Military

PATENT ATTORNEY

Office of Naval Research ยท Department of the Navy
๐Ÿ“ Naval Research Laboratory, District of Columbia NO-5 $141,620 - $197,200/yr
Posted: Jul 1, 2026 Deadline: Jul 15, 2026 (Closes in 7 days)

About This Position

There is an anticipated vacancy for the position of Intellectual Property (IP) Attorney, in the Office of Naval Research, located at the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) Headquarters in Washington, DC

Qualifications

The Department of the Navy (DON) Office of the General Counsel (OGC) invites qualified attorneys to apply for the position of Intellectual Property (IP) Attorney, Office of Naval Research. The position is located at/in the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) Headquarters in Washington, DC. ONR is an Echelon I command that has been a pioneer in the public support of science and technology (S&T) research that benefits both the naval services and the nation.

NRL is an Echelon II command that is part of ONR. NRL is the corporate research laboratory for the United States Navy and the United States Marine Corps. It conducts basic scientific research, applied research, technological development and prototyping, and employs over 2000 scientists and engineers.

The NRL Office of Counsel includes 18 attorneys and 5 professional staff with a diverse legal practice. The successful candidate will be expected to provide NRL clients a full range of IP legal services, including drafting and prosecuting patent applications, reviewing research publications for potentially patentable and/or trade secret material, reviewing agreements containing IP provisions, and counseling on contract and technology transfer IP matters such as rights in inventions, patents, trade secrets, technical data rights, and computer software. The successful candidate will also work with inventors to identify patentable technology and useful trademarks, develop invention disclosures, and to draft high quality patent applications.

NRL compensation falls under a Personnel Management Demonstration Project. The Project uses Career Levels (aka pay bands) for pay setting.

This position has a full performance level in the GS-15 range of the NO-V pay band, and will be filled at the NO-IV (GS-13 equivalent) or NO-V (GS-14 or GS-15 equivalent) level depending on the qualifications of the successful applicant. To be eligible for selection at the NO-IV level (GS-13 equivalent), the applicant must have in excess of two years of recent and relevant professional legal experience. To be eligible for selection at the NO-V level (GS-14 equivalent), the applicant must have at least three-and-one-half years of recent and relevant professional legal experience.

To be eligible for selection at the NO-V level (GS-15 equivalent), the applicant must have at least five-and-one-half years of recent and relevant professional legal experience. Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (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.

Major Duties

You will collaborate with inventors to identify patentable technology and useful trademarks, develop invention disclosures, and draft high-quality patent applications.

You will counsel on contract and technology transfer IP matters such as rights in inventions, patents, trade secrets, technical data rights, and computer software

You will draft and prosecute patent applications, review research publications for potentially patentable and/or trade secret material, reviewe agreements containing IP provisions,

Education

The successful applicant must have graduated with a J.D.

OR

LL.M. from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association, be an active member in good standing of the bar of the highest court of a State, U.S. Commonwealth, U.S. territory, or the District of Columbia, and be registered to practice and to prosecute patent applications before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

The successful candidate must have a bachelor's degree from an accredited college of university in biology, biotechnology, chemistry, immunology, cell biology, medical or biomedical physics, biomedical engineering, or biochemistry, or a related field. An advanced degree ( at least at the Master's degree level) in a biological, biochemical, chemical, biomedical, or fioengineering field of study from an accredited college or university or at least two years of experience as a research scientistic desired. but not mandatory.

How You Will Be Evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the following criteria. 1) The Depth, breadth, and quality of your experience in Intellectual Property Law, with an emphasis on supporting technical areas related to NRL's research. 2) Your recent and relevant experience preparing and prosecuting patent application before the USPTO. 3) Your research, analytical and communication skills (both oral and written) 4) Your interpersonal skills, including your ability to establish effective attorney-client and professional relationships, and 5) Your experience advising clients. In order to qualify for this position, your resume must provide sufficient experience and/or education, knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform the duties of the specific position for which you are being considered.

Your resume is the key means we have for evaluating your skills, knowledge, and abilities as they relate to this position. Therefore, we encourage you to be clear and specific when describing your experience. As vacancies occur, the Human Resources Office will review your resume to ensure you meet the hiring eligibility and qualification requirements listed in this flyer.

You will be rated based on the information provided in your resume, along with your supporting documentation. If selected, you may be required to provide additional supporting documentation. If after reviewing your resume and supporting documentation, a determination is made that you inflated your qualifications and/or experience, you may be found ineligible/not qualified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating or consideration for employment. All qualification requirements must be met before being considered for any vacancies.

Additional Information

This is a public notice flyer to notify interested applicants of anticipated vacancies. Applications will not be accepted through this flyer. Interested applicants must follow the directions in the "How to Apply" section of this flyer to be considered. There may or may not be actual vacancies filled from this flyer. Notice of Result letters will not be sent to applicants who respond to this flyer.

This position is not covered by the Department of the Defense Priority Placement Program.

This position is in the excepted service and does not confer competitive status. A tentative offer of employment will be rescinded if the selectee fails to meet the pre-employment requirements, including failure to report to any of the scheduled appointments. Federal annuitant information: The selection of an annuitant is subject to the Department of Defense and Department of the Navy policy on the employment of annuitants. Policy information may be found at: http://www.secnav.navy.mil/donhr/Documents/CivilianJobs/FedCivAnnuitants.pdf.

