The U.S. International Trade Commission (Commission) is a great place to work, and we aren't the only ones who think so. We were rated "Most Improved Small Agency" in 2013 by the Partnership for Public Service and ranked 6th overall in the 2016 Best Places to Work Index. An independent Federal agency, the Commission provides the President and Congress with high-quality analysis and technical support on international trade, tariff and competitiveness issues; hears and decides import injury cases, and publishes the United States' tariff schedule. You will find a working environment throughout the Commission that is dedicated to the development of your technical skills and a commitment to provide balance between your work and personal life.
This position is located in the Office of External Relations (OER), which is responsible for developing and maintaining an effective liaison program between the USITC and its varied external customers. OER is also responsible for managing the public information activities of the USITC, as well as the activities of the Trade Remedy Assistance Program. OER is an organizational unit with a small skilled staff that also draws upon the professional staff of other organizations units of the USITC. Outside of the USITC, the Office deals principally with offices in the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative; assistant secretaries, deputy assistant secretaries, and office directors responsible for trade policy and trade-related activities in Cabinet agencies of the Executive Branch; Committee and Subcommittee staff directors of oversight Congressional Committees; senior level officials of foreign governments and international organizations; private sector representatives; news/media professionals; and the general public.
Summary
The U.S. International Trade Commission (Commission) is a great place to work, and we aren't the only ones who think so. We were rated "Most Improved Small Agency" in 2013 by the Partnership for Public Service and ranked 6th overall in the 2016 Best Places to Work Index. An independent Federal agency, the Commission provides the President and Congress with high-quality analysis and technical support on international trade, tariff and competitiveness issues; hears and decides import injury cases, and publishes the United States' tariff schedule. You will find a working environment throughout the Commission that is dedicated to the development of your technical skills and a commitment to provide balance between your work and personal life.
This position is located in the Office of External Relations (OER), which is responsible for developing and maintaining an effective liaison program between the USITC and its varied external customers. OER is also responsible for managing the public information activities of the USITC, as well as the activities of the Trade Remedy Assistance Program. OER is an organizational unit with a small skilled staff that also draws upon the professional staff of other organizations units of the USITC. Outside of the USITC, the Office deals principally with offices in the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative; assistant secretaries, deputy assistant secretaries, and office directors responsible for trade policy and trade-related activities in Cabinet agencies of the Executive Branch; Committee and Subcommittee staff directors of oversight Congressional Committees; senior level officials of foreign governments and international organizations; private sector representatives; news/media professionals; and the general public.
The incumbent provides services in support of the Public Affairs Officer, Office of External Relations. On occasion, the incumbent may also provide services in support of other OER activities. The incumbent responds, in oral and written form, to requests for information received by telephone and email from the news media and the general public. Incumbent determines the nature of the information required for response, collects and assembles appropriate material, and drafts the response. Following established templates, the incumbent prepares news releases and other recurring materials. The incumbent develops written materials, such as news and feature articles and fact sheets, to convey to non-technical audiences information about Commission decisions, actions, programs, reports, and activities. The incumbent assists other writers and photographers on story assignments within the agency and performs initial editing on the writing projects of other writers. The incumbent will play a strong role in developing content for the agency's web site. The incumbent assists with public affairs activities such as daily news media monitoring, organizing files, updating the web- based Daily Calendar, preparing historical materials for submission to the National Archives, drafting the internal monthly newsletter, and other projects as assigned. The incumbent provides backup coverage to front desk professional and Public Affairs Officer. The incumbent will perform other duties as assigned.
You must meet the criteria for internship under the Pathways Program
You will be required to sign a Pathways Participation Agreement
Serve a one-year probationary period
All qualifications and time-in-grade requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement and clearly documented in your resume.
If you are appointed to this position you will be required to provide verification of citizenship identity and employment eligibility under the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 (Public Law 99-603).
You must meet the definition of a student for the duration of your appointment. You will be required to provide proof of this during the course of your internship, as established in your Agreement. You must have and maintain at least a 2.5, out of a 4.0 scale, cumulative Grade Point Average or equivalent.
