Summary If you're looking for a highly technical, hands-on role in a multi-faceted and fast paced environment, you've come to the right place! This position is located in the Office of Patent Application Processing (OPAP)/Front End Processing (FEP) Division/FEP Branch. The incumbent serves as a Lead Quality Control Specialist who will provide technical and analytical expertise and assistance in the quality control process review. Responsibilities The physical worksite for this position is located in Alexandria, Virginia.This position is telework eligible per agency and business unit discretion/policy. This role is the ideal next career step for you if: *You want to play a key role inspecting, evaluating and validating the quality and accuracy of patent document codes and document images within Patent automation systems to ensure compliance with Patent and Trademark Office PTO policies, procedures and requirements as set forth in the Manual of Patent Examining Procedures (MPEP). *Serves as a team leader responsible for ensuring that the work of an assigned team of employees is accomplished and for performing technical work assignments which are the same kind of work performed as the employee being led. *You are well versed in performing a range of leadership, coaching, and coordinating duties to ensure that the work of the assigned team is carried out in accordance with applicable laws, regulations, policies, and management goals of the FEP Division. *You are a leader who will represent the views of the team and conveys the team's findings and recommendations in meetings and dealings with other team leaders, program officials and customers on issues related to the team's objectives, work products, and/or tasks. 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 all eligibility and qualifications requirements by the closing date of the job announcement. OPM Qualifications Standards are available at OPM Website. Specialized Experience is experience that has equipped applicants with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform 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 in the federal service. For this position, the next lower grade level is a GS-9. Candidates for the GS-11 must possess one of the following: three full years of progressively higher-level graduate education, Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or 3 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.M., if related or 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to at least GS-9 grade level in the federal service; or a combination of graduate education AND experience equivalent the next lower GS-9 grade level that meets 100% of the qualification requirements for this position. Specialized experience for this position includes: : knowledge of leadership or supervisory principles, practices, and methods sufficient to manage or lead the operations of a centralized program support and services organization which provides a variety of core administrative, technical, and clerical functions; knowledge of the overall functions, policies, procedures, and administrative stages and requirements of the patent application process to provide technical support and assistance in the examination process; skills in applying analytical and evaluative methods and techniques in the development of new procedures and approaches to identify and resolve significant issues and operating problems; identify trends and making written and oral improvement recommendation in the area of work quality, customer satisfaction and process and procedures to internal senior management as well as external stakeholders. 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. Education If this position requires proof of higher education, or 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 coursework 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 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 USPTO Reasonable 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).