Duties

Summary

The USPTO Office of the Chief Information Officer is a modern Agile Software/Services Development Shop that is looking for a strategic, energetic and enthusiastic leader to serve as Director of Application Engineering and Development. The Director is responsible for leading IT stabilization and transformation through the full life cycle of the USPTO's automated information systems, consistent with the USPTO's Mission, strategic IT plans, and supporting technical architecture.

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Responsibilities

The incumbent directs the activities of the Office of Application Engineering and Development. The Office designs and develops secure automated information systems with a focus on modernization. The office validates that the business areas requirements are met through user acceptance prior to delivery for performance testing, production testing and deployment. The Office supports USPTO's goal of continuous automated delivery through adaptive and collaborative agile processes.

Specifically, the incumbent performs or supervises the following functions:

• Provides leadership in support of planning, designing and implementing new and improved automated information systems to support Mission Accomplishments that meet the needs of USPTO.

• Oversees and manages the design, development, modification, and implementation decisions for new or existing application software.
• Provides leadership in implementing automated testing and continuous delivery methodologies and solutions.
• Leads quality focused efforts that support organizational skill assessments, development, and strengthening that provides process improvement in the development of applications.
• Provides oversight and leadership to promote and ensure an effective use of resources to achieve organization goals and objectives that meet customer requirements.

• Develops and oversees execution of the Office's budget, complying with all financial policies, procedures and requirements.

• Establishes strategic and operational objectives for the development teams.

• Develops programs, and project management for on-time, on-budget and high quality systems development and implementation to fulfill those strategic and operational objectives.

• Focuses senior management's attention on the exploitation of information technology to improve program delivery through modernization, and ensures that proposed investments contribute to the USPTO's and OCIO's strategic vision and mission.

• Determines feasibility and impact of project proposals, application and database designs, and package implementations with respect to systems architecture and modernization strategy.

• Recommends continuation or termination of projects under development at key milestones or when they fail to meet performance, cost, or schedule criteria.

• Provides expert high-level technical advice and counsel to the Office of the Chief Information Officer and with executives, stakeholders, users on matters that affect or relate to current and existing functions and programs.

• Evaluates industry-best practices and applies them as appropriate. Keeps the executives apprised of information technology trends and emerging technologies.

• Responsible for developing written policies and procedures for development and implementation of new systems and modification of existing systems.

• Provides guidance and leadership to subordinate staff, including setting performance standards, conducting performance evaluations and ensuring that supervisors are held accountable for the performance of their organizational units.

Travel Required

Not required

Supervisory status
Yes

Promotion Potential
00

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
• Be willing to relocate to the Washington, DC metro region.
• Required to pass a background investigation and fingerprint check.
• Financial Disclosure Report (OGE-278) will be required upon appointment.
• Must be registered for Selective Service, if applicable (www.sss.gov)

To qualify, the applicant's resume and answers to questions must demonstrate his or her technical and leadership experience/expertise as they relate to the duties described.

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. Maximum length of 10000 characters when addressing the PTQs and ECQs.

Professional Technical Qualifications: Applicants must clearly demonstrate in their application materials that they possess technical attributes in the Professional/Technical Qualifications (PTQs). The PTQs for this position are:

1. Expert knowledge of agile principles, methods, and techniques used in software, application, and systems development, sustainable product design, deployment and management.

2. Demonstrated expertise and skill with applications using loosely-coupled hybrid cloud-based approaches, web-based solutions, service-oriented architecture, and intelligent automation (e.g., robotic process automation and/or artificial intelligence) to drive modernization and innovation in technology.

3. Demonstrated expertise leading transformative change through IT stabilization, sustainment, and modernization.

4. Expert knowledge of and demonstrated ability to oversee and manage multi-million dollar, complex information technology projects efficiently and deliver measurable return on investment (ROI) through the application of system development life-cycle concepts, particularly in replacing legacy systems.

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 Professional Technical Qualification (PTQs) requirements and do NOT need to address the Executive Core Qualifications (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-executiveservice/referencematerials/guidetosesquals_2012.pdf.

1. 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.

2. 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 a teamwork, and supports constructive resolution of conflicts.

3. 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.

4. Business Acumen - This core qualification involves the ability to manage human, financial and information resources strategically.

5. 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.

Education

This position does not have an education requirement.

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 will be subjected to random drug testing procedures.

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 and recruitment incentives 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).

How You Will Be Evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Applicants must clearly demonstrate in their application materials that they possess managerial attributes in the Professional/Technical Qualifications (PTQs). Each response should include a brief summary of the applicant's experience in relation to the specific PTQ and specific examples of accomplishments. Applicants must also clearly demonstrate in their application materials that they possess managerial attributes in the five Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs). Each response should include a brief summary of the applicant's experience in relation to the specific ECQ and specific examples of accomplishments.

Your application will be evaluated by a rating and ranking panel, and highly qualified candidates will be submitted to the Selecting Official for further review and consideration.

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Background checks and security clearance

Security clearance
Top Secret

Drug test required
No

Required Documents

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. Please Note: Responses to job questions that are not fully supported by the information in your resume may result in adjustments to your rating.
2) Your narrative responses to the Professional Technical Qualification (PTQs) and Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs). Do not write "see resume". Input narrative responses when prompted.

If you are a Federal Employee, please submit a current Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50) that shows your position title, series, and grade level. If you are a current or previous Senior Executive Service career member you must submit a copy of your SF-50 to show proof. NOTE: Submit only the documents requested. Additional documents will not be reviewed by the rating panel.

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.