Are you ready to elevate your career through education and training efforts to inspire new patent examiners? Join our multi-faceted team in leading and providing guidance to promote and maintain the patent workforce. As the Director of Patent Training with oversight from the Assistant Commissioner for Patents, you'll work to provide direction for the development and sustainability of the patent training operations, including training new patent examiners in the Patent Training Academy.

Duties

The physical worksite for this position is located in Alexandria, VA. However, this position is telework eligible in accordance with the unit's telework policy. The Director of the Office of Patent Training (OPT) works together with the Chief Patent Academic Officer (CPAO) in leading and managing the operations within the OPT. The Director of OPT is responsible for developing technical analyses and well-documented tactical implementation approaches and initiatives in order to ensure the accomplishment of the OPT's priorities, goals and objectives. The Director of OPT performs the following duties: Comprehensive planning and management functions essential to effective operations of the Office of Patent Training. Plans, organizes, and directs the Patent Training Academy operations. Oversees training of new patent examiners; identifies and allocates resource needs; establishes procedures; initiates training programs consistent with the priorities and goals of the Office; and supports improvement initiatives presented by the CPAO. Identifies recurring challenges, analyzes trends, establishes measures, and develops reporting and evaluation systems to determine the effectiveness of operations. Participates in the formulation of quality assurance and quality standards for training new examiners and ensures implementation. Communicates policy and procedures and ensures the implementation of changes in policy for the OPT, including the Patent Training Academy, for consistency and compliance. Provides career development training, mentoring, and educational skills to new examiner trainers and training assistants. Works with leads within other Patent business areas to identify training needs for all Patent employees. Assesses and evaluates the effectiveness of current training programs and works with Patent stakeholders to continually enhance current curriculum and programs.

Requirements

• You must be a U.S. Citizen or a National.
• Background and/or Security Investigation, if selected for position.
• You must serve a one-year probationary period unless you previously completed one year in the Senior Executive Service.
• Must be registered for Selective Service, if applicable (www.sss.gov)
• Financial Disclosure Report (OGE-278) will be required upon appointment.

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. Applicants are required to input narrative responses to the PTQs and ECQs in the text boxes as prompted by USAJobs. Each PTQ and each ECQ have a 10,000-character limit (to include spaces) and must be adhered to. When responding, you must clearly show that you possess the experience and competencies to perform the duties of this position. - Do not write "see resume" or "see attached." Uploaded documents addressing the PTQs and ECQs will not be accepted. The candidate must possess the following Professional Technical Qualifications: 1. Demonstrated experience in managing a professional staff and in leading an organization. Please include specific examples of the leadership challenges you faced, the results of your actions, and the lessons you learned. 2. Demonstrated leadership ability requiring strategic thinking and decision-making and the ability to provide expert advisory services in training a professional workforce. 3. Expert knowledge of the scientific, technical and legal matters associated with the patent process, which includes the preparation and/or prosecution of patent applications, the classification of patents, or comparable experience in the patent field. 4. Demonstrated leadership ability to work effectively in a matrix environment to successfully deliver initial and continuous education and training programs, with experience and a specialized focus in formulating new training policies, practices, and protocols. 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-executive-service/reference- materials/guidetosesquals_2012.pdf 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. Competencies: Creativity and Innovation, External Awareness, Flexibility, Resilience, Strategic Thinking, and Vision. 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 an inclusive workplace that fosters the development of others, facilitates cooperation and teamwork, and supports constructive resolution of conflicts. Competencies: Conflict Management, Leveraging Diversity, Developing Others and Team Building. 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. Competencies: Accountability, Customer Service, Decisiveness, Entrepreneurship, Problem Solving and Technical Credibility. Business Acumen - This core qualification involves the ability to manage human, financial and information resources strategically. Competencies: Financial Management, Human Capital Management and Technology Management. 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. Competencies: Partnering, Political Savvy, and Influencing/Negotiation. Applicants are encouraged to follow the Challenge, Context, Action and Result (C-C-A-R) model outlined in the Guide To SES Qualifications. Challenge - Describe a specific problem or goal. Context - Describe the individuals and groups you worked with, and/or the environment in which you worked, to address a particular challenge (e.g., clients, co-workers, members of Congress, shrinking budget, low morale). Action - Discuss the specific actions you took to address a challenge. Result - Give specific examples of measures/outcomes that had some impact on the organization. These accomplishments demonstrate the quality and effectiveness of your leadership skills. Note: Submit only the documents requested. Additional documents will not be reviewed by the rating panel. Uploaded documents addressing the PTQ's and ECQs will not be accepted. 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 PTQs requirements and do NOT need to address the ECQs.

Education

The individual must have a scientific or technical degree, or the equivalent. A preferred candidate would have an understanding of patent rules and regulations, as well as an appreciable breadth of knowledge in scientific and technological fields.

Contacts

• Address EXRD - Patents Branch Office of Human Resources Mail Stop 171 P.O. Box 1450 Alexandria, VA 22313-1450 US
• Name: Samantha Middleton
• Phone: 571-272-1746
• Email: [email protected]