USPTO INTERN PROGRAM - STUDENT TRAINEE

USPTO INTERN PROGRAM - STUDENT TRAINEE

Department: Department of Commerce

Location(s): Alexandria, Virginia

Salary Range: $41659 - $60593 Per Year

Job Summary: This exciting internship opportunity will start early June and will not exceed 90 days. Imagine starting your career working side by side with intellectual property (IP) leaders as part of USPTO's Internship Program. Join us as part of a team that makes meaningful changes with a global impact across the IP Community.

Major Duties:

• As a USPTO Intern, you will receive practical, virtual hands-on experience by engaging in a variety of diverse and challenging activities. This exciting opportunity is ideal for you if: You're inspired by innovative environments that allow you to contribute to the accomplishment of organizational goals. You're interested in engaging directly with agency leadership to gain insight into the USPTO mission by participating in regular senior level sessions. You desire to explore federal careers while completing your education. You enjoy learning through routine and recurring developmental assignments which will help acquire knowledge and understanding of functions, principles, practices, and methods used in the areas of innovation and intellectual property while completing your education. You're committed to training and development on various topics relating to the USPTO and government service. You're interested in getting experience in legal writing and analysis. You're excited about assisting with special projects and new initiatives. You're a relationship builder who finds enjoyment in participating in group/team assignments and assisting with research, analysis, statistics and reporting out your findings. You're an effective writer who finds interest in drafting various documents and reports, creating spreadsheets and charts, etc., to present a variety of data and information. You are excited to assist with IT projects that will change the way we do business. You're enthused and interested in observing appeal hearings, cases, and panels. You'll get to choose from one of the Organizational Offices below where you can best showcase your skills and make an immediate impact. The Office of the Under Secretary (OUS) Office of the Commissioner for Patents (Patents) Office of the Commissioner for Trademarks (Trademarks) Office of the Chief Financial Officer (OCFO) Office of the Chief Administrative Officer (OCAO) Office of Policy and International Affairs (OPIA) Office of the Chief Communications Officer (OCCO) Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB) Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) Office of Public Engagement (OPE) Office of Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Office of General Counsel (OGC)

Qualifications: To Be Eligible for an Appointment Under the Pathways Internship Program you must meet the following requirements: Student applicants must be accepted for enrollment or enrolled and seeking a degree (diploma, certificate, etc.) in a qualifying educational institution, on a full or half-time basis as defined by the institution in which the student is enrolled. Student Trainees must be in good academic standing, as defined by the institution they are attending. Generally, a student must maintain at least a 2.5 Grade Point Average (GPA) for undergraduate programs (cumulative; no rounding) and a 3.0 GPA for advanced degree programs. Individuals must meet the definition of a student throughout the duration of their internship appointment. To qualify for this position, you must meet BOTH the Pathway Internship Eligibility requirements as well as the minimum Qualifications for the position. 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 Pathways Internship positions. To qualify for the GS-4 grade level: Completion of 2 full academic years of post-high school study or an associate's degree. Two full academic years of undergraduate credit hours determined by the college or university attended. All education beyond high school must be accredited by an accrediting body or organization recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. To qualify for the GS-5 grade level: Completion of 4 full academic years of post-high school leading to a bachelor's degree or equivalent degree. Qualifying education includes technical, trade, or vocational school; college or university; a graduate or professional school (e.g., law school or medical school); or a post-secondary homeschool curriculum. All education beyond high school must be accredited by an accrediting body or organization recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. 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.

How to Apply: Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply and be considered for this position, you must complete all required questionnaires, assessments and submit all required documentation as specified in the How to Apply and Required Documents section. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration. The application process is as follows: Click the Apply Online button. Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation. Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59 PM (ET) on the announcement closing date. If you are required to complete any USA Hire Assessments, you will be notified after submitting your application. The notification will be provided in your application submission screen and via email. The notification will include your unique assessment access link to the USA Hire system and the completion deadline. Additionally, in USAJOBS you can click "Track this application" to return to your assessment completion notice. Access USA Hire using your unique assessment link. Access is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials. Review all instructions prior to beginning your assessments. You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation before beginning the assessments should you have a disability covered under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended. Set aside at least 2 hours to take the USA Hire Assessments; however, most applicants complete the assessments in less time. If you need to stop the assessments and continue later, you can re-use your unique assessment link. Your responses to the USA Hire Assessments will be reused for one year (in most cases) from the date you complete an assessment. If future applications you submit require completion of the same assessments, your responses will be automatically reused. Visit the USA Hire Applicant Resource Center for practice assessments and assessment preparation resources at https://support-usahire.opm.gov/hc/en-us. To update your application, including supporting documentation: During the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account, find your application record, and click Edit my application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed. To view the announcement status or your application status: Visit https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/howto/application/status/. Your application status page is where you can view your application status, USA Hire assessment completion status, and review your notifications sent by the hiring agency regarding your application. Personally Identifiable Information (PII) Personally Identifiable Information (PII) is defined as information that can be traced back to a specific individual and potentially compromise their security or privacy. Examples of PII include: date of birth, Social Security Number, and place of birth. Please ensure that you have removed all Personally Identifiable Information from all documents prior to submitting or uploading your applications material.

Application Deadline: 2026-03-20