TRAVEL REQUIRED:

Not required

RELOCATION AUTHORIZED:
Relocation expenses reimbursed No

KEY REQUIREMENTS:
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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.

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.

You must meet the following United States Office of Personnel Management's (OPM) qualification requirements for the advertised position. OPM's prescribed Group Coverage Qualification Standard for Administrative and Management Positions can be found at: Qualification Standards. You must meet all qualification requirements including time-in-grade (refer to 5 CFR 300.604 for more information on time-in-grade) by the closing date of the job announcement.

Specialized Experience: is experience that has equipped 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-12 grade level must have at least 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 grade level in the Federal service.

Specialized experience for this position includes:

Skill Set 1:  Experience in applying the fundamental principles, concepts, techniques and guidelines in the areas of employee benefits, retirement, worker’s compensation, insurance programs and the Thrift Savings Plan.

Skill Set 2: Experience in providing direct counseling to management, supervisors, employees and family members on retirement and benefit program entitlements/options.

Skill Set 3: Experience in counseling employees concerning making service credits and post-1956 military service deposits, assisting employees with applications and verifying creditability of service.

Candidates for the GS-13 grade level must have at least 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12 grade level in the Federal service.

Specialized experience for this position includes:

Skill Set 1:  Experience in applying the fundamental principles, concepts, techniques and guidelines in the areas of employee benefits, retirement, worker’s compensation, insurance programs and the Thrift Savings Plan.

Skill Set 2: Experience in providing direct counseling to management, supervisors, employees and family members on retirement and benefit program entitlements/options.

Skill Set 3: Experience in counseling employees concerning making service credits and post-1956 military service deposits, assisting employees with applications and verifying creditability of service.

Skill Set 4: Experience in researching, analyzing and interpreting United States Code, Code of Federal Regulations, GAO/Comptroller General decisions, OPM rules and or guidance to recommend necessary changes to agency policy, guidance, and or procedures in the areas of retirement and employee benefits administration. 

Education may not be substituted for specialized experience at this grade level.

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 Non-Bargaining Unit position. 

This is a Public Trust position and has a risk level designation of “moderate”. 

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.

CTAP and ICTAP candidates will be eligible for selection priority if it is determined that they have exceeded the minimum qualifications for the position by attaining at least a "well qualified" rating of 85 out of 100. Information about CTAP and ICTAP eligibility is on the Office of Personnel Management’s Career Transition Resources website at: http://www.opm.gov/ctap.  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 (oeeod@uspto.gov) or phone (571-272-8292). 

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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 - Knowledge of the full range of Federal retirement, benefits entitlements, health and life insurance, and Thrift Savings Plan laws, regulations, procedures, and counseling techniques sufficient to administer an agency retirement and benefits program.

KSA 2 – Knowledge of a wide range of human resources management concepts, laws, policies, and practices sufficient to solve a wide range of complex, interrelated human resource management problems and issues.

KSA 3 - Skill in providing information on Federal employee benefits and individual employee counseling on retirement options, eligibility requirements, health and life insurance, and Thrift Savings Plan issues.

KSA 4 – Skill in composing written correspondence for the purpose of developing policy and preparing guidance on various HR programs.  

KSA 5 - Skill in communicating orally with managers and employees for the purpose of presenting/explaining findings, or responding to general inquiries.  

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.

If you are invited for an interview, you will be asked to bring a copy of your most recent performance appraisal.

To preview questions please click here.

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Drug test required No