Technology Center Group Director
- Employer
- USAJobs
- Location
- Alexandria, Virginia
- Posted
- May 18, 2022
- Closes
- May 20, 2022
- Industry
- Government and Public Services, Federal
- Career Level
- Experienced (Non-Manager)
- Hours
- Full Time
Duties
The physical worksite for this position is located in Alexandria, VA. However, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is currently under a maximum telework posture due to the COVID-19 pandemic; therefore, this position is currently under a 100 percent telework schedule. The position's telework schedule will likely change in the future when USPTO moves away from its maximum telework posture. At that time, the incumbent may be expected to report to the physical work site in accordance with the updated status requirements of their supervisor. The nature and scope of future telework opportunities will be subject to the unit's telework policy, any applicable bargaining unit agreements, and supervisory approval.
To ensure compliance with an applicable preliminary nationwide injunction, which may be supplemented, modified, or vacated, depending on the course of the ongoing litigation, the Federal Government will take no action to implement or enforce the COVID-19 vaccination requirement pursuant to Executive Order 14043 on Requiring Coronavirus Disease 2019 Vaccination for Federal Employees. Therefore, to the extent a Federal job announcement includes the requirement that applicants must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 pursuant to E.O. 14043, that requirement does not currently apply. Federal agencies may request information regarding the vaccination status of selected applicants for the purposes of implementing other workplace safety protocols, such as protocols related to masking, physical distancing, testing, travel, and quarantine.
The Technology Center Group Director will serve under the administrative direction of an Assistant Commissioner for Patents, and will exercise administrative and technical authority over a patent examining group. The Technology Center Group Director is responsible for the following:
Requirements
Conditions of Employment
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.
Please provide your narrative responses to the Professional Technical Qualification (PTQs) and Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs) questions - Do not write "see resume".
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.
Applicants must use the USA Jobs text boxes for submitting their PTQs and ECQs. Uploaded documents addressing the PTQ's and ECQs will not be accepted.
PTQs:
Please describe your experiences and the principles you applied while managing a professional staff who worked in the patent prosecution process. Be sure to include specific examples of the challenges you faced, the results of your actions, how you prioritized your responsibilities and how you led your staff. Clearly articulate your rationale in devising a solution and some of the lessons you learned. Please clearly describe your experiences in developing, leading, and implementing organizational policies and programs in Intellectual Property. Be sure to explain fully your contributions to a team or to a project that furthered the organizational mission and your rationale behind your actions. Please clearly describe your experiences, as a manager or a leader addressing one or more conflicts. Be sure to include specific examples, your role and your thought process in addressing the conflicts, the results of your actions and any lessons you learned. Please clearly describe your knowledge and experience in leading scientific, technical and legal matters associated with the patent process, which includes the preparation and/or prosecution of patent applications, the classification of patents, or comparable experience in the patent field. Be sure to include specific instances that evidence any advanced proficiencies. Competency in these areas must be sufficient to manage and lead others in the patent process.
Please Note: 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.
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
ECQs:
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.
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.
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.
Business Acumen - This core qualification involves the ability to manage human, financial and information resources strategically.
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.
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.
Education
The minimum educational requirement for this position is a technical degree or the equivalent.
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.
The USPTO participates in E-Verify. For more information on E-Verify, please visit http://www.dhs.gov/files/programs/gc_1185221678150.shtm
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 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.
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, 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).
The physical worksite for this position is located in Alexandria, VA. However, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is currently under a maximum telework posture due to the COVID-19 pandemic; therefore, this position is currently under a 100 percent telework schedule. The position's telework schedule will likely change in the future when USPTO moves away from its maximum telework posture. At that time, the incumbent may be expected to report to the physical work site in accordance with the updated status requirements of their supervisor. The nature and scope of future telework opportunities will be subject to the unit's telework policy, any applicable bargaining unit agreements, and supervisory approval.
To ensure compliance with an applicable preliminary nationwide injunction, which may be supplemented, modified, or vacated, depending on the course of the ongoing litigation, the Federal Government will take no action to implement or enforce the COVID-19 vaccination requirement pursuant to Executive Order 14043 on Requiring Coronavirus Disease 2019 Vaccination for Federal Employees. Therefore, to the extent a Federal job announcement includes the requirement that applicants must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 pursuant to E.O. 14043, that requirement does not currently apply. Federal agencies may request information regarding the vaccination status of selected applicants for the purposes of implementing other workplace safety protocols, such as protocols related to masking, physical distancing, testing, travel, and quarantine.
The Technology Center Group Director will serve under the administrative direction of an Assistant Commissioner for Patents, and will exercise administrative and technical authority over a patent examining group. The Technology Center Group Director is responsible for the following:
- Comprehensive planning and management functions essential to effective patent examining group Technology Center operations;
- Recommends or initiates programs and procedures to implement official policies, and assists in the development of patent examining practice and procedures and maintains quality, timeliness and quantity performance standards;
- Adjudicates petitions for the Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office;
- Performs staff functions related to human resource management and manpower utilization, training and career development, along with the Office of Equal Employment Opportunity and Diversity program goals affecting the group;
- Supports automation and the classification and documentation of the technological arts.
Requirements
Conditions of Employment
- You must be a U.S. Citizen or a National.
- Background and/or Security investigation, if selected for position.
- Your resume and question responses must demonstrate comprehensive, recent experience in the duties described.
- You must serve a one-year probationary period unless you previously completed one year in the Senior Executive Service.
- All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of the announcement.
- 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.
Please provide your narrative responses to the Professional Technical Qualification (PTQs) and Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs) questions - Do not write "see resume".
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.
Applicants must use the USA Jobs text boxes for submitting their PTQs and ECQs. Uploaded documents addressing the PTQ's and ECQs will not be accepted.
PTQs:
Please describe your experiences and the principles you applied while managing a professional staff who worked in the patent prosecution process. Be sure to include specific examples of the challenges you faced, the results of your actions, how you prioritized your responsibilities and how you led your staff. Clearly articulate your rationale in devising a solution and some of the lessons you learned. Please clearly describe your experiences in developing, leading, and implementing organizational policies and programs in Intellectual Property. Be sure to explain fully your contributions to a team or to a project that furthered the organizational mission and your rationale behind your actions. Please clearly describe your experiences, as a manager or a leader addressing one or more conflicts. Be sure to include specific examples, your role and your thought process in addressing the conflicts, the results of your actions and any lessons you learned. Please clearly describe your knowledge and experience in leading scientific, technical and legal matters associated with the patent process, which includes the preparation and/or prosecution of patent applications, the classification of patents, or comparable experience in the patent field. Be sure to include specific instances that evidence any advanced proficiencies. Competency in these areas must be sufficient to manage and lead others in the patent process.
Please Note: 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.
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
ECQs:
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.
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.
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.
Business Acumen - This core qualification involves the ability to manage human, financial and information resources strategically.
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.
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.
Education
The minimum educational requirement for this position is a technical degree or the equivalent.
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.
The USPTO participates in E-Verify. For more information on E-Verify, please visit http://www.dhs.gov/files/programs/gc_1185221678150.shtm
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 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.
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, 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).