Summary

This position is located in the Office of the Commissioner for Patents. The incumbent of the position will serve as a Senior Advisor for Patents Financial Management to the Commissioner for Patents, Deputy Commissioners for Patents, and Assistant Commissioners for Patents on matters related to budget and financial management, acquisition, contract administration, and procurement functions associated with the Patents organization.

This job is open to

• Career transition (CTAP, ICTAP, RPL)
  
  Federal employees who meet the definition of a "surplus" or "displaced" employee.
• Federal employees - Competitive service
  
  Current or former competitive service federal employees.
• Federal employees - Excepted service
  
  Current excepted service federal employees.
• Special authorities
  
  Individuals eligible under a special authority not listed above, but defined in the federal hiring regulations.

Clarification from the agency

Career transition (CTAP, ICTAP, RPL), Federal employees - Competitive service, Individuals with disabilities, Military spouses, Veterans; Applications will be accepted from current Federal employees serving on career or career-conditional appointment in the Competitive Service, former Federal employees with reinstatement eligibility, persons eligible under special hiring authorities including Schedule A and VEOA, and CTAP/ICTAP eligible candidates in the local commuting area.

Duties

The Senior Advisor for Patents Financial Management provides strategic guidance and direction to ensure patent financial resource administration is controlled, monitored, and consistent with organizational priorities in order to achieve an efficient and effective spending program. The Senior Advisor for Patents Financial Management makes high level technical decisions and recommendations required for successful program development, administration, and management.

The Senior Advisor for Patents Financial Management performs the following duties:

• Serves as the recognized expert in patent financial management by providing high level advice and guidance as it relates to the formulation, preparation and control of patent program planning, evaluation, budget, and interpreting related policy formulation and decisions into plans, practices and procedures for staff in organizations under the Commissioner for Patents.
• Oversees and sets the direction for the financial management programs for the Patent organization. Determines and formulates resource (spending, revenue, and staffing) requirements and plans necessary for the Patents organization to achieve its strategic and performance goals, program requirements, and objectives.
• Leads complex financial management studies for the Patents organization.
• Strategically assesses the Patent organization's financial operations to ensure they fully align with the goals and objectives of the USPTO, the Department of Commerce (DOC) and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) mandates.
• Advises leadership and management officials on all aspects of program performance and financial management.
• Identifies major issues and advises proper allocation and control of all budgetary resources to support broad based initiatives affecting programs within the Patents organization and the USPTO.
• Recommends the best course of action in response to planning the budgetary and resource requirements necessary to ensure achievement of the Patents organization's strategic and performance goals.
• Investigates and analyzes policy implications of budget constraints and recommends distribution of resources as necessary.
• Represents the Commissioner for Patents on matters of patent planning, productivity, staffing, and budget with agency senior management; works with the Office of Planning and Budget and Office of the Chief Financial Officer in supporting the development of patent performance goals and objectives related to budgetary, financial requirements and program evaluations, reporting program performance results, and providing cost information in support of forecast patent workloads, fees and revenue projections.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
• Required to pass a background investigation and fingerprint check.
• You must meet all qualification requirements upon the closing date of this announcement.
• Submit a Financial Disclosure Report (OGE-278) upon appointment.
• Your resume and question responses must demonstrate the job-related competencies.

Qualifications

To meet the minimum requirements for this position, candidates must demonstrate their experience in their narrative responses to the Professional Technical Qualifications (PTQs) questions and all narrative responses must be fully supported within their resume. *Applicants must use the USA Jobs text boxes to submit their narrative responses to the PTQs. Do not write "see resume" or "see attached documents". Each PTQ has a 10,000-character limit (to include spaces) that must be adhered to. Uploaded documents addressing the PTQs will not be accepted.

Experience must have been at a sufficiently high level of difficulty to clearly show that the candidate possesses the required professional/technical 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.

Professional Technical Qualifications: Applicants must clearly demonstrate in their application materials that they possess technical attributes in the Professional/Technical Qualifications (PTQs).

