Attorney Advisor IP Attache

Attorney Advisor IP Attache

Department: Department of Commerce

Location(s): Seoul, South Korea

Salary Range: $154972 - $197200 Per Year

Job Summary: The incumbent will serve as an Attorney Advisor (IP Attache) in Seoul, South Korea for the International Trade Administration/Global Markets (ITA/GM) and United States Patent and Trademark Office. This position reports to the Foreign Commercial Service (FCS) Senior Commercial Officer and USPTO IP Attache Program Director, who directs the incumbent, reviews the incumbent's performance and ensures consistency with agency and administration priorities.

Major Duties:

• The Attorney-Advisor 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. As the Attorney-Advisor, the incumbent serves as Advisor to U.S. Embassy staff, other DOC agencies, Foreign Service Commercial staff at posts, other U.S. government agencies, and U.S. companies; interpreting U.S. and host country laws, calling their attention to host country actions that may affect U.S. intellectual property policy and business concerns. 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 and advocates for 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. Assists U. S. businesses with IP related challenges in Korea and Japan. The incumbent develops, in consultation with the appropriate USPTO representatives, strategic plans for engaging countries in the region to improve their intellectual property regimes. Serves as the United States Patent and Trademark Office representative on U. S. delegations to international meetings on intellectual property to develop international agreements, revise existing agreements or address implementation of agreements and treaties. Develops in cooperation with USPTO headquarters and host governments, and conducts programs on IP matters to improve IP systems and build public awareness of IP in Japan and Korea. Exercises managerial authority over Locally Employed Staff. Responsible for program areas of international trade and intellectual property; and identifies and addresses impediments affecting the program areas. Work may also involve, recommending policies and developing procedures and regulations to implement new or amend legislation.

Qualifications: To qualify for the FP-0905-01, (GS-15 equivalency), you must have a minimum of four (4) years of professional legal/law experience and one (1) year of specialized experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to that of a GS-14 in the Federal Service. Your resume will be evaluated based on evidence of your ability to clearly demonstrate the required professional law experience, specialized experience and knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs). Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs): Knowledge of foreign and domestic intellectual property laws, the effect of U.S. political relationships and positions with respect to other countries on the protection of intellectual property internationally, foreign and domestic laws affecting the rights of U.S. citizens and foreign nationals and/or international agreements, treaties, etc., including business or economic matters affecting the same. Ability to prepare expert legal analysis on intellectual property issues developing in the host country and the region. Ability to express orally and in writing complex legal issues and interrelationships of public policy interests and issues impacting agency programs. Ability to develop and maintain effective working relationships with high-level officials. Experience supervising professional staff and managing resources in a technical or legal organization. Must have a minimum of four (4) years of general law practice and one (1) year of specialized experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to that of a GS-14 in the Federal Service. Professional Legal/Law Experience for all attorneys: Professional legal/law experience is experience that has equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) to successfully perform the duties of the position to be filled. This experience is characterized by: Breadth and depth of experience in rendering professional legal advice and services with respect to questions, regulations, practices, or other matters falling within the purview of a Federal government agency, private sector, law firm, or other organization; Preparing interpretative and administrative orders, rules, or regulations to give effect to the provisions of governing statutes or other requirements of law; Drafting, negotiating, or examining contracts or other legal documents; Drafting, preparing formal comments, or making substantive recommendations regarding proposed legislation; Editing and preparing for publication statutes enacted by Congress and opinions or decisions of a court, commission, or board; Drafting and reviewing decisions for consideration and adoption by an organization or official; Conducting investigations to obtain facts; determining questions of law; studying, analyzing and evaluating legal precedents, to present findings. Legal work is described as: Extremely complex and difficult and requires a high order of original and creative legal endeavor in balancing conflicting interests; Having broad or wide-scope impact on an economy, industry, private or public interests; and May involve directly or indirectly very large sums of money. Work may also involve acting as principal attorney in charge of the preparation and presentation of cases; recommending policies and developing procedures and regulations to implement new or amended legislation; and acting as legal, general or senior counsel to a major firm or organization. Specialized experience is defined as experience that has equipped you with the knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position and are defined below: Knowledge of all fields of Intellectual Property (IP) and international IP agreements. Assisting in and/or devising the correct strategy for resolving complex issues by applying sound knowledge of the fields of foreign policy, international trade and IP. Strong communication skills to liaise with local contacts and work closely with appropriate Embassy officials on developments. Ability to write a variety of documents including policy, speeches, talking points, briefs and options. Ability to provide succinct, timely and comprehensive reports, both orally and in writing. Provide guidance and assistance in negotiating on IP matters in bilateral and/or multilateral settings. Planning, organizing and/or executing training and outreach programs on complex IP issues. Experience in providing guidance and assistance on the basic principles governing protection of intellectual property, such as patents, trademarks, copyrights and trade secrets and/or treaties administered by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in order to monitor foreign governments' implementation of trade agreements and to assess foreign governments' compliance with international trade obligations. Knowledge of U.S. statues, regulations, decisions and policies and international arrangements pertaining to international trade and intellectual property to enable development of proposals or recommendations that may alter (e.g. improve property protection for U.S. interests) domestic and international law on international property or affect the role or operation of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Writing a variety of legal documents, including policy, speeches, testimonies, talking points, briefs, opinions. Ability to supervise, manage, and oversee a subordinate staff engaged in legal work.

How to Apply: Applicants applying under this announcement are required to complete and submit an on-line application through the Office of Personnel Management's (OPM) application system, USAJOBS at website http://www.usajobs.gov/. The information you provide and your resume will become part of your application and will automatically be transferred to the Department of Commerce's application system when you apply on-line. Information you provide is general information that must be completed by all applicants. There are several parts of the application process that will affect your overall evaluation: (i). Your on-line resume, (ii). Your responses to the vacancy questions, (iii). Your supporting documentation. Your complete application, including required documents, must be received on-line by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the closing date of this announcement.

Application Deadline: 2026-05-28