New job vacancy: Historian at the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), in Alexandria, Virginia.

Historian at the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), in Alexandria, Virginia

This position is located in the Office of the Chief Communications Officer (OCCO), United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), in Alexandria, Virginia.

The individual selected for this position will:

• Plan and conduct detailed research on various periods and aspects of agency history; Gather primary and secondary materials to establish historical facts, adhering to the highest academic and professional historical standards.
• Develop and maintain a comprehensive and official historical narrative of the agency for a broad public audience.
• Identify, select, and organize a wide variety of primary and secondary sources, including but not limited to personal interviews, staff meetings, conference proceedings and briefings, reports, studies, directives and instructions, official and commercial publications, and other internal and external sources.
• Collaborate closely with other “creative professionals” throughout the agency, including graphic designers, photographers, and videographers, to plan a) static and multimedia historical displays for the USPTO campus and regional offices, and b) compelling stories for the agency website, social media, and videos..
• Establish an organized digital archive, accessible to other members of the communications team, where historic imagery and documents can be easily accessed and downloaded for use in a variety of communication projects.
• Build collaborative relationships with historians at other federal agencies (e.g. the Smithsonian Institution and National Archives), the National Inventors Hall of Fame, and the local community, as well as historical sites and organizations like George Washington’s Mount Vernon with which the agency has worked in the past.
• Identify and accept speaking opportunities at universities, historical conferences, and/or local organizations to tell the story of our agency, and the historic importance of the American intellectual property system, to new audiences.

Specialized experience for this position includes:

• Experience researching and writing on the history of: technology, innovation, intellectual property, science, or business and economics.
• Experience selecting, analyzing, synthesizing, and interpreting a wide array of research materials about historical topics. 
• 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.

Education Degree: 

A Bachelor's Degree (or higher degree) in history; or related field that included at least 18 semester hours in history. NOTE: You must provide a copy of your transcripts.

AND

One (1) year of the Specialized Experience listed below

OR

Combination of education and experience: courses equivalent to a major in history, or a major in a related field that included at least 18 semester hours in history, as shown in A above, plus appropriate experience or additional education.

Special Instructions for Foreign Education: Qualifying education from colleges and universities in foreign countries must be evaluated in terms of equivalency to that acquired in U.S. colleges and universities. Applicants educated in whole or in part in foreign countries must submit sufficient evidence, including transcripts, to an accredited private organization for an equivalency evaluation of course work and degree. A listing of these accredited organizations can be found on the Department of Education's website - US Department of Education. Another listing of services that can perform this evaluation is available at the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES).  You must provide a copy of the letter containing the results of the equivalency evaluation with a course by course listing along with your application. Failure to provide such documentation when requested will result in lost consideration.

NOTE: Only education and experience acquired before the filing deadline will be considered.  Report only attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

To apply, click here.