USPTO Opportunities!
The USPTO has multiple positions open for patent examiners at the Alexandria Office.
Patent Examiner (Electrical Engineer, Mechanical Engineer, Computer Engineer)
$54,869 – $83,242 / year
Full-time
Supervisory General Engineer – Deputy Associate Director, MS-0801-15
Area of Consideration: Open to the General Public
Salary Range: $54,869 – $83,242.
No. of Openings: MANY vacancies
Opening Date: February 7, 2018
Closing Date: June 5, 2018
Who May Apply: Applications will be accepted from all United States Citizens and Nationals.
Applications will also be accepted from students who expect to complete qualifying education within 9 months from the date of application. USPTO requires verification of successful completion before extending a final offer.
Responsibilities
A patent examiner (PE) reviews 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. As a U.S. patent examiner, you will handle these basic patent examining functions:
Search prior art 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 any related patents, published articles and public demonstrations.
Review patent applications to ensure conformity to formal requirements.
Write legal office actions on patentability and respond to patent applicants.
GS-7: Perform basic patent examining functions with extensive instructions from the supervisor. Training will develop the ability to apply technical concepts to the patent examining process. Assignments combine performance of productive work with supervised on-the-job training.
GS-9: Independently perform basic patent examining functions with some supervision. Assignments are of average difficulty and require the application of technical concepts to the patent examining process. May perform advanced patent examining functions with supervision (e.g., the evaluation of special claim constructions, the requirement of restrictions, the recognition and development of probable interferences, etc.). These advanced activities are supported by close review.