Patent Examiner in the Biotechnology Division

Duties
As a Patent Examiner you will read and analyze inventions described in patent applications. Check out the Canadian Patents Database to have a glimpse of what a patent application looks like. You will search technical databases to ascertain how the invention differs from the state of the art. You will communicate with the applicant, (mainly via written reports) 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 after a 2-year period (SG-PAT-04 salary from $101,393 to $124,188). You will learn both the technical and legal aspects of patent examination in a comprehensive training program comprising virtual classroom courses and on-the-job practical training under the guidance of a Senior Patent Examiner who will help you become proficient in the art of patent examination.While efforts are 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 and, proteomics.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, under certain conditions.

Work environment
At Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) we foster a healthy, modern, diverse and inclusive workplace. Our efforts to create and maintain an outstanding workplace have been recognized. ISED is proud to be named one of Canada's Top 100 Employers 2025, National Capital Region’s Top Employer 2025, and Canada’s Best Diversity Employers 2025. As a Best Diversity Employer, ISED values and recognizes employees for their unique qualities, ideas, voices, and perspectives. We are committed to supporting the success and continued development of all employees regardless of race, ethnicity, colour, religion, sex, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, socioeconomic background or lived experience. By embracing diversity and inclusion, our department ensures broader discussions, better decisions, and a more positive workplace.  Given the nature of this job, it can be considered for full-time telework.   ISED is committed to fostering an inclusive and accessible environment with the right tools, mindsets, behaviours and practices to work effectively together in hybrid.

Intent of the process
The intent of this selection process is to staff ten (10) positions on an indeterminate basis in early 2027. A pool of qualified candidates may be established to staff similar positions with various language requirements and various tenures (indeterminate, term, deployment, acting, secondment or assignment, interchange Canada) within Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada.

Positions to be filled
10

Important messages
For more information about the basics of assessment accommodation, please visit the following link: https://www.canada.ca/en/public-service-commission/services/assessment-accommodation-page/the-basics-of-assessment-accommodation.htmlIf you do not fully complete the screening questions as instructed, you will be screened out.A written exam will be administered.Interviews will be conducted.Reference checks will be conducted.Candidates must meet the essential qualifications to be appointed to a position.
Pass marks will be established for each qualification. However, achieving the pass mark is not a guarantee of an appointment or that candidates will be put through the next stages of the assessment process. A cut-off score will be used and a top-down approach may be used at any step if there are a sufficient number of candidates to meet immediate and anticipated staffing needs.Candidates invited to an interview will be required to bring proof of their education credentials, in the form of a diploma or official transcript.If applicable, please ensure you indicate your Personnel Record Identifier (PRI), your substantive group and level and your employment status in your application.Persons are entitled to participate in the appointment process in the official language of their choice.You MUST clearly demonstrate in writing how you meet the Language, Education, and Experience requirements. Please provide examples and describe the work/duties you have performed. Failure to do so may result in your application not being considered further during the screening process.COMMUNICATIONS
Communication for this process will be sent via email. It is the candidate’s responsibility to ensure accurate contact information is provided and updated as required; Candidates who apply to this selection process should include an email address that accepts email from unknown users (some email systems block these types of email).Acknowledgment of receipt of applications will not be sent; we will contact candidates when the screening process is completed.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/ If you have questions, need accommodations, or are not able to apply online, please use the Contact information below! We will be glad to help. If you prefer to speak on the phone, please include that request in your email, along with your contact information.We will accept applications on-line only.All job applications must therefore be submitted through the Public Service Resourcing System. Following are some of the benefits associated with applying on-line:Applicants can create a profile and a resume that can be used when applying for other processes without having to recreate a new application each time.Applicants can modify their application/resume at any time BEFORE the closing date indicated on the job advertisement.Applicants can verify the status of their applications, at any time.Applicants can be notified electronically of tests or interviews and results.For some jobs, applicants will find important information, namely the job questionnaire and a complete statement of merit criteria that are only available when applying on-line.To submit an application on-line, please select the button “Apply Online” below.Persons with disabilities preventing them from applying on-line are asked to contact 1-800-645-5605.

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Reliability Status security clearance - This factor is not used at the screening stage. The department is responsible for the security clearance process.

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OPERATIONAL REQUIREMENTS:
- Candidates may be required to work on patent applications from any technology area relevant to the Biotechnology Division.

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

EXPERIENCES:
- Experience in one or more of the following scientific domains, with demonstrated maintenance of relevant technical and/or laboratory or analytical practice: molecular genetics, immunology, molecular and cellular biology, phytotherapeutics, biochemistry, enzymology, virology, agrobiology, microbiology, proteomics- Experience should be sufficiently relevant* to ensure familiarity with current methods, tools, and
scientific standards in the field. Relevant academic, research, or professional experience may be
considered.*Relevant refers to experience that is sufficiently current to demonstrate familiarity with contemporary scientific subject matter, methods, tools, and standards in the field. This may include continuous or cumulative experience, including academic, research, or professional work, provided the skills and knowledge remain up to date.

KNOWLEDGE:
- Knowledge of Canadian intellectual property rights.

ABILITIES:
- Ability to plan and manage own time by governing their work elements systematically;
- Ability to analyze and synthesize or explain the technical elements of a system, device or process 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 in writing, in English, in such a way that their point of view is understood.
- Ability to communicate in writing** in such a way that their point of view is understood.NOTES:
**The ability to communicate in writing will be assessed throughout the process (written exam, application, emails, documents, etc.)

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

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Applied / assessed at a later date

English essential

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Organizational needs ISED is committed to employment equity (EE). In order to achieve a representative workforce, selection may be based on qualified candidates self-declaring as being a member of one or more of the following EE groups: Indigenous person (First Nations, Metis, and/or Inuit), a person with a disability, a racialized person, or a woman.  Appointments of members of these EE groups ensure that our workforce is inclusive and representative of the Canadian public we serve. 

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Preference will be given to veterans first, followed by Canadian citizens and permanent residents, with the exception of jobs located in Nunavut or Yukon. For positions located in Nunavut, qualified Inuit enrolled under the Nunavut Agreement will be appointed first. For positions located in Yukon, qualified Yukon First Nations will be appointed first, followed by qualified Indigenous persons.

Learn more about preference to veterans.

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