IAC Specialist

IAC Specialist

Koniag Professional Services, LLC, a Koniag Government Services company, has an opportunity for professionals knowledgeable and proficient in a broad spectrum of Patent-related information attained at the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) to become part of the Inventors Assistance Center (IAC) team.  These Specialists answer customer inquiries and provide patent assistance and information to the public.  These are direct, part-time positions with our company, initially working at the customer site in Alexandria, VA, with telecommuting options following completion of IAC training.

 Summary:  Specialists provide telephonic contact center support to the general public who seek information regarding patent applications, patent examination policy, patent fees, patent forms, patent processes, petition information, post issuance information, rule interpretations and other topics related to the protection of Intellectual Property, both domestic and international.

 Essential Duties and Job Functions:

• Answer customer calls and voicemails presented to the Inventors Assistance Center (IAC)
• Availability to work various shift lengths which occur between the hours of 9:00 AM and 6:00 PM, ET, Monday through Friday, except on Federal holidays
• Ability to work from an alternate work site (e.g., home or office) commensurate with general USPTO policies and OCIO Rules of the Road regarding equipment and security prerequisites
• Maintain availability to answer calls within 2-minutes of call arrival in queue, 90% of the time
• Maintain currency with USPTO rules, policies and procedures by reading USPTO emails, public notices and/or internal issued bulletins
• Provide one-stop service to callers that maintains a minimum 84% customer satisfaction rating for team performance
• Document all customer interactions (incoming and outgoing) via the USPTO CRM (Salesforce)
• Transfer callers to other departments or parts of the Office as infrequently as possible
• Guide callers to the USPTO website and/or IAC landing page so they can achieve self-sufficiency with obtaining necessary forms, application types, fee schedules and other requested information
• When a caller has limited computer access, forms and certain documents in PDF format can be emailed to the customer if requested
• Direct callers to public Patent registered legal assistance services
• Suggest regional assistance via Patent & Trademark Resource Centers (PTRC) in each state

Accountable For:

• Paced and timely completion of all work
• Ability to work in a team environment (in the IAC Office and/or alternate work site)
• Adherence to contract requirements
• Remote communication with supervisory chain
• Adherence to government and company policies and procedures
• Knowledge of the MPEP (Manual of Patent Examining Procedure) as issued by the Department of Commerce, U. S. Patent and Trademark Office
• General knowledge of 35 U.S.C. (United States Code) in reference to Patent law
• Significant years of experience as a Primary Patent Examiner with signature authority or Supervisory Patent Examiner who provides working knowledge of the patent examination process, the application process, application rejection and other events that occur within the USPTO
• Effective communication skills and motivation to serve the general public with exceptional customer service at all times

Required

• Retired federal employee of the USPTO patent office with experience as a Primary Patent Examiner with signature authority or above
• Experience showing good customer communication and interpersonal skills
• High motivation to serve the public with exceptional customer service
• Computer knowledge and ability to use various desktop applications specific to the USPTO
• Computer knowledge of various public applications which serve the USPTO customers
• Verbally capable of clearly explaining various aspects of:  patent versus trademark versus copyright; technical and Intellectual Property terms, forms, applications, petitions, assignees, inventors, inventor partners, fees, provisional versus non-provisional, design versus utility patents, declarations, specifications, claims and drawings and other related aspects of the patent process

Preferred

• Retirement date after final implementation of the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act (AIA)
• Registered Patent Agent (permits qualified search of application for the applicant/inventor(s) before the USPTO)
• Registered Patent Attorney (permits prosecution of application for the applicant/inventor(s) before the USPTO)
• Patent prosecuting experience outside of the USPTO as a public Patent Agent or Patent Attorney

Our Equal Employment Opportunity Policy

The company is an equal opportunity employer. The company shall not discriminate against any employee or applicant because of race, color, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender, or gender identity (except where gender is a bona fide occupational qualification), national origin, age, disability, military/veteran status, marital status, genetic information, or any other factor protected by law.  We are committed to equal employment opportunity in all decisions related to employment, promotion, wages, benefits and all other privileges, terms, and conditions of employment.

The company is dedicated to seeking all qualified applicants. If you require accommodation to navigate or to apply for a position on our website, please contact Heaven Wood via e-mail at [email protected] or by calling 703-488-9377 to request accommodation. 

 Koniag Government Services (KGS) is an Alaska Native Owned corporation supporting the values and traditions of our native communities through an agile employee and corporate culture that delivers Enterprise Solutions, Professional Services and Operational Management to Federal Government Agencies. As a wholly owned subsidiary of Koniag, we apply our proven commercial solutions to a deep knowledge of Defense and Civilian missions to provide forward leaning technical, professional, and operational solutions. KGS enables successful mission outcomes for our customers through solution-oriented business partnerships and a commitment to exceptional service delivery. We ensure long-term success with a continuous improvement approach while balancing the collective interests of our customers, employees, and native communities. For more information, please visit www.koniag-gs.com.

Equal Opportunity Employer/Veterans/Disabled. Shareholder Preference in accordance with Public Law 88-352