These positions are located in the Office of the Commissioner for Trademarks, Trademark Examining Operation and will serve as the Supervisory Senior Attorney for one of the law offices in the Trademark Examining Operation (TMEO). Primarily, responsibility will be in providing advice, counsel, and/or instruction to the attorney advisors in the law office(s) on the most difficult legal questions that arise during examination, as well as assisting the managing attorney with managerial matters.

Duties

The physical worksite for this position is located in Alexandria,Virginia.This position is telework eligible per agency and business unit discretion/policy.

Requirements

• Applicants will only be accepted from United States Citizens and Nationals.
• Required to pass a background investigation and fingerprint check.
• Must be registered for Selective Service, if applicable (www.sss.gov) Suitable for Federal employment.
• You must meet all qualification requirements upon the closing date of this announcement.
• You must meet the definition of Specialized Experience and Professional Legal Experience.
• You must be suitable for Federal employment.
• You must possess a Law Degree.

Qualifications

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has not issued qualification standards for attorney positions. However, the USPTO sets minimum qualifications for attorney positions and sets forth these qualifications in each vacancy announcement. You must meet all eligibility and qualifications requirements by the closing date of the job announcement. Specialized Experienceis experience that has equipped applicants with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform 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. GS-14 For this position, the next lower grade level is a GS-13. Specialized experience is defined as: Experience working with Trademark statutes, case law, rules of practice regarding Trademark operational requirements, practices, procedures, pre-examination, publication and issue, the intent-to-use, and post registration; knowledge of USPTO and Trademark program goals, objectives, business priorities and public policy issues; experience applying legal, factual and marketplace issues related to the prosecution of trademark and service mark applications to a variety of International Classes. AND Professional legal/law is legal experience, Post J.D., giving legal advice with respect to questions, regulations, practices, etc. of the Federal government, law firm, or private industry; preparing interpretative orders, rules, decisions, or opinions to give effect to the provisions of statutes or laws; drafting, negotiating, or examining legal documents; drafting, preparing formal comments, or making substantive recommendations regarding legal work product; drafting, editing and preparing legal guidelines; drafting and reviewing decisions for adoption by an organization or official; conducting investigations to obtain facts; determining questions of law; evaluating legal precedents to offer findings/make recommendations; recommending policies and developing procedures or regulations to implement new or amended legislation; acting as legal, general or senior counsel to a major firm or organization; developing and implementing written training or guidance; providing instruction in a classroom setting. GS-15 For this position, the next lower grade level is a GS-14. Specialized experience is defined as: Experience working with Trademark statutes, case law, rules of practice regarding Trademark operational requirements, practices, procedures, pre-examination, publication and issue, the intent-to-use, and post registration; knowledge of USPTO and Trademark program goals, objectives, business priorities and public policy issues; experience applying legal, factual and marketplace issues related to the prosecution of trademark and service mark applications to a variety of International Classes; experience supervising or managing a legal staff or the ability to supervise or manage a subordinate staff to effectively lead, motivate, evaluate, and set goals and objectives; experience organizing and directing the training of attorneys in classroom or individual settings; and skill in oral and written communication. AND Professional Legal/Law Experience is defined as having experience that has equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, abilities and/or competencies to perform successfully the duties of the position to be filled in the area of trademark law. This experience is characterized by breadth and depth of experience in rendering professional legal advice and services with respect to questions, regulations, practices, or other matters falling within the purview of a Federal government agency, private sector, law firm, or other organization; preparing interpretative and administrative orders, rules, or regulations to give effect to the provisions of governing statutes or other requirements of law; drafting, negotiating, or examining contracts or other legal documents; drafting, preparing formal comments, or making substantive recommendations regarding proposed legislation; editing and preparing for publication statutes enacted by Congress and opinions or decisions of a court, commission, or board; drafting and reviewing decisions for consideration and adoption by an organization or official; conducting investigations to obtain facts; determines questions of law; studies, analyzes and evaluates legal precedents, to present findings. Legal work is described as extremely complex and difficult and requires a high order of original and creative legal endeavor in balancing conflicting interests; has broad or wide-scope impact on an economy, industry, private or public interests; and may involve directly or indirectly very large sums of money. Work may also involve acting as principal attorney in charge of the preparation and presentation of cases; recommending policies and developing procedures and regulations to implement new or amended legislation; and acting as legal, general or senior counsel to a major firm or organization. The incumbent must possess the following supervisory competencies to be successful in this position: Accountability: Holds self and others accountable for measurable high-quality, timely, and cost effective results. Determines objectives, sets priorities, and delegates work. Accepts responsibility for mistakes. Complies with established control systems and rules. Customer Service: Anticipates and meets the needs of both internal and external customers. Delivers high-quality products and services; is committed to continuous improvement. Decisiveness: Makes well-informed, effective, and timely decisions, even when data are limited or solutions produce unpleasant consequences; perceives the impact and implications of decisions. Flexibility: Is open to change and new information; rapidly adapts to new information, changing conditions, or unexpected obstacles. Integrity/Honesty: Behaves in an honest, fair, and ethical manner. Shows consistency in words and actions. Models high standards of ethics. Interpersonal Skills: Treats others with courtesy, sensitivity, and respect. Considers and responds appropriately to the needs and feelings of different people in different situations. Oral Communication: Makes clear and convincing oral presentations. Listens effectively; clarifies information as needed. Problem Solving: Identifies and analyzes problems; weighs relevance and accuracy of information; generates and evaluates alternative solutions; makes recommendations. Resilience: Deals effectively with pressure; remains optimistic and persistent, even under adversity. Recovers quickly from setbacks. Written Communication: Writes in a clear, concise, organized, and convincing manner for the intended audience. 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

To meet minimum eligibility requirements for this position, applicants must possess at least a Master of Laws (LL.M.) degree or a Juris Doctor J.D.) degree from an accredited law school.

If this position requires proof of higher education, or you are substituting education for experience, you must submit an unofficial transcript or a list of courses that includes the following information: name of accredited institution, grades earned, completion dates, and quarter and semester hours earned. Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the requirements. Please refer to http://www.opm.gov/qualifications/policy/ApplicationOfStds-04.asp for more information. You are not required to submit official documents at this time; copies are sufficient.

Special Instructions for Foreign Education: Qualifying education from colleges and universities in foreign countries must be evaluated in terms of equivalency to that acquired in U.S. colleges and universities. Applicants educated in whole or in part in foreign countries must submit sufficient evidence, including transcripts, to an accredited private organization for an equivalency evaluation of course work and degree. A listing of these accredited organizations can be found on the Department of Education's website - US Department of Education. Another listing of services that can perform this evaluation is available at the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) website. You must provide a copy of the letter containing the results of the equivalency evaluation with a course by course listing along with your application. Failure to provide such documentation when requested will result in lost consideration.

NOTE: Only education and experience acquired before the filing deadline will be considered. Report only attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Contacts

• Address TMCO-Deputy Commissioner for Trademark Operations Office of Human Resources Mail Stop 171 P.O. Box 1450 Alexandria, VA 22313-1450 US
• Name: Nicholas Hornung
• Phone: (571) 270-0821
• Email: [email protected]