Patent Examiner (Mechanical Engineering and comparable STEM backgrounds)

Duties

Summary

The United States Patent and Trademark Offices (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! Were looking for STEM candidates who bring unique perspectives and fresh ideas and energy from all areas of science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine.

Requirements

Qualifications

BASIC REQUIREMENTS for all grade levels in this series include:A) (1) successfully completed a full four-year course of study in an accredited college or university leading to a bachelors or higher degree in engineering, OR (2) a combination of qualifying education and experience.This can be demonstrated by one of the following: Professional registration--Current registration as a professional engineer by any state, the District of Columbia, Guam, or Puerto Rico. Written test--Evidence of passing the Engineer-in-Training (EIT) examination or the written test required for professional registration, administered by the Boards of Engineering Examiners in various states, the District of Columbia, Guam, and Puerto Rico. Specified academic courses--Successful completion of at least 60 semester hours in the physical, mathematical, and engineering sciences and including the courses specified in the basic requirements. The courses must be fully acceptable toward meeting the requirements of a professional engineering curriculum as described in paragraph A. Related curriculum--Successful completion of a curriculum leading to a bachelors degree in engineering technology or in an appropriate professional field (for example, physics, chemistry, architecture, computer science, mathematics, hydrology, or geology) may be accepted in lieu of an engineering degree, provided the applicant has had at least one year of professional engineering experience with professional engineering supervision and guidance. The curriculum must: Be accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) as a professional engineering curriculum; OR 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. OR B) A combination of education and experience. This combination of college-level education, training, and/or technical experience must have furnished both: a thorough knowledge of the physical and mathematical sciences underlying professional engineering; AND a good understanding, both theoretical and practical, of the engineering sciences and techniques and their application to professional engineering. Applicants must also meet the additional requirements listed below. Applicants for the GS-7 position have many ways to qualify. In addition to the basic requirements as stated above, applicants may have A, B, C, D or E listed below to qualify: (A) One year of graduate-level education from an accredited college and/or university in an engineering field of study. (B) Superior Academic Achievement. This can be defined by one of the following: Class standing--Upper third of the graduating class in the college, university, or major subdivision, such as the School of Engineering and Applied Science or College of Science and Technology based on completed courses. Grade point average (GPA) as recorded on the final transcript--3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0 as recorded on the official transcript, or as computed based on four years of education, or as computed based on courses completed during the final two years of the curriculum; or 3.5 or higher out of a possible 4.0 based on the average of the required courses completed in the major field or the required courses in the major field completed during the final two years of the curriculum. The GPA is rounded to one decimal place (2.95 = 3.0 and 2.94 = 2.9). The final transcript must cover the period being used to determine the GPA. Honor society membership--Election to membership in a national scholastic honor society. Please review the list of qualified honor societies. (C) One year of specialized experience applying basic engineering, biological science, physics, or scientific principles, theories, concepts, and methodologies used in the evaluation of technology; assisting in the collection of and recognizing discrepancies in data. Examples of work include taking measurements and collecting information, learning to take proper samples, conducting routine calculations, checking of numerical data, preparing graphs and data profiles, and/or accomplishing routine analyses. (D) A combination of successfully completed graduate-level education, that is beyond the first year of progressive graduate study and professional engineering experience. (E) Successful completion of a 5-year program of study of at least 160 semester hours leading to a bachelors degree in engineering. Applicants for the GS-9 position have many ways to qualify. In addition to the basic requirements as stated above, applicants may have A, B, C, D or E listed below to qualify: (A) Two years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a masters degree or masters or equivalent graduate degree from an accredited college and/or university in an engineering field of study. (B) One year of specialized experience, interpreting and applying engineering, biological science, physics, scientific principles, theories, concepts, and methodologies used in the evaluation of technology; participating in planning and conducting research; applying appropriate references to the claimed invention; etc. Work experience would have involved following established methods and procedures, or detailed instructions; using some judgment in applying basic principles and procedures; and independently completing recurring assignments, but referring deviations, problems, and unfamiliar situations to a designated person for decision or help. (C) A combination of education and experience in college-level education, training, and/or technical experience. (D) A combination of successfully completed progressive graduate-level education, as described above, that is beyond the first year of graduate study and professional experience. (E) A combination of superior academic achievement and 1 year of appropriate specialized experience.

We need our Patent Examiners to demonstrate versatility, display leadership qualities, and possess enthusiasm about the work theyre undertaking as we continue to push innovation forward. With your technical expertise, you will review cutting edge inventions making patentability determinations, managing deadlines and deliverables. You can also do your job from the comfort of your home or wherever you prefer to work remotely in the United States, including Puerto Rico. The USPTOs mission is to foster innovation, competitiveness, and job growth in the United States by enabling individuals and entities to generate economic benefits through creation, invention, and branding. Our work is evident in nearly every home, office, lab, and hospital around the world. Our efforts help save lives, improve peoples standard of living, and provide breathtaking images from inside the human body to the far corners of our galaxy and beyond. We aim to make peoples lives better through the work we do. Why choose us | USPTO