Patent Examiner
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Tēnei tūranga – About the role
The purpose of the Patent Examiner role is to examine patent applications and specifications under the Patents Act 2013 and the Patents Act 1953. Examination includes application of the relevant patent practices and policies, case law and international treaties.
The Patent Examiner reports to the Team Leader, Patents.
Ngā herenga – Requirements of the role
Personal specifications
- Has completed formal IPONZ examiner training and progressed to the role of Patent Examiner through the IPONZ progression framework (or equivalent training elsewhere).
- Has demonstrated the following competencies:
- Technical expertise in identified subject matter areas
- Ability to coach and mentor trainee examiners
- Emotional intelligence
- Ability to understand and apply relevant Patents & Design legislation
- Strong verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to explain complex ideas simply
- Ability to use specialist proprietary databases and to quickly assess relevance of complex information
- Attention to detail
- Effective decision making and time management skills
- Relevant tertiary qualification in science, engineering, ICT, or other relevant technology area, or extensive and comparable relevant practical experience
- Must have the legal right to live and work in New Zealand
Takohanga tuhinga o mua – Key accountabilities and deliverables
Patent Examination
- Examine patent applications and specifications to assess compliance with the Patents Act 1953, the Patents Regulations 1954; and, the Patents Act 2013 and the Patent Regulations 2014 and in accordance with the delegated functions of the Commissioner (Patents Act 2013, sections 218 & 220).
- identification and searching of the prior art base
- drafting and issuing examination reports
- generating and updating supplementary examination documents and materials
- assessing responses to examination reports (including proposed amendments and arguments)
- classification of subject matter
- re-examination.
- Examination meets agreed quantity and quality standards, and complies with business processes.
- The role includes proposing acceptance and accepting applications and specifications independently.
- Provide guidance and assist in the completion of more complex tasks, including examination of complex subject matter.
- Use of the IPONZ case management facility and other examination tools, such as subject matter search tools and databases.
- Provide coaching support and feedback to team members.
- Ensure quality information on patents and patent applications is provided for the patent register, including the journal, and other related functions.
- Provide advice and guidance in addressing matters relating to the registrability of designs where required.
Support Capability Development
- Continue to build and maintain personal knowledge of patent law, technical knowledge and/or area of expertise, and IPONZ systems and processes.
- Ensure that current knowledge of intellectual property case law, policy and practice is readily shared across the team.
- Provide quality checking, feedback and follow-up to other examiners and trainees to support their development.
- Work co-operatively and effectively to achieve the teams and IPONZ goals.
- Participate in team discussions and meetings; raise issues in appropriate forums and in an appropriate manner, assist in the identification of solutions and resolutions.
- Undertakes assigned projects with a focus on improving IPONZ systems and processes.
- Contribute to the continuous general review of examination practice, processes and policies.
Workload Management
- Prioritise own work queue to ensure timely completion of allocated work.
- Establishes appropriate short to medium term goals and identifies priorities of own tasks and/or activities and effectively allocates own time to complete assigned tasks.
- Evaluates progress towards task/project completion and adjusts own work programme accordingly.
- Identifies risks and barriers to completion, escalates these appropriately to senior colleagues and Team Leader.
- Manages time and risk to achieve a balance of examination speed and quality in order to achieve personal and team’s examination output targets.
Organisational Commitment and Public Service
- Contributes to the development of, and helps promote and builds commitment to MBIE’s vision, mission, values and services.
- Willingly undertakes any duty required within the context of the position.
- Understands Equal Employment Opportunities (EEO) principles and the application of these to MBIE.
Wellbeing, health & safety
- Displays commitment through actively supporting all safety and wellbeing initiatives
- Ensures own and others safety at all times
- Complies with relevant safety and wellbeing policies, procedures, safe systems of work and event reporting
- Reports all incidents/accidents, including near misses in a timely fashion
- Is involved in health and safety through participation and consultation
Tō tūranga i roto i te Manatū – Your place in the Ministry
The Patent Examiner position reports into a Team Leader, Patents and Designs in IPONZ, within the Business & Consumer branch. The branch sits within the Te Whakatairanga group.
