Summary Do you aspire to use your engineering or science background to serve on the cutting edge of innovation? Now you can, by being the first to examine new inventions to determine and grant patents as a Patent Examiner at America's Innovation Agency! >> EXPLORE becoming a patent examiner >> MEET our diverse employees >> LEARN key details about the role * The Patent Examiner (Computer Science) position may include a $20,000 recruitment bonus (with a 20 month service commitment). * Responsibilities Still earning your degree? No problem! We love hiring soon-to-be grads. If you're a student who plans to complete your qualifying education within 9 months, you can still submit your application right now. We'll verify you successfully completed your degree before your start date. Patent examiners may choose to perform their duties throughout the United States and Puerto Rico. As a U.S. patent examiner, you will use your specialized background to review applications to determine whether patents can be granted for inventions. Patents give inventors the right to exclude others from making or selling their inventions for a limited time. That means that patent examiners are essential to protecting American innovation! As a patent examiner, you will spend your time: Searching prior art using specialized technology systems to ensure that an invention is new and unique. Prior art is information that has been disclosed to the public about an invention before a given date including related patents, published articles and public demonstrations. Reviewing patent applications for potentially new inventions and innovations to ensure they meet the agency's requirements. Writing legal office actions on patentability and respond to patent applications. GS-7: At the GS-7 level, you will perform basic patent examining tasks with extensive instructions from your supervisor. You will receive months of valuable training that will help you do your job well. This training will develop your ability to apply technical concepts to patent examining. Your assignments will pair performance of productive work with supervised on-the-job training. GS-9: At the GS-9 level, you will independently perform intermediate patent examining tasks with some supervision. Your assignments will be of average difficulty and require you to apply technical concepts to patent examining. You may perform advanced patent examining with supervision (e.g., evaluation of special claim constructions, requirement of restrictions, recognition and development of probable interferences, etc.). These advanced activities are supported by close review. GS-11: As a GS-11 level, you will independently perform patent examining functions and formulate or recommend appropriate action with respect to: Checking applications for technical accuracy and compliance with formal requirements Treating disclosure statements and claims of priority Analyzing disclosure and claims for compliance with 35 USC 112 Planning a field of search Conducting search Formulating rejections under 35 USC 102 and 103 with supporting rationale, or determining how claim(s) distinguish over the prior art Determining whether amendment introduces new matter Determining whether restriction is proper Determining whether claimed invention is operable/useful as disclosed After preliminary instruction, you will perform patent examining functions and formulate or recommend appropriate action with respect to: Evaluating / applying case law as necessary; Evaluating sufficiency of affidavits / declarations; Determining whether appropriate line of patentable distinction is maintained between application and/or patents; Evaluating sufficiency of reissue oath / declaration. Almost all of a patent examiner's work is performed using a computer and requires careful and frequent visual tasks. This is a Computer Science position. If this is not your area of expertise, we have openings for patent examiner positions in disciplines such as: - Electrical Engineering - Computer Engineering Please search USAJOBS for "Patent Examiner" or consult our Careers Website for further information. Applicants should familiarize themselves and must be able to comply with the relevant conflict of interest laws and standards of ethical conduct for employees of the executive branch regarding possible conflicts of interest in connection with their potential area of examination as seen here : https://www.justice.gov/jmd/ethics/principles-ethical-conduct. Attorney-applicants must also be able to comply with the relevant rules of professional conduct regarding any possible professional responsibility conflicts in connection with their applications. In particular, please notify the USPTO Office of Enrollment and Discipline at OED@USPTO.GOVif you currently represent clients before the USPTO and/or you have a family member who is representing clients or adjudicating matters in which this Office is involved so that we can evaluate any potential conflict of interest or disqualification issue that may need to be addressed under those circumstances. You may be required to file a confidential financial disclosure report, OGE 450, within 30 days of assuming the position and annually thereafter, and will be required to complete ethics orientation within three months of appointment. Requirements Conditions of Employment 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 the following United States Office of Personnel Management's (OPM) qualification requirements for the advertised position. OPM's prescribed Group Coverage Qualification Standard for Patent Examiner Series, GS-1224, can be found at OPM Patent Examiner Series 1224 Individual Occupational Requirements for the Computer Science Series can be found at: Computer Science Series 1550 (opm.gov) You must meet all eligibility and qualifications requirements by the closing date of the job announcement. BASIC QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS: To be considered for this position, you MUST have successfully complete a full 4-year course of study in an accredited college or university leading to a bachelor's or higher degree in computer science or a bachelor's degree with 30 semester hours in a combination of mathematics, statistics, and computer science. At least 15 of the 30 semester hours must have been any combination of statistics and mathematics that included differential and integral calculus. All academic degrees and coursework must be from accredited or pre-accredited institutions. Applicants should have sufficient knowledge to understand the fundamental concepts and techniques of computer science. Courses designed to provide an introduction to computer science techniques and methodologies, to problems of system design, and to other specialized fields are acceptable. Courses or experience in teaching elementary, business or shop mathematics are not acceptable. 