Patent Examiner

Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada - Canadian Intellectual Property Office - Patent Branch

Salary: $87,347 to $107,392

Level: SG-PAT-03

Who can apply: Persons residing in Canada, and Canadian citizens and Permanent residents abroad.

Work environment: As a Patent Examiner you will read and analyze inventions described in patent applications. You will search technical databases to ascertain how the invention differs from the state of the art. You will communicate with the applicant, mainly via written reports, outlining your analysis and whatever defects need to be corrected before approving the patent.

The SG-PAT-03 level is a training level in preparation for advancement to the SG-PAT-04 working level for Patent Examiners after a 2-year period (SG-PAT-04 salary from $101,393 to $124,188). You will learn both the technical and legal aspects of patent examination in a comprehensive training program comprising virtual classroom courses and on-the-job practical training under the guidance of a Senior Patent Examiner.

Patent examiners may be required to work on a variety of patent applications from any technology area relevant to the Mechanical Division. While a certain proportion of patent applications the Office receives is in French, the language used for the majority of the patent applications, our examination reports, and most of our literature searches, is English, so the ability to understand and communicate in English is essential.

Regardless, CIPO is a bilingual organization which fosters the use of both French and English, and as such you can expect to work in a bilingual work environment which includes bilingual documentation and internal work tools, as well as on-the-job training and interacting with your manager in the official language of your choice.

For those who are officially bilingual (as established by language testing), you may have the opportunity to examine a proportion of your workload in French. For those who are not yet officially bilingual, you may choose to access our Official Languages Development Program upon completion of your initial training, under certain conditions.

The work profiles for the SG-PAT-03, SG-PAT-04 and SG-PAT-05 positions in examination are "TELEWORK". A "TELEWORK" profile means the job can be performed full-time off-site anywhere within Canada. The option to work on-site is also available to you for any number of days per week that you prefer.

It should be noted that the Canadian Intellectual Property Office is located within the National Capital Region (NCR). If this is your first appointment in the Public Service and you would like to relocate to the NCR, CIPO could pay up to $5000 for your relocation expenses if you relocate within one year of your acceptance of the letter of offer.

Intent of the process: The intent of this selection process is to staff six (6) positions on an indeterminate basis. A pool of qualified candidates may be established to staff similar positions with various language requirements and various tenures (indeterminate, term, deployment, acting, secondment or assignment, interchange Canada) within Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada.

Positions to be filled: 6

Important messages: For more information about the basics of assessment accommodation, please visit the following link: https://www.canada.ca/en/public-service-commission/services/assessment-accommodation-page/the-basics-of-assessment-accommodation.html

If you do not fully complete the screening questions as instructed, you will be screened out. A written exam will be administered. Candidates who qualified to a pool in the previous SG-PAT-03 Patent Examiner - Engineer selection process will be exempt from writing the written exam. Interviews will be conducted. Reference checks will be conducted. Candidates must meet the essential qualifications to be appointed to a position.

Conditions of employment: Reliability Status security clearance - This factor is not used at the screening stage. The department is responsible for the security clearance process.

Your application must clearly explain how you meet the following:

• EDUCATION: Bachelor's degree from a recognized post-secondary institution in mechanical engineering or some other acceptable degree with a strong foundation in mechanical engineering principles.
• EXPERIENCE: Experience in one or more of the following engineering domains: Aerospace, Biomedical, Civil, Mechanical, Mechatronics, Mining, or Other related engineering domains.
• KNOWLEDGE: Knowledge of Canadian intellectual property.
• ABILITIES: Ability to plan and manage own time, analyse and synthesize technical elements, interpret policy, solve problems, and communicate effectively in English.
• PERSONAL SUITABILITY: Thoroughness, judgement, self-sufficiency, focus on results, effective interpersonal relations, motivation, dependability.

Language requirements: We're committed to providing an inclusive and barrier-free work environment, starting with the hiring process. If you need to be accommodated during any phase of the evaluation process, please contact the hiring organization below to request specialized accommodation.

The Public Service of Canada is committed to building a skilled and diverse workforce that reflects the population it serves. We promote employment equity and encourage you to self-declare if you belong to one of the designated employment equity groups when you apply.

Preference will be given to veterans first, followed by Canadian citizens and permanent residents, with the exception of jobs located in Nunavut or Yukon.

We'd like to thank all those who apply. However, only the people selected for further consideration will be contacted.