Director, Office of Patent Automation (OPA)

This position is located in the Office of Information Technology for Patents (OITP) , Office of Patent Automation (OPA), Office of the Commissioner for Patents, U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) OPA is responsible for program and project management functions to ensure that the necessary functional and technical requirements are addressed in the development of automation tools and technologies needed to support improvements in Patents business operations.

The physical worksite for this position is located in Alexandria, Virginia. Presence at the Alexandria, VA campus is required for this role, as it includes on site functions that must be performed in person. Position may be eligible for situational telework in accordance with agency policy/business unit discretion. The agency currently allows for 52 hours of telework per calendar year. Major Duties for this position include: Directs the development and execution of the USPTO's strategic vision, goals, and priorities, ensuring alignment with internal stakeholder's objectives, modernization efforts, and long-term technology roadmaps. Serves as the Director, OPA, providing executive leadership, strategic direction, and oversight for enterprise-wide patent automation programs, products, services, and initiatives supporting the USPTO patent examination and business operations as well as represents the USPTO and OPA in interactions with external stakeholders, including the DOC, GAO, OIG, foreign intellectual property offices, the WIPO, industry groups, applicants, practitioners, vendors, contractors, and other federal agencies. Evaluates organizational performance and program effectiveness using performance metrics, data analytics, customer feedback, operational assessments, and continuous improvement practices; identifies risks and opportunities; and implements corrective actions and strategic improvements to enhance service delivery and mission outcomes. Leads the planning, design, development, implementation, modernization, enhancement, and sustainment of mission-critical patent automation systems, applications, data services, and technology solutions that support the end-to-end patent lifecycle, including filing, examination, classification, publication, issuance, post-grant processing, international obligations, and related business operations. Collaborates with senior executives, business unit leaders, legal counsel, technical organizations, and operational stakeholders across the USPTO to identify business needs, establish priorities, resolve complex issues, and advance strategic initiatives that support the agency's mission and objectives. Provides executive oversight of artificial intelligence (AI), including agentic approaches, to improve automation, efficiency, and operational effectiveness, machine learning, advanced analytics, automation, and emerging technology initiatives, including examiner-facing tools, prior art search capabilities, classification systems, workflow automation, fraud detection and mitigation capabilities, decision-support tools, and other innovations that improve patent quality, operational efficiency, and customer experience.