procurement policy to meet an organization’s vision, mission and goals.
KSA 4: Ability to serve as a program manager responsible for acquisition management and oversight programs to include leading other acquisition professionals.
If you are invited for
an interview, you may be asked to bring a copy of your most recent performance appraisal.
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.
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 .
Background checks and security clearance
Security clearance
Other
Drug test required
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Moderate Risk (MR)
Trust determination process
Suitability/Fitness
Required Documents
Your application and all required documents must be received by 11:59 pm ET on the closing date of this job announcement.
A complete application consists of:
1. A resume or any other written format you choose to describe your job-related qualifications; optional cover letter: Your resume should indicate your citizenship and should list your educational and work experience including titles, salary, employment dates, duties, experience and how it relates to the specialized experience 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. Any experience claimed in a cover letter should be substantiated by information contained in your resume. A HR Representative will validate the qualifications of those candidates eligible to be referred to the hiring official.
2. Transcripts: You MUST submit copies of your college transcripts for verification of the education requirements. Unofficial copies are accepted, however, if selected you will be required to furnish official transcripts. It is your responsibility to provide adequate proof that you meet the above educational requirement. Inadequate or illegible information could result in non-qualification and loss of consideration.
Supporting Documents:
1. Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50) – For current and/or former Federal employees, your status eligibility and highest permanent grade/step/salary held in the Federal service will be validated with a copy of your most recent (NON AWARD) SF-50 (REQUIRED), “Notification of Personnel Action” so that we may verify your time-in-grade.
2. Performance Appraisal – Recent performance appraisal with supervisor’s signature showing the official final rating of record, and copy of incentive award(s). In cases where the performance appraisal is incomplete or unavailable, applicants may provide explanation of the reasons.
3. Veterans Employment Opportunities Act (VEOA) documents (REQUIRED) – If you are a Veteran claiming eligibility under VEOA, you will be asked to submit a copy of your DD-214. Veterans must include dates of military service on their application materials, and submit a copy of each Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty, DD-214. For more info, please visit Special Appointing Authorities for Veterans .
4. Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) documents (REQUIRED) – Applicants will be asked to submit:
(1) A copy of your specific RIF notice, written notice of your expected separation or other documents of priority consideration status;
(2) A copy of your latest SF-50 noting current position, grade, and duty location;
(3) A copy of your last performance appraisal and the rating; and
(4) Any documents from your agency that shows your current promotion potential.
5. Special Appointing Authorities – If you are applying under the special appointing authority such as those authorized for the severely disabled (Schedule A) or Vietnam era and disabled veterans (VRA), you will be asked to submit documents showing eligibility to non-competitively apply under Merit Assignment announcements. Please indicate the type of special appointment you are seeking on your application. For more info on non-competitive appointments and supporting documents, please visit Federal Employment of People with Disabilities or Feds Hire Vets – Special Hiring Authorities for Veterans .
You can choose ONE of the following methods to submit Supporting Documents:
1) You can upload your documents when you register or update your information on the Dept. of Commerce site which you access through the USAJobs site.
OR
2) You can fax your documents to 571-258-4254 using the system generated fax cover sheet.
NOTE: The preceding documents requirement are based on job requirements and individual applicant eligibility. Not all documents are applicable to all applicants; if you are unsure which documents apply to you, contact the HR Specialist listed on this announcement.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education .
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.
