Job Title:Management Information Specialist

Department:Department Of Commerce

Agency:Patent and Trademark Office

Job Announcement Number:OGC-2012-0050

SALARY RANGE:	$51,630.00 to $81,204.00 / Per Year
OPEN PERIOD:	Friday, June 08, 2012 to Monday, June 18, 2012
SERIES & GRADE:	GS-0301-09/11
POSITION INFORMATION:	This is a Full-Time, Permanent, - Career/Career-Conditional appointment in the Competitive Service.
PROMOTION POTENTIAL: 11
DUTY LOCATIONS:	FEW vacancy(s) - Alexandria, VA, USView Map
WHO MAY BE CONSIDERED:	Applications will be accepted from all United States Citizens and Nationals.   This position is also being announced under the USPTO’s Merit Promotion Program, the Job Announcement Number is OGC-2012-0051.  Please review that announcement to determine if you are eligible for consideration under the Merit Promotion Program.

JOB SUMMARY:

The US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) is looking for a creative, hands-on, tech savvy liaison to provide new ideas, technical guidance and leadership. As a Management Information Specialist, you will update and maintain the Internet and Intranet sites; analyze current Information Technology (IT) hardware and software; recommend new system acquisitions; and help to resolve technical problems and issues for the Office of General Counsel (OGC). Your guidance and counsel will be invaluable in solving technological challenges. And, since our jobs are as diverse as the service we provide, USPTO is a great place to build and expand your career.

The USPTO is responsible for granting U.S. patents, registering trademarks, and advising the President of the United States, the Secretary of Commerce, and U.S. government agencies on intellectual property (IP) policy, protection, and enforcement. 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 USPTO is at the cutting edge of the Nation's technological progress and achievement. For more information about the USPTO, please visit our website at www.usptocareers.gov.

KEY REQUIREMENTS



• You must be a U.S. citizen or national.
• Your resume and question responses must demonstrate the job-related KSAs.
• You must meet the definition of specialized experience.

QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED:

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. Additional information on the qualification requirements is outlined in the OPM Qualifications Standards Handbook of General Schedule Positions. It is available for your review on the OPM website at http://www.opm.gov/qualifications.

Specialized experience: is experience taht has equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully 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.

Candidates for the GS-09 grade level must have at least 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower GS-07 grade level in the Federal service. Specialized experience for this position is defined as experience: developing web pages using HTML and associated scripting and graphics integration; troubleshooting system problems; and assisting in the setup and configuration of new hardware and software. 

Candidates for the GS-11 grade level must have at least 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower GS-09 grade level in the Federal service. Specialized experience for this position is defined as experience: building and maintaining web sites using Web Content Management or web development applications; developing web pages using HTML and associated scripting and graphics integration; troubleshooting system problems; and assisting in the setup and configuration of new hardware and software.

- Education can be substituted for specialized experience at both the GS-09 and GS-11 grade levels. For GS-09, a master's or equivalent graduate degree, or 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree, or an LL.B. or J.D., if related can be substituted for specialized experience. For GS-11, a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree, or 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree, or an LL.M., if related can be substituted for specialized experience.

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HOW YOU WILL BE EVALUATED:

Your eligibility for consideration and qualifications for the position will be determined based upon a review of your detailed resume and your responses to job specific self-assessment questions. 

Your resume will be evaluated based on evidence of your ability to demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) for this position, possession of any specialized experience, and how well your background and experience relates to the self-assessment questions in the job announcement.  The self-assessment questions relate to the following knowledge, skills, abilities, and competencies:

KSA 1 - Practical knowledge of IT practices and procedures in order to perform systems administration duties, troubleshoot user problems, and solve operational and support problems.

KSA 2 - Knowledge of Federal information technology laws, regulations, policies, and practices to provide accurate and timely products and service to managers and customers.

KSA 3 - Knowledge of requirements analysis methods in order to evaluate and make recommendations for IT solutions to facilitate office’s mission.

KSA 4 - Skill in utilizing tact and diplomacy while communicating orally in order to consult with customers and team members and to build teamwork and cooperation. 

KSA 5 - Knowledge of written communications in order to provide quality written products for customers to include: systems requirements, cost estimates, web pages, assessments, and reports. 

Your application will then be evaluated and rated under Category Rating and Selection procedures. Category rating procedures evaluate your total qualifying experience, education, and training and assigns them into a single, pre-defined quality category  Qualified applicants are assigned to one of three categories following a review of their resume and other supporting documentation. Each category is defined as follows:

Best Qualified - Applicant possesses exceptional experience with a background that demonstrates a superior level of knowledge, skills, abilities, and competencies required to perform the duties of the position.

Well Qualified - Applicant possesses good experience with a background that demonstrates a satisfactory level of knowledge, skills, abilities, and competencies required to perform the duties of the position.

Qualified - Applicant possesses the minimum qualifications with a background that demonstrates a basic level of knowledge, skills, abilities, and competencies required to perform the duties of the position.

Veterans’ preference is applied by listing preference eligibles ahead of non­-preference eligibles within the same quality category in which they are placed. Qualified preference eligibles with a compensable service-connected disability of at least 10 percent will be placed at the top of the highest quality category (‘Best Qualified’), except when the position being filled is scientific or professional at the GS-9 grade level or higher.  A selecting official may make selections from the highest quality category (Best Qualified) provided no preference eligible in that category is passed over to select a non-preference eligible in that category.   

For more information on category rating procedures, please visit http://www.opm.gov/employ/category_rating/cr_factsheet.pdf. 

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).