Attorney Advisor IP Attache

About the role

The Attorney-Adviser provides authoritative advice and guidance to post senior and executive staff, U.S. Embassy executives, other government agencies, international organizations, U.S. businesses, and foreign governments regarding complex legal issues, opinions specifically related to intellectual property rights, U.S. law, and the intellectual property infrastructure in the host country.

What you will do

• This position is located in the U.S. Embassy Beijing, China Commercial Section.
• The incumbent will serve as an Intellectual Property (IP) Attaché in Beijing for the United States & Foreign Commercial Service (US&FCS), and United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
• The position requires knowledge of all fields of IP and international agreements governing IP, including IP office operation and administration, IP training, and adherence to IP standards of protection and enforcement.
• As an IP Attaché, the incumbent will act as a resource on the intellectual property regimes of China and Mongolia for other U.S. Government agencies.
• This position reports to the Senior Commercial Officer and the USPTO IP Attaché Program Director, and must coordinate with the Economics Section, other parts of the U.S. Embassy Beijing and the USPTO.
• Typical duties performed include but are not limited to: Serves as an expert in intellectual property, as well as international trade, legislative procedures and executive branch decision making related to intellectual property.
• Promotes high standards of intellectual property protection and enforcement in host country and/or region.
• In doing so, the incumbent carries out U.S. objectives to promote improvements in patent, trademark and copyright legal systems internationally for the benefit of U.S. interests.
• The incumbent develops, in consultation with appropriate USPTO representatives, strategic plans for engaging countries in the region to improve their intellectual property regimes.
• Serves as the USPTO representative on U.S. delegations to international meetings on intellectual property to develop international agreements, revise existing agreements or address implementation of agreements or treaties.
• Responsible for program areas of international trade and intellectual property; and identifies and addresses impediments affecting the program areas.
• Exercises managerial authority over local staff.

Requirements

• Applicants must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement.
• Please see "Additional Information" for requirements and Conditions of Employment.
• Any required investigations and clearances must be completed before the selectee can be placed in the position.
• Must be a US Citizen or US National.
• Must be able to obtain and maintain a Top-Secret security clearance.
• Must pass pre-employment & post-employment random drug testing.
• Must be registered with Selective Service System.
• Must be able to obtain a medical clearance for worldwide assignment.

Education

POSITIVE EDUCATIONAL REQUIREMENTS: You must have a graduate degree, with an LL.M. or J.

D. from a full course of study in a School of Law accredited by the American Bar Association, or a State Accredited Law School, and be a current member in good standing of the bar of a State, Territory of the United States, the District of Columbia, Commonwealth of Puerto Rico or the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.Applicants must possess the following criteria before the closing date of this announcement in order to be eligible for the position: You must have a graduate degree, with an LL.M or J.

D. from a full course of study in a School of Law accredited by the American Bar Association, or a State Accredited Law School; Be a current member in good standing of the bar of a State, Territory of the United States, the District of Columbia, Commonwealth of Puerto Rico or the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands; Posses at least four years of professional legal/law experience; and Posses at least one year of specialized experience.

How you will be evaluated

We will review your resume, optional cover letter, and supporting documentation to determine if you meet the minimum qualification requirements for the position as described in this vacancy announcement.

If you meet the qualification requirements stated in the vacancy announcement, we will compare your resume and supporting documentation to your responses to the vacancy questions. Your resume and supporting documentation must support your responses to the vacancy questions, or your score may be lowered.

High self-assessment in the vacancy questions that is not supported by information in your resume and/or supporting documents may eliminate you from further consideration and/or best qualified status. The best qualified candidates will be identified for referral to the selecting official/hiring manager.

Your answers to the questions in the online application process serve as the basis for your initial rating and will determine who is best qualified for this position; only the best qualified candidates will be referred to the selecting official for further consideration.