Please provide your narrative responses to the Professional Technical Qualification (PTQs) questions - Do not write "see resume" or "see attached document". Uploaded documents addressing the PTQs will not be accepted.

Applicants are required to input narrative responses to the Professional Technical Qualifications (PTQs) in the text boxes as prompted by USAJobs. Each PTQ has a 10,000-character limit (to include spaces) that must be adhered to.

Applicants must use the USA Jobs text boxes for submitting their PTQs responses.

The Professional Technical Qualifications (PTQs) for this position are:

1. Demonstrated ability to plan and execute high level programs and/or projects that are highly specialized and impact the agency or organization level. This includes setting vision and strategy, making decisions and influencing others, having a direct and major impact on the quality of the program or project results.
2. Expert knowledge of and demonstrated experience in the federal budget process -formulation, justification, and execution; forecast and analysis concepts; cost accounting principles; contract administration; and strategic and performance management as applied to the planning and assessment of the organization.
3. Comprehensive knowledge of the concepts, processes, and methodologies used in the patent examination process to develop and recommend the best course of action in response to planning the budgetary and resource requirements necessary to ensure achievement of the organization's strategic and performance goals.
4. Demonstrated skill in advising senior management officials on all aspects of financial management and program performance; recommending strategies and establishing plans for implementing activities and organizational visions; and monitoring progress towards key patent program goals and priorities.
5. Ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing, to understand, defend and negotiate complex processes and procedures governing financial management to senior management using expert presentation and persuasion skills.

Education

There is not an educational requirement for this position.

Additional information

Probationary Period: You will be required to serve a one-year probationary period.

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 Non-Bargaining Unit position. 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 http://www.dhs.gov/files/programs/gc_1185221678150.shtm.

All Federal employees are required to have Federal salary payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of their choice.

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.

The Ethics in Government Act of 1978, as amended, requires senior officials in the executive, legislative and judicial branches to file public reports of their finances as well as other interests outside the Government. If selected for this position you will be required to file a Financial Disclosure Report (OGE Form 278).

The OGE 278 is available to the public. The primary purpose of disclosure is to assist agencies in identifying potential conflicts of interest between a filer's official duties and the filer's private financial interests and affiliations.

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).

• Benefits
  
  A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
  
  Review our benefits
  
  Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.

How You Will Be Evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

In order to be considered for this position, you must demonstrate in your application package that you meet the minimum specialized experience as defined under the "Qualifications" section, answer the Professional Technical Qualifications (PTQs), and submit a detailed resume that fully supports your answers to the PTQs and specialized experience.

*Applicants must use the USA Jobs text boxes to submit their narrative responses to the PTQs. Do not write "see resume" or "see attached documents". Each PTQ has a 10,000-character limit (to include spaces) that must be adhered to. Uploaded documents addressing the PTQs will not be accepted.

Your responses to the PTQs and resume will be evaluated by a Human Resources Specialist and/or a subject matter expert. Falsifying your background, education, and/or experience is cause for not hiring you or for changing your scored responses to questions you've answered, which may affect your overall final score. Please note that a complete application is required for consideration. (Please review the "Required Documents" section of this job announcement to see what must be included in a complete application).

To preview PTQs click below.

https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12412545

• Benefits
  
  A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
  
  Review our benefits
  
  Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
• Required Documents
  
  As a new or existing federal employee, you and your family may have access to a range of benefits. Your benefits depend on the type of position you have - whether you're a permanent, part-time, temporary or an intermittent employee. You may be eligible for the following benefits, however, check with your agency to make sure you're eligible under their policies.
  
