Public Affairs Specialist

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Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• You must be a US Citizen or US National.
• Males born after 12/31/1959 must be Selective Service registered or exempt.
• Subject to satisfactory adjudication of background investigation and/or fingerprint check. If selected you will be sent instructions on obtaining fingerprints. Please note we are not able to reimburse any fees incurred for fingerprints.
• Successful completion of one-year probationary period, unless previously served.
• Direct Deposit: Per Public Law 104-134 all Federal employees are required to have federal payments made by direct deposit to their financial institution.
• Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit E-Verify at https://www.e-verify.gov/.
• Must possess and maintain a valid state motor vehicle operator's license for the type of vehicle(s) operated to perform the duties of this position.
  
  

Qualifications

Applicants must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of the announcement.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: To be considered minimally qualified for this position, you must demonstrate that you have the required specialized experience and/or education for the respective grade level(s) in which you are applying:

For The Gs-05 Level

General Experience: Applicants must have three years of progressively responsible experience, one year of which was equivalent to at least GS-4, that demonstrates the ability to:

• Analyzing problems to identify significant factors, gather pertinent data, and recognize solutions;
• Planning and organizing work; and
• Communicating effectively orally and in writing.
  
  

(Resume must CLEARLY demonstrate this experience)

OR

Education: Applicants must have successfully completed a 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree in any field of study. NOTE: MUST submit transcripts if using education to qualify.

OR

Combination: Applicants must have a combination of experience and education, as described above. (To compute, first, determine your experience as a percentage of the experience required; then determine your education as a percentage of the education required. Then add the two percentages. The total percentage must equal at least 100%). NOTE: MUST submit transcripts if using education to qualify.

For The Gs-07 Level

Specialized Experience: Applicants must have one or more full-time years (12-months) of specialized work experience, equivalent to at least the GS-05 grade level in the Federal service, performing the following duties:

• Assisting with drafting informational articles, pamphlets, and/or brochures designed to provide information to various audiences;
• Evaluating information for dissemination to various audiences;
• Maintaining an inventory of information publications, centralized files, records, handbooks, and/or other reference materials and equipment for an organization; and
• Providing technical information to various representative such as local and national media, local groups, and community leaders.
  
  

(Resume must CLEARLY demonstrate this experience)

OR

Superior Academic Achievement (SAA): To qualify for SAA, applicants must have completed all requirements for a bachelor's degree in Public Affairs, Public Relations, Marketing, Journalism, or other directly related degree, and meet ONE of the following:

• A grade point average of "B" (a GPA of 3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0) for all completed undergraduate courses, or those completed in the last two years of undergraduate study.
• A grade point average of "B " (a GPA of 3.5 or higher out of a possible 4.0) for all courses in your major field of study, or those courses in your major completed in the last two years of undergraduate study. *Grade point averages are to be rounded to one decimal place. For example, 2.95 will round to 3.0 and 2.94 will round to 2.9.
• Rank in the upper one-third of your class in the college, university, or major subdivision, such as the College of Liberal Arts or the School of Business Administration, based on completed courses.
• Membership in a national scholastic honor society (other than freshman honor societies) recognized by the Association of College Honor Societies.
  
  

**If more than 10 percent of your courses were taken on a pass/fail basis, your claim must be based on class standing or membership in an honorary society. NOTE: MUST submit transcripts if using education to qualify.

OR

Education: Applicants must have successfully completed 1 full academic year of progressively higher-level graduate education in a field such as Public Affairs, Public Relations, Marketing, Journalism, or other directly related degree. NOTE: MUST submit transcripts if using education to qualify.

OR

Combination: Applicants must have a combination of specialized experience and education, as described above. (To compute, first, determine your experience as a percentage of the experience required; then determine your graduate education as a percentage of the education required. Then add the two percentages. The total percentage must equal at least 100%). NOTE: MUST submit transcripts if using education to qualify.

For The Gs-09 Level

Specialized Experience: Applicants must have at least one or more full-time years (12-months) of specialized work experience, equivalent to at least the GS-07 grade level in the Federal service, performing the following duties:

• Writing news releases, feature articles, and/or brochures that increase public awareness of a program area;
• Establishing and maintaining professional relationships with various representatives such as local and national media, local groups, and community leaders;
• Presenting information to explain programs, projects, or activities to internal and external audiences; and
• Determining effective communication techniques to reach target audiences.
  
