Patent Examiner (Computer Engineer and comparable STEM backgrounds) (REMOTE) - Military Veterans
at The United States Patent and Trademark Office
** To apply, send your resume, transcripts, DD 214, and VA Letter (if applicable) to HireVets@USPTO.gov **
The United States Patent and Trademark Office's (USPTO) patent examiners evaluate next-generation technologies, products, tools, and systems that change how billions of people connect, explore, and interact with one another. The patents we issue and the trademarks we register have the potential to change the world! We're looking for STEM candidates who bring unique perspectives and fresh ideas and energy from all areas of science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine.
>> EXPLORE becoming a patent examiner: http://bit.ly/USPTOPE
>> MEET our diverse group of employees: http://bit.ly/USPTOWhoWeAre
>> LEARN MORE about the USPTO's comprehensive work-life balance package and benefits: https://bit.ly/3yj8yXy
** A recruitment incentive may be paid to an employee who is newly appointed to the Federal Government. **
Duties
As a patent examiner, you will:
- Explore Innovation: Use specialized and cutting-edge technology to search prior art--information known publicly before the filing date of a U.S. patent application--to ensure inventions are unique.
- Review Applications: Assess patent applications for new inventions, making sure they meet our standards and determining if they are eligible for a patent.
- Communicate Findings: Write legal office actions and respond to applicants who have filed a patent application.
How to apply
Email your:
- Resume
- Transcripts
- DD 214
- VA Letter (if applicable)
To: HireVets@USPTO.gov
Learn more about this position at USAJobs.com by visiting: https://bit.ly/3SL4HPB
Qualifications
You must have either (1) successfully completed a full four-year course of study in an accredited college or university leading to a bachelor's or higher degree in engineering, OR (2) a combination of qualifying education and experience.
This can be demonstrated by the following: professional registration as a professional engineer, evidence of passing the Engineer-in-Training (EIT) examination, specified academic courses in the physical, mathematical, and engineering sciences, or related curriculum.
Specialized experience:
- Interpreting and applying advanced engineering and/or scientific principles, theories, concepts, and methodologies used in the evaluation of technology; or
- Planning and conducting technical research to draft technical papers
- Applying appropriate references and case law to claimed inventions. Experience may include independent responsibility for a well-defined study or for a phase of a larger study that required the planning and carrying out of routine (physics, engineer, biological, etc.) work (such as those who have PhDs).
Not sure where your education fits within the qualification requirements? Please review the Patent Examiner Disciplines list to see where your education and experience will fit best within the USPTO: https://bit.ly/pe-crosswalk
If you are a student nearing graduation, within 9 months from the date of your applications, you can still apply! Just submit your application now, and we will verify your degree before your start date.
Education
An engineering curriculum must be accredited by the ABET as a professional engineering curriculum, OR must include differential and integral calculus and courses (more advanced than first-year physics and chemistry) in five of the following seven areas: (a) statics, dynamics; (b) strength of materials (stress-strain relationships); (c) fluid mechanics, hydraulics; (d) thermodynamics; (e) electrical fields and circuits; (f) nature and properties of materials (relating to particle and aggregate structure to properties); or (g) any other comparable area of fundamental engineering science or physics, such as optics, heat transfer, soil mechanics, or electronics.
The full list of qualifications and requirements can be found on the USAJOBS posting: https://bit.ly/3SL4HPB
Conditions of Employment
Applications will only be accepted from United States Citizens and Nationals and your resume and question responses must demonstrate the job-related competencies. If selected, you will be required to pass a background investigation and fingerprint check.
The duties of the position will depend on the level of the role, and the level a selectee is selected for will depend on a vary of factors, including education and experience.
The full list of duties, qualifications, and conditions of employment can be found on the USAJOBS posting: https://bit.ly/3SL4HPB
The USPTO strives to embed diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) in all aspects of our work. Intellectual property is most effective when people of diverse backgrounds and perspectives participate in exchanges with others and programs to drive innovation, entrepreneurship, and creativity for the benefit of all Americans and people around the world. The USPTO incorporates DEIA best practices throughout our exchanges, programs, and community partnerships, and in our workforce and workplace. The agency is committed to addressing barriers based on race, ethnicity, color, national origin, sex, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, religion, geographic location, education, income, socioeconomic status, and other diversity dimensions that may hinder inclusion in the organization. The USPTO's commitment to DEIA strengthens the intellectual property ecosystem and is vital to building trust and partnerships in the United States and around the world.
Fair & Transparent
The Federal hiring process is setup to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
Equal Employment Opportunity Policy
The United States Government does not discriminate in employment 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 factor.
Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) for federal employees & job applicants
Reasonable Accommodation Policy
Federal agencies must provide reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities where appropriate. Applicants requiring reasonable accommodation for any part of the application process should follow the instructions in the job opportunity announcement. For any part of the remaining hiring process, applicants should contact the hiring agency directly. Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis.
A reasonable accommodation is any change to a job, the work environment, or the way things are usually done that enables an individual with a disability to apply for a job, perform job duties or receive equal access to job benefits.
Under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, federal agencies must provide reasonable accommodations when:
- An applicant with a disability needs an accommodation to have an equal opportunity to apply for a job.
- An employee with a disability needs an accommodation to perform the essential job duties or to gain access to the workplace.
- An employee with a disability needs an accommodation to receive equal access to benefits, such as details, training, and office-sponsored events.
You can request a reasonable accommodation at any time during the application or hiring process or while on the job. Requests are considered on a case-by-case basis.
Learn more about disability employment and reasonable accommodations or how to contact an agency.
USA
The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is the Federal agency for granting U.S. patents and registering trademarks. In doing this, the USPTO fulfills the mandate of Article I, Section 8, Clause 8, of the Constitution that the Executive branch "promote the progress of science and the useful arts by securing for limited times to inventors the exclusive right to their respective discoveries." The USPTO registers trademarks based on the Commerce Clause of the Constitution (Article I, Section 8, Clause 3). Under this system of protection, American industry has flourished. New products have been invented, new uses for old ones discovered, and employment opportunities created for millions of Americans. The strength and vitality of the U.S. economy depends directly on effective mechanisms that protect new ideas and investments in innovation and creativity. The continued demand for patents and trademarks underscores the ingenuity of American inventors and entrepreneurs. The USPTO is at the cutting edge of the Nation's technological progress and achievement.
The USPTO advises the President of the United States, the Secretary of Commerce, and U.S. Government agencies on intellectual property (IP) policy, protection, and enforcement; and promotes the stronger and more effective IP protection around the world. The USPTO furthers effective IP protection for U.S. innovators and entrepreneurs worldwide by working with other agencies to secure strong IP provisions in free trade and other international agreements. It also provides training, education, and capacity building programs designed to foster respect for IP and encourage the development of strong IP enforcement regimes by U.S. trading partners.