Duties

Summary

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), a premier organization at the forefront of intellectual property issues around the world, is seeking a high performing professional to join its Senior Level Team as the Eastern Regional Outreach Director.

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Responsibilities

The Eastern Regional Outreach Director will serve as the primary channel of outreach with USPTO stakeholders in the Eastern region*, including the intellectual property bar, businesses (including industries, start-ups, small business, medium business and venture capital), and the education community (including the technology transfer and grants communities). The Eastern Regional Outreach Director will create and execute an outreach and communication plan consistent with and in support of the Agency's goals of increasing community engagement, enhancing goodwill within the USPTO's stakeholder community, obtaining support for USPTO programs and initiatives and providing education and information to applicants regarding intellectual property rights and laws without providing legal advice. The incumbent will be responsible for facilitating, coordinating and leading high level engagements with the Intellectual Property Community and its stakeholders at all levels in the private, public and non-profit arenas.

In addition, the Eastern Regional Outreach Director:

• Provides general oversight of all Eastern Regional outreach programs, all relevant associated budget items and all stakeholder/community outreach occurring in the Eastern Regional Outreach territories.

• Refines and sources new opportunities for outreach within and specific to their regional area to ensure that outreach to all regional industries and interests is developed to the extent possible.

• Coordinates outreach-related resources and materials with the relevant business units within the Agency, including the Office of the Chief Communications Officer (OCCO), the Office of the Commissioner for Trademarks, the Office of the Commissioner for Patents, the Global Intellectual Property Academy (GIPA), and the Office of Government Affairs and Oversight.

• Identifies recurring challenges or impediments to the success of a regional outreach efforts and Agency goals, recommend solutions that are obtainable and workable within current and future budget limits.

• Provides and coordinates submissions of outreach information to data calls throughout the year as needed.

• Partners with the Regional Office Directors in Detroit, MI, Dallas, TX, Denver, CO, and Silicon Valley, CA, as needed and necessary.

This position includes some supervisory and related managerial duties. These duties should occupy less than 25 percent of the incumbent's time.

*The Eastern region includes the areas outside of the DC metropolitan area (including the USPTO headquarters) in the states of Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Washington D.C., Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine and Puerto Rico.

Travel Required

Occasional travel - Occasional Travel may be required.

Supervisory status
Yes

Promotion Potential
00

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
• 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).

Qualifications

Experience must have been at a sufficiently high level of difficulty to clearly show that the candidate possesses the required professional/technical 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.

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. Demonstrated experience with program management and administrative abilities to establish and maintain positive working relationships with others and in teams toward common goals and resolve conflicts. Excellent communication skills to keep leadership informed as issues arise and higher-level decisions are needed.

2. Knowledge and understanding of the advocacy of nonprofits and associations related to intellectual property; and expert knowledge and experience in stakeholder outreach and development.

3. Knowledge of the scientific, technical, and legal matters with the patent process, which may include the preparation and/or prosecution of patent applications, the classification of patents, or comparable experience in the patent field.

4. Ability to represent programs and initiatives positively before external and internal stakeholders and to communicate effectively and comfortably through public speaking.

5. Demonstrated ability to effectively plan, organize, implement, and measure a programs progress towards established goals.

Education

There is not an educational requirement for this position.

Additional information

Probationary Period: You will be required to serve a one-year probationary.

Selective Service Law: 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.

Non Bargaining Unit position:This is a Non Bargaining Unit position. This is a Public Trust position and has a risk level designation of "moderate" risk.

Drug Testing: 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.

Suitability Check: 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.

E-Verify: The USPTO participates in E-Verify. For more information on E-Verify, please visit http://www.dhs.gov/files/programs/gc_1185221678150.shtm

Direct Deposit: All Federal employees are required to have Federal salary payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of their choice.

Relocation: Relocation expenses and recruitment incentives are not authorized and will not be paid.

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.

Financial Disclosure Report: 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.

In order to be considered for this position you must demonstrate in your application package that you meet the minimum specialized experience as defined under the "Qualifications" section, answer the Professional Technical Qualifications (PTQs), and submit a detailed resume that supports your answers to the PTQs and specialized experience.

Your responses to the PTQs and resume will be evaluated by a Human Resources Specialist and/or a subject matter expert. 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
Not Required

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). Do not write "see resume". Input narrative responses when prompted.

Please submit a current SF-50 if you are a Federal Employee.

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.