Summary Are you up for an exciting challenge of working as a Program Support Assistant? If so, this job is for you! This is an Upward Mobility Position within the Office of Patent Examination Support Services (OPESS). OPESS supports the patent examination process through analysis, technical and administrative and clerical support work and services. Responsibilities At the entry level of this position the incumbent will perform the following major tasks: This exciting opportunity is waiting for you if... *You're detailed oriented and able to assist in efficient management of the workload of a docket area. Monitor the number of unexamined applications in docket area in order to distribute and redistribute workload and facilitate the timely examination of applications. *You desire to participate in the development of performance data for use in insightful and essential decision making and day-to-day management of Art Unit or Work Group staff and activities. Monitor and review data through established reports. Report covers such areas as timeliness, pendency, docket management, quality, performance and production. *You have the ability to provide information and data requested along with supporting documentation in verbal, narrative, spreadsheet, graph, or chart form. *You enjoy providing technical assistance in the resolution of problems with case processing special and classified applications. *You want to take the lead and have extensive involvement in providing administrative support for the Signatory Review Program. Monitor staff eligibility for partial and full signatory authority programs. Prepares documentation requiring management signature for granting temporary partial or temporary full signatory authority to examiners for participation in the program. *Provide administrative support for Pre-Appeal Conferences. At the request of the supervisory patent examiner or patent examiner, coordinate appeal and pre-appeal conference activities. Work with the responsible patent examiner and two conference attendees to schedule a location, date and time for appeal and pre-appeal conferences. NOTE: Selectee's must enter a trainee position by reassignment or downgrade. Selectee's cannot be promoted into a trainee position. Employees selected for Upward Mobility Program opportunities at a lower grade than the position they currently hold are entitled to pay retention if their existing salary cannot be accommodated within the salary range of the lower Upward Mobility Program grade. This means that the employee's salary in the lower Upward Mobility Program grade will be: 1) the rate of basic pay the employee received immediately before placement in the lower grade; or 2) 150 percent of step 10 of the lower grade, whichever is lower. While under pay retention, employees receive 50% of annual basic pay increases (based on step 10 of the lower grade) and 100% of annual locality pay increases. Pay retention terminates when one of the following events occur: the employee becomes entitled to a rate of basic pay equal to or higher than the retained rate; the employee has a formal break in service of one workday or more; the employee declines a "reasonable offer" of a position for which the rate of basic pay is equal to or higher than the retained rate; or the employee is demoted for personal cause or at his/her request. Requirements Conditions of Employment Qualifications Requirements: Applicants must meet the UPWARD MOBILITY CRITERIA prior to the closing date of the announcement. ABOUT USPTO'S UPWARD MOBILITY PROGRAM: Upward Mobility is a career development program that provides increased opportunities for eligible employees to successfully transition into administrative and technical positions with more career growth or potential. Upward Mobility is based on competitive selection and requires a training plan that is developed to prepare the selectee for a new career within the USPTO. The training plan is 6 to 18 months in duration and consists of developmental work assignments, on the job training, formal instruction and self-development activities directly related to the successful performance of the target level position by the selected employee. UPWARD MOBILITY POSITION(s)ARE FILLED AT THE BRIDGE/ENTRY LEVEL AS FOLLOWS: BRIDGE POSITION GRADE: PROGRAM ASSISTANT -GS-0303-07 TARGET POSITION GRADE: PROGRAM SPECIALIST - GS-0301-07 PROGRAM SPECIALIST - GS-0301-09 FULL PERFORMANCE PROMOTION POTENTIAL: PROGRAM SPECIALIST - GS-11 NOTE: You are ineligible for the Upward Mobility Program position if you occupy a two-grade interval career ladder position with promotion potential above a GS-09; or you meet the qualification requirements for the TARGET level position. You must have a current annual performance rating equivalent of at least fully successful. NOTE: Applicants DO NOT have to meet the below specialized experience requirements to apply to the vacancy announcement. Applicants who are selected for the trainee position will receive the opportunity to participate in training, as identified in their Individual Training Plan (ITP), to allow them to meet the OPM general and specialized experience requirements needed to qualify for the target position at the end of the training period. You must meet the following United States Office of Personnel Management's (OPM) qualification requirements for the advertised position in order to advance to the next grade level. OPM's prescribed Group Coverage Qualification Standard for Clerical and Administrative Support Positions can be found at: Clerical and Administrative Support Positions. 1) You must meet Upward Mobility program eligibility criteria as described within this announcement; AND 2) You must NOT meet OPM qualification requirements at the TARGET level of the position at time of application; AND 3) If you are currently at the GS-7 level, you must be eligible for the bridge grade level under one of the following ways: A) At least one year of experience related to this position described as basic knowledge of the functions, policies, procedures, practices, and administrative stages related to the processing of patent applications and supporting legal documents. OR B) One full year of graduate level education; OR C) Superior academic achievement degree in any academic discipline. 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. Candidates for the GS-07 grade level must have at least 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower GS-06 grade level in the Federal service. 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. Special Upward Mobility Provisions and Requirements: You must meet Upward Mobility Program Eligibility criteria in order to be considered. If you are selected, you will be required to: 1. Adhere to requirements in the vacancy announcement for the UMP opportunity; 2. Provide input into the development of your Individual Training Plan (ITP) within 30 days; 3. Participate in career advising activities, when offered by the business unit; 4. Perform periodic self-evaluation of performance and review supervisory evaluation of training performance; and 5. Fulfill all training, educational, and work requirements of the approved ITP. 6. Meet standard career-ladder promotion policies and procedures to be promoted to the GS-09 target grade. Promotion beyond the target level is based upon the following criteria: 1) you meet the basic qualification requirements (time-in-grade and specialized experience) for the next higher grade level; 2) you have demonstrated the ability to perform at the next higher grade level; and 3) your performance appraisal at the time of review was at least fully successful. NOTE: Upon successful transition into the target position the employee is no longer considered a trainee or participant in an UMP. Education As a general rule, education is not creditable above the GS-5 for most positions covered by clerical and administrative support standard; however, graduate education may be credited in those few instances where the graduate education is directly related to the work of the position. 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 The National Treasury Employees Union, Chapter 243 (NTEU 243) 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. CTAP 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 eligibility is on the Office of Personnel Management's Career Transition Resources website at: OPM CTAP/ICTAP. CTAP 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, 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).