Patent Examiner positions in the Biotechnology Division

Important messages

We are 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 use the Contact information below to request specialized accommodation. All information received in relation to accommodation will be kept confidential.

Assessment accommodation

When you apply to this selection process, you are not applying for a specific job, but to an inventory for future vacancies. As positions become available, applicants who meet the qualifications may be contacted for further assessment.

Join us and become a crucial part of Canada’s patent system. Our training program will help you master the world of patents.

If you are an autonomous worker with a capacity for understanding how inventions work, strong technical writing skills, and a willingness to learn about intellectual property regulations, this opportunity is for you!

This is a process to fill upcoming permanent Patent Examiner positions in the Biotechnology Division in early 2022.

Visit the Patent Examiner Recruitment link above to learn more.

Work environment

Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) is proud to be named one of Canada's Top 100 Employers 2021, National Capital Region’s Top Employer 2021, and Canada’s Best Diversity Employers 2021.

The Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO) is a special operating agency of Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada. CIPO is roughly 1000 employees strong and is located in Gatineau, Quebec, within sight of the Parliament buildings.

We are an organization that is focused on our people. To this effect, CIPO supports our staff through competitive salaries and benefits, ongoing training, and a culture of respect and continuous improvement.

We encourage flexible work arrangements. At the end of your training program, you will have the possibility to work remotely via a telework arrangement with your supervisor. Note due to the COVID-19 situation, examiners and trainees are all working remotely until further notice.

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 among other things, 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.

As a Patent Examiner you will read and analyze inventions described in patent applications. Check out the Canadian Patent Database to have a glimpse of what a patent application looks like (see link above). You will search technical databases to ascertain how the invention improves upon the state of the art. You will communicate with the applicant, 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 within a 2-year period (SG-PAT-04 salary from $88 292 to $108 141). You will learn both the technical and legal aspects of patent examination in a comprehensive training program comprising classroom courses and on-the-job practical training. You will have the opportunity to be guided by a Senior Patent Examiner in order to become proficient in the art of patent examination.

While every effort is made to match a patent examiner’s background with applications they examine, patent examiners in Biotechnology may be required to examine a variety of applications from different areas within the field of Biotechnology such as: molecular genetics, immunology, molecular and cellular biology, phytotherapeutics, biochemistry, enzymology, virology, agrobiology, microbiology, proteomics and biopharmaceuticals.

Intent of the process

A pool of qualified candidates will be established and will be used to staff positions on an indeterminate (permanent) basis in early 2022.

Positions to be filled: 5

Information you must provide

Your résumé.

In order to be considered, your application must clearly explain how you meet the following (essential qualifications)

EDUCATION:
- Master’s Degree (M.Sc.) or Doctorate (Ph.D.) in a field of Biotechnology such as: molecular genetics, immunology, molecular and cellular biology, phytotherapeutics, biochemistry, enzymology, virology, agrobiology, microbiology, proteomics and biopharmaceuticals.

Degree equivalency

EXPERIENCE:
- Experience in the following domain(s) within the last five (5) years*:

- Molecular genetics
- Immunology
- Molecular and cellular biology
- Phytotherapeutics
- Biochemistry
- Enzymology
- Virology
- Agrobiology
- Microbiology
- Proteomics
- Biopharmaceuticals

NOTE:
*Where the M.Sc. or Ph.D. was obtained more than three (3) years ago, you must have at least two (2) years of experience in the field(s) within the last five (5) years.

The following will be applied / assessed at a later date (essential for the job)

English essential

Information on language requirements

KNOWLEDGE:
- Knowledge of Canadian intellectual property rights.

ABILITIES:
- Ability to plan and manage own time by governing his/her work elements systematically.
- Ability to analyze and synthesize or explain the technical elements of a composition, use, process/method, device, or system to understand the nature of the elements and how they interact.
- Ability to interpret policies, acts, regulations, procedures, guidelines and/or rules and apply them judiciously.
- Ability to solve problems by dealing effectively with a situation through reasoning, discussion and action.
- Ability to communicate orally in such a way that your point of view is understood.
- Ability to communicate in writing in such a way that your point of view is understood.

PERSONAL SUITABILITY:
- Thoroughness
- Judgement
- Self-sufficiency
- Focus on Results
- Effective Interpersonal Relationships
- Dependability
- Adaptability

The following may be applied / assessed at a later date (may be needed for the job)

At ISED, diversity is our strength. If you are a woman, an Aboriginal person, a person with a disability or a visible minority, please let us know by completing the Employment Equity (EE) section in your application. Appointments of members of these EE groups ensure our workforce is inclusive and representative of the Canadian public we serve.

Information on employment equity

Conditions of employment

Reliability Status security clearance

Other information

The Public Service of Canada is committed to building a skilled and diverse workforce that reflects the Canadians we serve. We promote employment equity and encourage you to indicate if you belong to one of the designated groups when you apply.

Information on employment equity

PLEASE TAKE THE TIME to read the following information carefully as it may have an impact on the outcome of your application.

Where relevant to manage the volume of applications, random selection will be used to contact applicants for further assessment.

The organization will accept applications on-line only. However, persons with disabilities preventing them from applying on-line are asked to contact the person below for assistance.

All job applications must therefore be submitted on-line, please select the button "Apply Online" below.

Acknowledgement of receipt of applications will not be sent; we will contact candidates when the screening process is completed.

For this process, we find that email is the most efficient way to communicate with you. Candidates who apply to this selection process should include an email address that accepts emails from unknown users (some email systems block these types of email). If you do not wish to receive results by email and if you change your email address during the process, it is your responsibility to inform us by email at:

ASSESSMENT INFORMATION:

Written exams, an interview and reference checks may be part of the candidate's assessment.

Proof of education and citizenship will be requested at the assessment stage.

Candidates with foreign credentials must provide proof of Canadian equivalency. Consult the Canadian Information Centre for International Credentials for further information at http://www.cicic.ca/.

Candidates from outside the public service will be required to pay for travel expenses associated with this selection process. If applicable, candidates may be required to pay for their own relocation expenses.

Persons are entitled to participate in the appointment process in the official language of their choice. Applicants are asked to indicate their preferred official language in their application.

Preference

Preference will be given to veterans and to Canadian citizens, in that order, with the exception of a job located in Nunavut, where Nunavut Inuit will be appointed first.

Information on the preference to veterans

We thank all those who apply. Only those selected for further consideration will be contacted.