How to Apply

Interested Applicants must submit resumes/application packages to: https://navalresearchlab.app.box.com/f/f014215d58ef42d686b9810cb46244fe. Facsimile applications will not be considered. All resumes/applications must be received no later than the close date of this flyer.

It is the applicant's responsibility to verify that all information in their resume and documents, are received, legible, and accurate. HR will not modify answers/documents submitted by an applicant. Social security numbers and dates of birth should be redacted from all documentation submitted.

Failure to submit a complete application package will result in an ineligible rating and loss of consideration.

Required Documents

You must submit: 1) A cover letter that explanations why you are interested in and qualified for the position. A complete resume is required. If applicable, you must include any request for a relocation incentive or PCS funding in your cover letter. 2) A current resume, no more than two (2) pages in length, that shows relevant experience, including Job titles (with GSA level(s), if applicable) Dates of employment (month/year); and Bar membership, stating jurisdictions(s) USPTO registration number 3) Two brief legal writing samples (no more than ten (10) years old and no more than ten (10) pages each) that demonstrate analytical and advocacy abilities (excerpts of lengthier written work products are acceptable.) 4) Your two most recent performance evaluation (if unavailable, please explain). 5) The names, email addresses, and telephone numbers of at least three references, including a supervisor, who may be contacted. 6) Current and former Federal employees must also provide a copy of their most recent Standard Form- 50 (SF-50) showing title, series, grade, and current salary information (if unavailable, please explain).

Do not submit SF-50s from performance awards. Are you using education as a substitute for some or all of the experience requirement? Is there a basic education requirement for this position? Check the Education section above to see what is allowed and what is required.

Any claims you make in your resume regarding education or degrees MUST be supported by submitting with your application official or unofficial transcripts or a list of courses, grades earned, completion dates, and quarter and semester hours earned issued from your school. While unofficial transcripts are acceptable for initial application, an official transcript will ultimately be required if you are selected for the position.

You may submit a copy of your degree(s) if specific coursework does not have to be verified. Are you a veteran claiming veterans' preference? There is no formal rating system for applying veterans' preference to attorney appointments in the excepted service; however, the Department of the Navy Office of the General Counsel considers veterans' preference eligibility a positive factor for attorney hiring.

Applicants eligible for veterans' preference must specifically claim such eligibility in their cover letter or resume and attach supporting documentation (e.g., DD Form 214, "Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty") or other supporting documentrations to their submissions. Although the point-preference system is not used, applicants eligible to claim a 10-point preference must submit a Standard Form (SF) 15, "Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference," and supporting documentation required for the specific type of preference claimed. (SF-15, which lists the types of 10-point preference and the required supporting documents, is available from the Office of Personnel Management Website at www.opm.gov.) Not all veterans are preference eligible. For a summary of time periods, campaigns, and conditions that entitle an applicant to preference eligibility, please visit https://www.fedshirevets.gov/index.aspx, https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/working-in-government/unique-hiring-paths/veterans, and see the Veterans' Preference Advisor, operated by the Department of Labor at http://www.dol.gov/elaws/vets/vetpref/vetspref.htm.

Are you an active duty service member? Active Duty Service Members will be required to submit a statement of service printed on command letterhead and signed by the command during processing of any hiring action. The statement of service must provide the branch of service, rate/rank, all dates of service, the expected date of discharge and anticipated character of service (Honorable, General, etc.).

Application documents, including supplemental ones, may be shared outside the Human Resources Office. Supplemental documents may contain your SSN, DOB, or personal information of others (e.g., on military orders, marriage certificates).

You may redact this information before submitting; however, if selected, you must provide unredacted originals.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the salary for the PATENT ATTORNEY position at Office of Naval Research?
The salary range for this position is $141,620 - $197,200/yr. This is a NO-5 position on the General Schedule pay scale. Actual pay may vary based on locality adjustments.
Where is the PATENT ATTORNEY job located?
This position is located in Naval Research Laboratory, District of Columbia. This is an on-site position.
What qualifications do I need?
The successful applicant must have graduated with a J.D. or LL.M. from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association, be an active member in good standing of the bar of the highest court of a State, U.S. Commonwealth, U.S. territory, or the District of Columbia, and be registered to practice and to prosecute patent applications before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). The successful candidate must have a bachelor's degree from an accredited college of university in biology, biotechnology, chemistry, immunology, cell biology, medical or biomedical physics, biomedical engineering, or biochemistry, or a related field. An advanced degree ( at least at the Master's degree level) in a biological, biochemical, chemical, biomedical, or fioengineering field of study from an accredited college or university or at least two years of experience as a research scientistic desired. but not mandatory.
How do I apply for this position?
Apply through USAJobs.gov by clicking the 'Apply on USAJobs' button. You'll need a USAJobs account, a federal-style resume, and supporting documents. The deadline is Jul 15, 2026.
Is a security clearance required?
Yes, a Secret clearance is required.
What benefits do federal employees receive?
Federal employees receive comprehensive benefits including health insurance (FEHB), retirement through FERS, Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) with government matching, paid annual and sick leave, paid parental leave, life insurance, and student loan repayment programs.