To preview questions, please click the following link: ***

Documents you must provide

• Resume - should not exceed two (2) pages in length, showing relevant experience; cover letter is optional.
• If more than two (2) pages are submitted for the resume, only the first two pages will be reviewed to determine eligibility/qualifications.
• Your resume should list all your educational and work experience including dates (mm/dd/yy) of each employment along with the number of hours worked per week and relevant experience.
• Your resume may be used to validate your responses to the qualifications/assessment.
• Your resume should also indicate your citizenship and if you are a male born after 12/31/1959, show that you are registered with the Selective Service System.
• Your resume must include the following - Full name, mailing address (including zip code), and day and evening telephone numbers.
• Confirmation of your registration in the Selective Service, if you are registered for Selective Service if you are a male born after 12/31/59.
• Work experience including the dates (mm/dd/yy) of each employment along with the number of hours worked per week.
• Include paid and non-paid job-related work experience.
• For each job listed you are to provide: Job title Duties and accomplishments Employer's name and address Supervisor's name and phone number Starting and ending dates (mm/dd/yy) Salary If Federal; Title, Series, and grade/pay band Education: An applicant must have successfully completed a full course of study in a school of law accredited by the American Bar Association (ABA) and have the first professional law degree (LL.M. or J.D.).
• Law school transcripts must be submitted at the time of application.
• Bar Membership: An applicant must be a current member in good standing of the bar of a State, Territory of the United States, the District of Columbia, Commonwealth of Puerto Rico or the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
• A copy of your bar membership must be submitted at the time of the application.
• Failure to provide any of the above may disqualify you from consideration for the position for which you are applying.
• IMPORTANT: If you do not submit required documentation described in this job opportunity announcement, your application will be deemed incomplete, and you will be ineligible for further consideration for this vacancy.
• You may submit required and/or supplemental documents through any of the following methods: Upload your file(s).
• Download from your USAJOBS account.

What to expect next

You will receive notice that your application has been received. You can check the status of your application by accessing the USAJOBS website at *** - Click on the MY USAJOBS, which brings you to the login screen. - Login to your account. - You can check your status by either clicking on Track your online job Applications or on the APPLICATIONS tab.

Other than the system status, we will not provide any additional information about why an applicant did not make the referral list. Note: USAJOBS accounts are deactivated after 18 months of inactivity. If your account has been deactivated, you should create an entirely new resume.

It is to your advantage to update your resume at least twice a year to maintain your marketability and to avoid deactivation.

Additional information

Qualifications and Eligibility Requirements: Any required investigations and clearances must be completed before the selectee can be placed in the position. SECURITY CLEARANCE: You must obtain and maintain a Top-Secret security clearance. MEDICAL CLEARANCE: You must be able to obtain a medical clearance for worldwide assignment (including dependents if applicable).

VETERANS PREFERENCE: Veterans' preference does not apply to this vacancy as an Attorney Appointment within the Excepted Service. While there is no formal rating system for applying veterans' preference to attorney appointments in the excepted service, the Department considers veterans' preference eligibility a positive factor in the hiring process.

If claiming veteran's preference, you must indicate the type of veteran's preference you are claiming on your resume. Any supporting documentation received from veterans will be retained to document veteran's status if selected.

DRUG TESTING: Under the Department of Commerce's Drug Free Workplace Plan, all applicants tentatively selected for this position will be required to submit to a urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment, and if appointed the incumbent will be subjected to random drug testing procedures. TOUR OF DUTY: Initial tour of duty is two (2) years.

Extension(s) in one (1) year increments up to the statutory maximum of five (5) years are possible, however, extensions are not guaranteed and no promise of an extension is implied FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE: You must complete a Financial Disclosure Report within 30 days of appointment. FOREIGN SERVICE: Starting Foreign Service Officer Salary is commensurate with experience.

Current Federal applicants/employees will be appointed/converted at their current grade level. Upon appointment/conversion to the Foreign Service, there are no promotion opportunities. Employees will be converted/appointed in accordance with Subchapter 200-1 of DAO 202-900.

RE-EMPLOYMENT WITH LOSING AGENCY: An employee of any agency who accepts, with the consent of the head of that agency, a limited appointment in the Foreign Service under section 309 of the Foreign Service Act of 1980 is entitled, upon the expiration of that appointment, to be reemployed in that employee's former position or in a corresponding or higher position in that agency.

Upon reemployment under this section, an employee shall be entitled to any within-grade increases in pay which the employee would have received if the employee had remained in the former position in the agency. APPLICANTS WITH A DISABILITY: The Department of Commerce provides reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities.

If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify the Office of Foreign Service Human Capital contact identified in this vacancy. The decision on granting reasonable accommodation will be on a case-by-case basis.

THE DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE IS AN EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY (EEO) EMPLOYER.

SELECTIVE SERVICE REQUIREMENT: Male applicants born after December 31, 1959, must certify at the time of appointment that they have registered with the Selective Service System or are exempt from having to do so under Selective Service law.

You must meet the qualification requirements for this position no later than the closing date of the vacancy announcement.