  A complete application consists of:
  
  1. A resume or any other written format you choose to describe your job-related qualifications: Your resume should indicate your citizenship and should list your educational and work experience including job titles, salary, employment dates, duties and accomplishments, experience and how it relates to the Professional Technical Qualifications (PTQs) in the job announcement. Please Note: Responses to job questions that are not fully supported by the information in your resume may result in adjustments to your rating.
  2. Narrative responses to the PTQs: Do not write "see resume". Applicants are required to input narrative responses to the PTQs in the text boxes as prompted by USAJobs. Each PTQ has a 10,000-character limit (to include spaces) that must be adhered to.
  3. Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50) - Please submit a current SF-50 if you are a current or former Federal Employee. Your status eligibility and highest permanent grade/step/salary held in the Federal service will be validated with a copy of your most recent SF-50, "Notification of Personnel Action".
  4. Veterans' Preference documentation: If you are a veteran with preference eligibility, you will be asked to submit a copy of your DD-214 containing your discharge disposition, dates of service, and rank. If you are a preference eligible claiming a service connected disability of 10 percent or more, you will be asked to submit documentation (i.e. a letter dated 1991 or later from the Department of Veterans Affairs or from a branch of the Armed Forces) certifying to the veteran's present receipt of compensation. Veterans must include dates of military service within the automated application process, and submit a copy of each Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty, DD-214.
  
  
  
  If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
  
  Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from
  schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
  
  Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
• How to Apply
  
  How to Apply: *If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, or Non-career SES employee in the executive branch, you must disclose this information within your application. To apply for this position, you must complete the online application and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below.
  
  Personally Identifiable Information (PII)
  
  Please ensure that you have removed all PII on from all documents prior to submitting or uploading your applications material. PII is defined as information that can be traced back to a specific individual and potentially compromise their security or privacy. Examples of PII include: date of birth, Social Security Number, and place of birth. A complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration.
  
  
  • To begin, click Apply to access the online application. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account to apply. If you do not have a USAJOBS account, you will need to create one before beginning the application.
  • Follow the prompts to select your résumé and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package. You will have the opportunity to upload additional documents to include in your application before it is submitted. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
  • After acknowledging you have reviewed your application package, complete the Include Personal Information section as you deem appropriate and click to continue with the application process.
  • You will be taken to the online application which you must complete in order to apply for the position. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation is included with your application package, and submit the application.
  • If you need technical assistance during the applicant click the Help Center section at the top of the page.
  
  To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account (https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login), all of your applications will appear on the Welcome screen. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/.You MUST apply online. Email, fax or paper resumes will not be accepted. If you experience difficulties with the application process, it is your responsibility to contact the HR Specialist listed in the "Contact Information" before the closing date of this job announcement.
  
  Agency contact information
  
  
  
  John Edmond
  
  Phone
  
  571-272-8479
  
  Email
  
  john.edmond@uspto.gov
  
  Address
  
  EXRD - Patents Branch
  
  Office of Human Resources
  
  Mail Stop 171
  
  P.O. Box 1450
  
  Alexandria, VA 22313-1450
  
  US
  
  Next steps
  
  Candidates are evaluated by an executive rating panel based on the degree to which they meet the PTQs and considering the applicant's education, work-related experience, training, awards, and professional recognition, as set forth in the materials submitted by the candidates and placed in one of three pre-defined quality categories. These categories are "Highly Qualified", "Well Qualified" and "Qualified." Candidates placed in the highest quality category will be identified for referral to the hiring manager and may be invited for an interview.
  
  You will receive notification through USAJOBS at each of the following points during the application process: (1) application received; (2) applicant assessed for qualifications; (3) applicant referred or not referred; and (4) selected or not selected.
  
  You can check the status of your application by logging into USAJobs. You may also sign up to receive automatic emails anytime the status of your application has changed by logging into your USAJobs Account, editing your profile and changing the 'Notification Settings' to indicate that you want to be notified by email when the status changes. Information regarding the status of your application should be updated in the system within 2 weeks after the closing date of this job announcement.
• Fair and Transparent
  
  The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
  
  
  • Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Policy
  • Reasonable accommodation policy
  • Financial suitability
  • Selective Service
  • New employee probationary period
  • Signature and false statements
  • Privacy Act
  • Social security number request

Required Documents

A complete application consists of:

