Duties

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 .

Learn more about this agency

Responsibilities

The individual selected for this position

• Serves as a TM Senior SharePoint Site Specialist responsible for managing all aspects of system projects and programs. Plans, designs, tests, implements and manages intranet activities. Performs work involving system application and technical management of Trademark intranet. Ensures a high level of usability and ease of navigation, throughout all web sites and user interfaces. Installs, configures and supports Microsoft (MS) Office SharePoint Server and Windows SharePoint Services Applications. Provides day-to-day administration and support for MS SharePoint Services for intranet environments.
  
  
• Provides expertise in the day-to-day administration, maintenance and technical support of various SharePoint projects and programs. Works in a close, daily, consultative relationship with various Trademark professionals and contractors to develop and implement information technology projects to evaluate current systems, identify systems requirements, and recommend technology development within TM. Identifies user needs and requirements, and applies analytical and SharePoint skill in developing and implementing solutions to meet customer requirements. Assists customers with defining requirements for the SharePoint site: structure, design, content and display preferences. Plans for SharePoint upgrades including significant upgrades that will involve fixing links or readjusting pages to maintain the same look and feel. Assesses new SharePoint technology for implementation and integration feasibility and provides an impact evaluation of the new product. Plans and manages technology development using SharePoint out of the box Web Parts or Widgets and development languages such as Java Script and HTML. Manages TM SharePoint user accounts/permissions including creating new permission structures, tracking and fixing inheritance issues, granting/revoking access, and analyzing errors. Investigates, diagnoses, and resolves problems in response to customer reported incidents. Works with lists/libraries/sites, site provisioning, site creation, custom site creation. Integrates SharePoint lists/libraries/sites with Intranet sites. Provides program guidance and information regarding current and future business needs, and services and processes to improve the availability of information on the TM SharePoint site. Creates and maintains instructional materials and reference materials for customized sites.
  
  
• Keeps abreast of advanced and new SharePoint technology, conducts research on new technologies and determines whether it would be beneficial to Trademarks. Determines the impact of integration with current and long-range goals and objectives. Provides technical guidance and coordinates actions to implement and integrate technology. Reviews and analyzes impact of emerging technology to meet user requirements and cost benefits. Reviews, analyzes and presents the business investment and cost benefit of actions to maintain, enhance, and/or implement new technology to meet current and long-range programs. Plans, integrates and validates new technology solutions to create efficiency in the availability of accurate information. Manages and administers processes and tools that enable the organization to identify, document, and assess intellectual capital and information content. Assists in the preparation and presentation of reports, displays, and other items necessary to effectively communicate with management and users. Coordinates and/or provides training and assistance to end users. Employs a strategic approach to ensure positive user adoption of US Patent and Trademark (USPTO) SharePoint resources.
  
  
• Serves as liaison for technology development and integration provided by the Office of Chief Communications Officer (OCIO) in the development, implementation and maintenance of TM SharePoint site. Collaborates with OCIO counterparts on various projects including designing, planning, and maintaining TM SharePoint environment. Adheres to TM and OCIO governance and utilizes best practices in development and/or recommendation for new SharePoint policy, practices and procedures. Coordinates and collaborates with the OCIO on requests for support and assistance, outside the scope, technical expertise and authority of the incumbent, to resolve user problems, meet user requirements such as system fixes, movement of data and creation of new sites, and fulfill user special requests for solutions to unique resource and development requests. Verifies the validity and integrity of the data in conjunction with OCIO system support requests. Develops and maintains documentation for new processes and procedures. Tests systems when OCIO implements upgrades to ensure that the TM SharePoint sites negatively are not impacted.

Travel Required

Not required

Supervisory status
No

Promotion Potential
13

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.
• Must be registered for Selective Service, if applicable (www.sss.gov)
• 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.

Qualifications

You must meet the United States Office of Personnel Management's (OPM) qualification requirements (including specialized experience and/or educational requirements) for the advertised position. 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 . You must meet all 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-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 - Providing expert technical advice, guidance and recommendations to management and other technical specialists regarding SharePoint; day-to-day operation and hands-on experience in Web and SharePoint sites development utilizing web codes and languages such as Java Script, J Query, ASP.Net, and XSLT.

Skill Set 2 - Expertise as a SharePoint Designer; works with users and IT professionals to determine business needs and recommend solutions.

Skill Set 3 - Delivering customer support in order to configure, troubleshoot, and provide user assistance

In addition to meeting specialized experience requirements, you must have IT-related experience demonstrating these competencies:

GS-13

Attention to Detail - Is thorough when performing work and conscientious about attending to detail.

Customer Service - Works with business partners and customers (that is, any individuals who use or receive the services or products that your work unit produces, including the general public, individuals who work in the agency, other agencies, or organizations outside the Government) to assess their needs, provide information or assistance, resolve their problems, or satisfy their expectations; knows about available products and services; is committed to providing quality products and services.

Communication - Expresses information (for example, ideas or facts) to individuals or groups effectively, taking into account the audience and nature of the information (for example, technical, sensitive, controversial); makes clear and convincing oral presentations; listens to others, attends to nonverbal cues, and responds appropriately. Written communication is clear, concise and avoids jargon.

Problem Solving - Identifies problems; determines accuracy and relevance of information; uses sound judgment to generate and evaluate alternatives, and to make recommendations.

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 specialized experience at this grade level.

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".

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.

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 - Skill in ensuring a high level of usability and ease of navigation, throughout all web sites and user interfaces. Installs, configures and supports Microsoft (MS) Office SharePoint Server and Windows SharePoint Services Applications.

KSA 2 - Skill in Web and SharePoint codes, procedures, and techniques to develop, maintain, and support new or existing sites.

KSA 3 - Knowledge of SharePoint technologies and services and the ability to research, evaluate, and report on new and emerging developments in the SharePoint services area and recommend adoption of new technologies.

KSA 4 - Knowledge of SharePoint principles and methods sufficient to recommend and implement SharePoint solutions

KSA 5 - Ability to provide technical expertise and leadership in the development and interpretation of policies, procedures and strategies governing the planning and delivery of services.

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.

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

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 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.

Supporting Documents:

PLEASE NOTE: Applicants who meet the minimum eligibility and qualification requirements for this position may be contacted via email within 7 business days of this announcement closing to submit follow-up supporting docs if applicable. Applicants applying as current/former Federal employees OR as VEOA eligibles who fail to submit supporting documents within 5 business days of receiving the email request will lose further consideration for this position. Applicants claiming CTAP/ICTAP or Sch A eligibility who fail to submit supporting documents within 5 business days of receiving the email request will not lose consideration for this position, however they will not be entitled to special or priority consideration. Supporting docs that may be requested of applicants after the closing date of this announcement are:

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 SF-50, "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 - 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 - 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.

Your application and all required documents must be received by 11:59 pm ET on the closing date of this job announcement.

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.