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. For documentation requirements, see REQUIRED DOCUMENTS. GS-7: A) Superior Academic Achievement (SAA). This can be defined by one of the following: 1) Class standing-Upper third of the graduating class in the college, university, or major subdivision, such as the "School of Engineering and Applied Science" or "College of Science and Technology" based on completed courses. 2) Grade point average (GPA) as recorded on the final transcript- i) 3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B" or better) as recorded on the official transcript, or as computed based on 4 years of education, or as computed based on courses completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum; or ii) 3.5 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B+" or better) based on the average of the required courses completed in the major field or the required courses in the major field completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum. The GPA is rounded to one decimal place. (2.95 = 3.0 and 2.94 = 2.9). The final transcript must cover the period being used to determine the GPA. 3) Honor Society membership--Election to membership in a national scholastic honor society. Click here for a list of qualified honor societies. B) Have at least one year of specialized experience, equivalent to the GS-5 level in the Federal service interpreting and applying basic engineering and/or scientific principles, theories, concepts and methodologies used in the evaluation of technology; or planning and conducting research; or applying appropriate references to the claimed invention, etc. OR C) Have at least one year of graduate level education from an accredited college and/or university in the fields of study as described in the Basic Qualification Requirements. If the number of credit hours representing one year of full-time study cannot be obtained from the school, 18 semester hours will be considered an academic year of graduate study. OR D) Have less than the full amount of graduate education as described in "C" above and less than the amount of experience described in "B" above, but have a combination "B" and "C" above. GS-9: A) Have at least one year of specialized experience, equivalent to the GS-7 level in the Federal service interpreting and applying intermediate engineering and/or scientific principles, theories, concepts and methodologies used in the evaluation of technology; or planning and conducting research; or applying appropriate references to the claimed invention, etc. OR B) Have at least two years of graduate level education leading to a master's degree or equivalent graduate degree from an accredited college and/or university in the fields of study as described in the Basic Qualification Requirements. If the number of credit hours representing one year of full-time study cannot be obtained from the school, 18 semester hours will be considered an academic year of graduate study. OR C) Have less than the full amount of graduate education as described in "B" above and less than the amount of experience described in "A" above, but have a combination of "A" and "B" above. GS-11 you must: A) Have at least one year of specialized experience, equivalent to the GS-9 level in the Federal service (1) Interpreting and applying advanced computer science and/or scientific principles, theories, concepts, and methodologies related to the application of theoretical foundations of computer science, including computer system architecture and system software organization, the representation and transformation of information structures, and the theoretical models for such representations and transformations; or (2) Planning and conducting technical research to draft technical papers; or (3) Applying appropriate references and case law to claimed inventions. OR B) Have at least three years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Ph.D degree or Ph.D or equivalent doctoral degree in a Computer Science curriculum from an accredited college and/or university described in the Basic Qualification Requirements of this job announcement. If the number of credit hours representing one year of full-time study cannot be obtained from the school, 18 semester hours will be considered an academic year of graduate study. OR C) Have less than the full amount of graduate education as described in "B" above and less than the amount of experience described in "A" above, but have a combination of "A" and "B" above. Education If 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 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. Additional Information 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 and represented by Patent Office Professional Association (POPA) 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. 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. A recruitment incentive may be paid to an employee who is newly appointed to the Federal Government. "Newly appointed" refers to the first appointment as an employee of the Federal Government or an appointment following a break in service of at least 90 days from a previous appointment as an employee of the Federal Government. 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: OPM CTAP/ICTAP. 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. USPTO Job Applicants requiring reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process should request accommodation(s) from the USPTO at http://www.uspto.gov/accommodation. 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).