  

(Resume must CLEARLY demonstrate this experience)

OR

Education: Applicants must have a master's degree or equivalent graduate degree; or completed 2 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a degree in Public Affairs, Public Relations, Marketing, Journalism, or other directly related degree. NOTE: MUST submit transcripts if using education to qualify.

OR

Combination: Applicants must have a combination of specialized experience and graduate education, as described above. (To compute, first, determine your experience as a percentage of the experience required; then determine your graduate education as a percentage of the education required. Then add the two percentages. Only graduate education in excess of one full year may be used in this calculation. The total percentage must equal at least 100%). NOTE: MUST submit transcripts if using education to qualify. IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE MAY NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. If your resume does not support your questionnaire answers, we will not allow credit for your response(s).

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 and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

The OPM Qualification Standards for this position can be found at: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/#url=List-by-Occupational-Series

Education

You must submit a copy of your college transcripts or a list of college courses with credit hours, dates completed, and grades received to verify all education requirements (i.e. substitution of education and/or basic education requirement). If a relevant course is not clearly qualifying (e.g. special topic, seminar, research, thesis, obscure or misleading course title, etc.), please submit an official course syllabi and/or detailed course description from the university/college for that particular course to ensure you are properly evaluated. Please note that qualifications determinations are based solely on the information submitted for each particular vacancy announcement. You must document all requirements on every vacancy; we cannot use previous determinations as a basis for rating. All required information must be received by the closing date of this announcement, and non-submission of all required documents/documentation will result in non-consideration. Unofficial transcripts will be accepted. This information must be received by the closing date of this announcement. Non-submission of these documents will result in non-consideration. Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications.

Foreign Education: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show that the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. For further information, visit: Recognition of Foreign Qualifications | International Affairs Office (ed.gov)

Additional information

If you are selected for a position with further promotion potential, you will be placed under a career development plan, and may be non-competitively promoted if you successfully complete the requirements and if recommended by management. However, promotion is neither implied nor guaranteed.

This position may be eligible for telework within the local commuting area of the position and other flexible work arrangements. Other flexibilities are possible dependent upon availability and/or the position and its associated duties. Employee participation is at the discretion of the supervisor.

PLEASE NOTE: In the interest of filling these positions as efficiently as possible, we are requiring the following:

• If called for an interview, applicants must be available to interview within 3 business days of being contacted.
• If a tentative job offer is extended, selectee will have 2 business days in which to accept or decline.
• Recruitment and/or relocation incentives may be authorized; Management may authorize superior qualifications & enhanced annual leave for applicants who are deemed to be highly qualified.
  
  

The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) provides eligible displaced Federal competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. If your agency has notified you in writing that you are a displaced employee eligible for ICTAP consideration, you may receive selection priority if: 1) this vacancy is within your ICTAP eligibility; 2) you apply under the instructions in this announcement; and 3) you are found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be well qualified, you must satisfy all qualification requirements for the vacant position and rate equivalent to the Highly Qualified or better category using established category rating criteria. You must provide proof of eligibility with your application. Such proof may include a copy of your written notification of ICTAP eligibility or a copy of your separation personnel action form. Additional information about ICTAP eligibility is at: http://www.opm.gov/rif/employee_guides/career_transition.asp#ictap

The Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provides eligible surplus and displaced competitive service employees in the USDA with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. If your Agency has notified you in writing that you are a surplus or displaced employee eligible for CTAP consideration, you may receive selection priority if: 1) this vacancy is within your CTAP eligibility, 2) you apply under the instructions in this announcement, and 3) you are found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be well qualified, you must satisfy all qualification requirements for the vacant position and rate equivalent to the Highly Qualified or better category using established category rating criteria. You must provide a copy of your written notification of CTAP eligibility with your application. Additional information about CTAP eligibility is at: http://www.opm.gov/rif/employee_guides/career_transition.asp#ctap

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• Help 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.
  
  

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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.