To mātou aronga – What we do for Aotearoa New Zealand
Hīkina Whakatutuki is the te reo Māori name for the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment. Hīkina means to uplift. Whakatutuki means to move forward, to make successful. Our name speaks to our purpose, Grow Aotearoa New Zealand for All.
To Grow Aotearoa New Zealand for All, we put people at the heart of our mahi. Based on the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi / The Treaty of Waitangi, we are committed to upholding authentic partnerships with Māori.
As agile public service leaders, we use our breadth and experience to navigate the ever-changing world. We are service providers, policy makers, investors and regulators. We engage with diverse communities, businesses and regions. Our work touches on the daily lives of New Zealanders. We grow opportunities (Puāwai), guard and protect (Kaihāpai) and innovate and navigate towards a better future (Auaha).
Ngā matatau – Our competencies
Cultivates innovation We create new and better ways for the organisation to be successful by challenging the status quo generating new and creative ideas and translating them into workable solutions.
Nimble learning We are curious and actively learn through experimentation when tackling new problems by learning as we go when facing new situations and challenges.
Customer focus We build strong customer relationships and deliver customer-centric solutions by listening and gaining insights into the needs of the communities we serve and actively seeking and responding to feedback.
Decision quality We make quality and timely decisions that shape the future for our communities and keep the organisation moving forward by relying on an appropriate mix of analysis, wisdom, experience, and judgement to make valid and reliable decisions.
Action oriented We step up, taking on new opportunities and tough challenges with purpose, urgency and discipline by taking responsibility, ownership and action on challenges, and being accountable for the results.
Collaborates We connect, working together to build partnerships with our communities, working collaboratively to meet shared objectives by gaining trust and support of others; actively seeking the views, experiences, and opinions of others and by working co-operatively with others across MBIE, the public sector and external stakeholder groups.
Te Tiriti o Waitangi
As an agency of the public service, MBIE has a responsibility to contribute to the Crown meeting its obligations under Te Tiriti o Waitangi (Te Tiriti). Meeting our commitment to Te Tiriti will contribute towards us realising the overall aims of Te Ara Amiorangi – Our Path, Our Direction, and achieve the outcome of Growing New Zealand for All. The principles of Te Tiriti - including partnership, good faith, and active protection – are at the core of our work. MBIE is committed to delivering on our obligations as a Treaty partner with authenticity and integrity and to enable Māori interests. We are committed to ensuring that MBIE is well placed to meet our obligations under the Public Service Act 2020 (Te Ao Tūmatanui) to support the Crown in strengthening the Māori/Crown Relationship under the Treaty and to build MBIE’s capability, capacity and cultural intelligence to deliver this.
Mahi i roto i te Ratonga Tūmatanui – Working in the public service
Ka mahitahi mātou o te ratonga tūmatanui kia hei painga mō ngā tāngata o Aotearoa i āianei, ā, hei ngā rā ki tua hoki. He kawenga tino whaitake tā mātou hei tautoko i te Karauna i runga i āna hononga ki a ngāi Māori i raro i te Tiriti o Waitangi. Ka tautoko mātou i te kāwanatanga manapori. Ka whakakotahingia mātou e te wairua whakarato ki ō mātou hapori, ā, e arahina ana mātou e ngā mātāpono me ngā tikanga matua o te ratonga tūmatanui i roto i ā mātou mahi.
In the public service we work collectively to make a meaningful difference for New Zealanders now and in the future. We have an important role in supporting the Crown in its relationships with Māori under the Treaty of Waitangi. We support democratic government. We are unified by a spirit of service to our communities and guided by the core principles and values of the public service in our work.
What does it mean to work in Aotearoa New Zealand’s Public Service?(external link) — Te Kawa Mataaho The Public Service Commission
