Summary
The United States Patent and Trademark Office's (USPTO) mission is to promote innovation and competition by providing quality examination and issuance of patent and trademark applications, guiding domestic and international intellectual property policy, and delivering intellectual property information and education worldwide. Through the issuance of patents, the USPTO encourages technological advancement by providing incentives to invent, invest in, and disclose new technology worldwide.
Duties
The physical worksite for this position is located in Alexandria, Virginia. Presence at the Alexandria, VA campus is required for this role, as it includes on site functions that must be performed in person. Position may be eligible for situational telework in accordance with agency policy/business unit discretion. The agency currently allows for 52 hours of telework per calendar year. A $25,000 recruitment bonus may be authorized for new federal employees in alignment with federal regulations and a signed 1-year service agreement. All applicants will be assessed for executive competency against the five mandatory Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs). If your two-page resume does not reflect demonstrated evidence of the ECQs and PTQs, you will not receive further consideration for the position. For more information regarding the SES and ECQs, please visit the Executive Core Qualifications page. This position is located in the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), Office of Public Engagement (OPE). The Director, National Trademarks Engagement & Community Engagement Offices reports to the Chief Public Engagement Officer and serves as the Agency's principal public-facing spokesperson on trademark matters and provides executive leadership for community engagement activities. In this senior executive role, the incumbent represents the Agency in high-visibility external forums, media engagements, public events, and stakeholder briefings, and communicates complex trademark policy and operational matters in a clear, accurate, and persuasive manner to a broad range of audiences. The incumbent also develops and delivers clear, accurate, and accessible information to educate internal and external audiences on basic trademark concepts, including trademark rights, filing requirements, examination procedures, and general trademark terminology. This work supports the USPTO's outreach, educational, and informational efforts designed to enhance understanding of the trademark system and the broader intellectual property system. The Director, National Trademarks Engagement & Community Engagement Offices major duties include, but are not limited to, the following: Provides executive leadership in planning, coordinating, and facilitating high-level engagement with intellectual property and stakeholder leaders at the local, State, and Federal levels. Provides outreach, education, and connection to USPTO resources to current and prospective stakeholders such as innovators, inventors, entrepreneurs, the education community, and businesses of all sizes Advances public understanding of intellectual property by promoting awareness of the value of trademark protection and of the products and services the USPTO offers to support innovation, entrepreneurship, and brand development. Serves as the Agency's principal spokesperson for public engagement on trademark matters and represents the USPTO in high-visibility public forums, stakeholder meetings, media interviews, briefings, hearings, conferences, and special events. Communicates complex trademark policy and operational matters in a clear, credible, authoritative, and audience-appropriate manner. Coordinates outreach-related resources and materials with relevant business units across 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 Governmental Affairs (OGA). Establishes and sustains productive relationships with key stakeholders, including trademark practitioners, entrepreneurs, businesses, trade associations, academia, and interagency partners. Identifies stakeholder concerns, emerging issues, and opportunities for engagement; assesses potential reputational, operational, and policy implications; and advises senior leadership on matters that may affect confidence in, or understanding of, trademark operations and services. Supports Agency efforts to encourage innovation and strengthen awareness of trademark protection by serving as a catalyst for outreach to communities, entrepreneurs, and key industry sectors.
Education
The incumbent must have a law degree from an accredited law school program and currently be a member of a bar in good standing, in the United States or a Territory of the United States. Your law degree must be from an accredited (or provisionally approved) law school. Accreditation in the U.S. is primarily granted by the American Bar Association. There are resources and guides that list the accredited law schools in the U.S. Foreign Education: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. If you are qualifying based on foreign education, you must submit proof of creditability of education as evaluated by a credentialing agency. For further information, visit: Recognition of Foreign Qualifications | International Affairs Office (ed.gov)
How you will be evaluated
ECQs and PTQs must be thoroughly addressed within your two (2) page resume, and the font size should not be smaller than 11 pts. You will not be considered for this vacancy if your resume is illegible/unreadable. Additional information on resume requirements can be located under "Required Documents. Once the application process is complete, a review of your resume and required documentation will be conducted. If applicants are found minimally qualified, a rating panel will review the resume and Accomplishment Record. Candidates must address all five competencies within a two-page limit using brief written narratives that describes one example of competency-related experience and demonstrates the candidate's proficiency in the following competencies: Rule of Law: Upholds the principles of the American Founding, including equality under the law and democratic self-government. Ensures the law is applied fairly and consistently. Managing Resources: Manages resources efficiently and effectively based on current and projected organizational goals, skills, budget considerations, and staffing needs. Technical Skill: Possesses the requisite technical knowledge and subject matter expertise to consistently produce timely, high-quality work. Is considered a strong contributor in his or her domain. Accountability: Ensures that employees are appropriately recruited, selected, appraised, trained, and retained. Takes swift action to address performance or conduct-based deficiencies in employees supervised. Holds self and others accountable for measurable high-quality, timely, and cost-effective results. Innovation: Applies creativity to improving products and processes, challenges convention, takes measured risks, and considers ways to simplify and remove unnecessary requirements. Candidate resumes must provide evidence that supports the claims made in their Accomplishment Record. This document must be uploaded to the application under Accomplishment Record. An accomplishment record submitted outside the USA Staffing system will not be accepted. Narrative responses must be in the below format: Competency Title Position title and dates from your resume that this experience was obtained Describe the situation (i.e., the challenged faced, the problem solved) Describe the specific actions you took State the outcome, results, or long-term impact of your accomplishment Name and email address of someone who can verify this information Superior applicants may undergo one or more interviews and may be referred to the selecting official for further consideration. Upon selection, if not already a member of the SES serving under a career appointment, the individual selected must have his/her executive qualifications certified by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management's SES Qualifications Review Board (QRB) before appointment to this position. The selected individual's application will be forwarded to the OPM for review and certification by the QRB, unless the selectee provides evidence of their noncompetitive status (i.e., a current SES, OPM QRB certified SESCDP graduate, or SES reinstatement eligible). Upon QRB certification, the selected individual will be required to serve a one-year probationary period. For more information regarding the SES, go to https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/senior-executive-service/.