Technical Information Specialist (Searcher)

Take your career to the next level by joining one of the technical offices at the United States Patent and Trademark Office! This position is located in the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), Office of the Associate Commissioner for the Office of Information Technology for Patents (OITP), Scientific and Technical Information Center (STIC), Electronic Information Center Division (EIC).

Telework

The physical worksite for this position is located in Alexandria, Virginia.

Presence at the Alexandria, VA campus is required for this role, as it includes on site functions that must be performed in person.

Position may be eligible for situational telework in accordance with agency policy/business unit discretion. The agency currently allows for 52 hours of telework per leave year.

Duties

The individual selected for this position will…

• Use independent judgement to select from a wide range of available resources.
• Provide authoritative information and research into a wide range of reference questions.
• Develop, implement, and refine search strategies and consult with requesters as needed to discuss search requirements to evaluate complex or unusual case data.
• Review final search product to ensure the search strategy matches the requirements of the search request.

\>\> APPLY on USAJOBS by 10/16/2026

\>\> LEARN MORE about the USPTO's comprehensive benefits

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 Qual Standards.

Applicants must meet the basic occupational qualifications requirements for this position as follows:

Completed a full 4-year course of study that meets all the requirements for a bachelor's degree with major study in the subject-matter field of the position to be filled.

OR

Four years of experience that provided a knowledge of the basic principles, theories, practices, techniques, and terminology of a discipline or subject-matter field; an understanding of the standard methods, procedures, and techniques of research and analysis in the subject-matter field; and where appropriate, ability to read and comprehend nontechnical material in one or more foreign languages. Such experience must have been equivalent to that which would have been gained through a 4-year college curriculum.

OR

A combination of education and experience as described above.

Specialized Experienceis 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, you must possess one full year (52 weeks) of specialized experience equivalent to GS-11 in the Federal service:

In addition to meeting the basic occupational requirements stated above, applicants must possess

one year of specialized experience equivalent in difficulty and responsibility to the GS-11 level in the Federal service

.

Specialized experience for this position includes:

• Conducting searches in commercial databases and systems to locate specific technical information (e.g., related to engineering, scientific, chemical, biotechnology, or real-world process subject matter); AND
• Reviewing search requests and selecting appropriate resources to develop efficient and cost-effective search strategies to find relevant references; AND
• Assisting users in a specialized library or information services environment serving a defined customer group.

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.

Educations

Education may not be substituted for specialized experience at this grade level.

Conditions of Employment

Applications will only be accepted from United States Citizens and Nationals and your resume and question responses must demonstrate the job-related competencies. If selected, you will be required to pass a background investigation.

The full list of conditions and qualifications can be found on the USAJOBS posting.

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 sexual orientation), national origin, political affiliation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions, retaliation for engaging in protected activity, parental status, military service, or other non-merit factors.