1. A resume or any other written format you choose to describe your job-related qualifications: Your resume should indicate your citizenship and should list your educational and work experience including job titles, salary, employment dates, duties and accomplishments, experience and how it relates to the Professional Technical Qualifications (PTQs) in the job announcement. Please Note: Responses to job questions that are not fully supported by the information in your resume may result in adjustments to your rating.
2. Narrative responses to the PTQs: Do not write "see resume". Applicants are required to input narrative responses to the PTQs in the text boxes as prompted by USAJobs. Each PTQ has a 10,000-character limit (to include spaces) that must be adhered to.
3. Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50) - Please submit a current SF-50 if you are a current or former Federal Employee. Your status eligibility and highest permanent grade/step/salary held in the Federal service will be validated with a copy of your most recent SF-50, "Notification of Personnel Action".
4. Veterans' Preference documentation: If you are a veteran with preference eligibility, you will be asked to submit a copy of your DD-214 containing your discharge disposition, dates of service, and rank. If you are a preference eligible claiming a service connected disability of 10 percent or more, you will be asked to submit documentation (i.e. a letter dated 1991 or later from the Department of Veterans Affairs or from a branch of the Armed Forces) certifying to the veteran's present receipt of compensation. Veterans must include dates of military service within the automated application process, and submit a copy of each Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty, DD-214.

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from
schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.

How to Apply

How to Apply: *If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, or Non-career SES employee in the executive branch, you must disclose this information within your application. To apply for this position, you must complete the online application and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below.

Personally Identifiable Information (PII)

Please ensure that you have removed all PII on from all documents prior to submitting or uploading your applications material. PII is defined as information that can be traced back to a specific individual and potentially compromise their security or privacy. Examples of PII include: date of birth, Social Security Number, and place of birth. A complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration.

• To begin, click Apply to access the online application. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account to apply. If you do not have a USAJOBS account, you will need to create one before beginning the application.
• Follow the prompts to select your résumé and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package. You will have the opportunity to upload additional documents to include in your application before it is submitted. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
• After acknowledging you have reviewed your application package, complete the Include Personal Information section as you deem appropriate and click to continue with the application process.
• You will be taken to the online application which you must complete in order to apply for the position. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation is included with your application package, and submit the application.
• If you need technical assistance during the applicant click the Help Center section at the top of the page.

To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account (https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login), all of your applications will appear on the Welcome screen. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/.You MUST apply online. Email, fax or paper resumes will not be accepted. If you experience difficulties with the application process, it is your responsibility to contact the HR Specialist listed in the "Contact Information" before the closing date of this job announcement.

Agency contact information



John Edmond

Phone

571-272-8479

Email

john.edmond@uspto.gov

Address

EXRD - Patents Branch

Office of Human Resources

Mail Stop 171

P.O. Box 1450

Alexandria, VA 22313-1450

US

Next steps

Candidates are evaluated by an executive rating panel based on the degree to which they meet the PTQs and considering the applicant's education, work-related experience, training, awards, and professional recognition, as set forth in the materials submitted by the candidates and placed in one of three pre-defined quality categories. These categories are "Highly Qualified", "Well Qualified" and "Qualified." Candidates placed in the highest quality category will be identified for referral to the hiring manager and may be invited for an interview.

You will receive notification through USAJOBS at each of the following points during the application process: (1) application received; (2) applicant assessed for qualifications; (3) applicant referred or not referred; and (4) selected or not selected.

You can check the status of your application by logging into USAJobs. You may also sign up to receive automatic emails anytime the status of your application has changed by logging into your USAJobs Account, editing your profile and changing the 'Notification Settings' to indicate that you want to be notified by email when the status changes. Information regarding the status of your application should be updated in the system within 2 weeks after the closing date of this job announcement.

Fair & Transparent

The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.

• Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Policy
• Reasonable accommodation policy
• Financial suitability
• Selective Service
• New employee probationary period
• Signature and false statements
• Privacy Act
• Social security number request