Demo

Executive Assistant - COLLEGE GRADUATE

Patent and Trademark Office
Alexandria, VA Full Time
POSTED ON 4/21/2026
AVAILABLE BEFORE 5/20/2026
Summary

The CAO provides administrative support to the USPTO, including Human Resources (executive resources; comp & benefits; staffing; training; strategic HR; employee & labor relations); Administrative Services (facilities; safety; security; asset & transportation management); Records & Information Compliance (records; PRA; Privacy Act; CUI; forms); and the Insider Threat, CAO IT, and Telework offices.

Learn more about this agency

Duties

Help

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.

Acting as a trusted gatekeeper and integrator, the Executive Assistant converts complexity into clarity so senior leadership can focus on strategic decisions. In this role, you anticipate needs, resolve conflicts, and ensure seamless execution of meetings, correspondence, records, and high-visibility engagements.

This is your next ideal career move if:

  • You can maintain confidentiality and discretion when maintaining executive leadership calendars; scheduling meetings and pre-briefing; arranging substitutes when needed; coordinating basic logistics and responding to routine scheduling inquiries.
  • You have strong time management and prioritization skills to assist in performing daily administrative support; establishing and maintaining official files/directives; tracking actions to completion; recording final dispositions and notifying leadership of changes in suspense or priorities.
  • You have proficient oral and written communication skills to assist with screening incoming/outgoing correspondence for completeness, format, and procedural compliance: composing routine responses and routing items for coordination.
  • You have experience in MS tools to assist with preparing and developing executive-ready presentations and talking points with minimal direction.
  • You have exceptional organizational skills to assist with arranging domestic/international travel and lodging to include preparing travel orders and vouchers for senior leadership.


Requirements

Help

Conditions of employment

  • Applications will only be accepted from United States Citizens and Nationals.
  • Your resume and question responses must demonstrate the job-related competencies.
  • You must meet the definition of specialized experience.
  • Required to pass a background investigation and fingerprint check.
  • Must be registered for Selective Service, if applicable (www.sss.gov).
  • If selected, you may be required to complete a one year probationary period.
  • You must meet all qualification requirements upon the closing date of this announcement.
  • Suitable for Federal Employment


Qualifications

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 Administrative and Management Positions.

This position is being filled as a College Graduate under Public Law 115-232, 5 CFR § 315.614 (i). Applicants must meet the BASIC REQUIREMENTS of the College Graduate authority:

  • Recent graduates who have completed, within the previous two years, a bachelor's or graduate degree OR
  • Veterans who have completed a bachelor's or graduate degree and were unable to apply within two years of obtaining their degree due to a uniformed service obligation of at least 4 years, may apply within two years of their discharge from uniformed service.


In addition to meeting the specialized experience below you must meet the basic requirement above to qualify for this position. Specialized Experienceis experience that has equipped applicants with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the position to be filled.

GS-07

To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the next lower grade level in the federal service. For this position, the next lower grade level is a GS-05.

Specialized experience for this position includes:

  • Experience performing daily administrative and office management duties to support senior level management, establishing and maintaining files; and screening and routing incoming correspondence.


OR

EDUCATION: 1 academic year of graduate education in a related field of study such as: business administration, public administration or other administrative and management fields OR Superior Academic Achievement may be met by having a Bachelor's degree, with one of the following: A GPA of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale for all completed undergraduate courses or those completed in the last 2 years of study, or a GPA of 3.5 or higher on a 4.0 scale for all courses in the major field of study or those courses in the major completed in the last 2 years of study, or rank in the upper one third of the class in the college, university, or major subdivision, or membership in a national honor society recognized by the Association of College Honor Societies OR Equivalent combination of qualifying graduate education and experience.

GS-09

To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the next lower grade level in the federal service. For this position, the next lower grade level is a GS-07.

Specialized experience for this position includes:

  • Experience managing calendars for senior level management, arranging travel orders or making travel arrangements to include preparing briefings, handbooks, reports, forms, and formal correspondence.


OR

EDUCATION: A master's or equivalent graduate degree; OR 2 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a graduate degree in a related field of study (i.e., business administration, public administration or other administrative and management fields) OR an LL. B or JD if related (i.e., business administration, public administration or other administrative and management fields) OR Equivalent combination of qualifying graduate education and experience.

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.

NOTE: This is a career-ladder position that includes grades GS-07, GS-09, GS-11 and GS-12. Upon satisfactory completion of qualification/performance requirements and at management's discretion, the incumbent may be advanced non-competitively to the next higher level. It is the ability to demonstrate satisfactory performance at the next higher level in all aspects of the position that is the primary basis for consideration for promotion. Meeting the time-in-grade requirement for the higher-grade position does not automatically entitle the incumbent to a promotion.

Education

SEE QUALIFICATIONS LISTED ABOVE.

If this position requires proof of higher education, or you are substituting education for experience, you must submit an unofficial transcript or a list of courses that includes the following information: name of accredited institution, grades earned, completion dates, and quarter and semester hours earned. Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the requirements. Please refer to General Schedule Qualification Policies for more information. You are not required to submit official documents at this time; copies are sufficient.

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) website. 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.

Additional information

If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, you must certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System. If you are exempt from registration under Selective Service Law, you must provide appropriate proof of exemption. Please visit the Selective Service System website for more information.

This is a Non-Bargaining Unit position.

This is a Public Trust position and has a risk level designation of "MODERATE".

Background Investigation - If selected for this position, you may be required to complete a Declaration for Federal Employment (OF-306), which includes a fingerprint and credit check, to determine your suitability for Federal employment and to authorize a background investigation.

The USPTO participates in E-Verify. For more information on E-Verify, please visit the Department of Homeland Security Website.

All Federal employees are required to have Federal salary payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of their choice.

Relocation Expenses are not authorized and will not be paid.

More than one selection may be made from this announcement if additional identical vacancies in the same title, series, grade, and unit occur within 90 days from the date the certificate was issued.

All application materials become the property of the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments. (https://appsupport.usastaffing.gov/hc/en-us/sections/28980686389652-Reasonable-Accommodation-Information).

Expand Hide additional information

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

Benefits

Help

A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

Review our benefits

Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.

Salary : $57,736 - $91,815

If your compensation planning software is too rigid to deploy winning incentive strategies, it’s time to find an adaptable solution. Compensation Planning
Enhance your organization's compensation strategy with salary data sets that HR and team managers can use to pay your staff right. Surveys & Data Sets

What is the career path for a Executive Assistant - COLLEGE GRADUATE?

Sign up to receive alerts about other jobs on the Executive Assistant - COLLEGE GRADUATE career path by checking the boxes next to the positions that interest you.
Income Estimation: 
$67,221 - $87,895
Income Estimation: 
$75,086 - $98,695
Income Estimation: 
$75,086 - $98,695
Income Estimation: 
$83,024 - $108,206
Employees: Get a Salary Increase
View Core, Job Family, and Industry Job Skills and Competency Data for more than 15,000 Job Titles Skills Library

Not the job you're looking for? Here are some other Executive Assistant - COLLEGE GRADUATE jobs in the Alexandria, VA area that may be a better fit.

  • TMCO-Office of the Chief Administrative Officer Alexandria, VA
  • The CAO provides administrative support to the USPTO, including Human Resources (executive resources; comp & benefits; staffing; training; strategic HR; em... more
  • 6 Days Ago

  • US Department of Commerce Alexandria, VA
  • The CAO provides administrative support to the USPTO, including Human Resources (executive resources; comp & benefits; staffing; training; strategic HR; em... more
  • 1 Day Ago

AI Assistant is available now!

Feel free to start your new journey!