Qualifications
You must meet all the requirements below by the closing date of the announcement and they must be clearly identified in your application, resume, or supporting documents. This includes any general and specialized experience, education, and/or selective placement factors mentioned. These are used to determine if you possess the knowledge, skills, and/or abilities to successfully perform in this position.
Student eligibility requirement: You must be currently enrolled, or accepted for enrollment, on at least a half-time schedule as a student at an accredited education institution in a certificate, degree or diploma program
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.
To qualify at the GS-9 level, you must have one year of specialized experience at a level equivalent to the GS-7 level in the federal service or private sector. Typically, we would find this experience in work in the journalism, public affairs, public relations, mass communications, or a related field. Specialized experience is defined as professional experience in a public affairs/public information capacity that included evaluating information requests from the media and general public, researching and assembling relevant materials, and drafting responses for oral and written delivery; planning and drafting routine news releases, news and feature articles, web content, and other public information materials; evaluating the news value of visual materials; assisting and editing the work of other writers and photographers; interviewing and interacting with a variety of officials and subject matter experts outside the public affairs function; analyzing audiences and suggesting effective communications techniques to reach them; and providing administrative and professional support to public affairs professionals OR master's degree or equivalent graduate degree in journalism, public relations, mass communications, or a related field; or 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree; or LL.B. or J.D., if related.
COMBINING EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE
To combine your experience and education, you must convert the figures to a percentage and add them together. The combined total percentages of your education and experience must equal at least 100% in order to qualify.
To calculate your percentage of undergraduate education, divide the number of undergraduate hours you've completed by 120. To calculate your percentage of graduate education, divide the number of graduate semester hours you've completed by 18. If your education is currently described in quarter hours, convert the quarter hours into semester hours by multiplying the quarter hours by the fraction 2/3. To determine your percentage of qualifying experience, you must divide your total number of months of qualifying experience by the required number of months of experience.
Finally, add your experience and education percentages. The two percentages must total at least 100% to be considered qualified.
Education
Education May be Substituted for Experience as Follows
At the GS-9 level: Master's degree or equivalent graduate degree in journalism, public relations, mass communications, or a related field; or 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree; or LL.B. or J.D., if related.
For proof of education, you are required to submit a copy of your transcript(s) or list of courses with credit hours, major(s), and grade-point average or class ranking, as well as proof of enrollment. Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the education requirements if it has been certified. It is your responsibility to provide such evidence when applying. Click on the link for a list of accreditation organizations recognized as specializing in interpretation of foreign education credentials: http://www.naces.org/members.htm.
Unofficial transcripts and proof of enrollment will be accepted when applying to the position. Official transcripts and proof of enrollment will be required if you are selected. Education is also verified as part of the background investigation.
Additional information
Surplus or Displaced Federal Employees: The Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) and Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) Programs are available to federal employees that qualify. Those eligible for these programs are granted special priority selection rights. To be considered, you must be deemed well-qualified by receiving a score of 85 or higher. If you are a federal employee claiming CTAP/ICTAP, you must provide the documents listed under the Required Documents section to verify your eligibility. Also, you must indicate in your application that you are applying as a CTAP or ICTAP eligible. For additional information regarding CTAP/ICTAP, please visit: http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/.
Selective Service: If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, you must certify that you are registered with the Selective Service or are exempt under Selective Service regulations. For additional information concerning Selective Service requirements, please visit http://www.sss.gov/.
Vacancy ID number: 10030666 Reasonable accommodations: This agency provides reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify the contact listed on the vacancy announcement. The decision to grant a reasonable accommodation is made on a case-by-case basis. Verification of information: Any information claimed on your resume and in application materials, such as education, credentials, employment history, etc., will be verified as part of the security clearance process.
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.
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.
How you will be evaluated
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
Your application will be rated by our applications system using the Category Rating procedure. A quality review will then be conducted by the HR Office and/or Subject Matter Expert (SME). Your qualifications will be evaluated on the basis of your level of knowledge, skills, abilities and/or competencies in the following areas:
Responding to the news media and public
News, features and web content development/writing/editing
Interviewing and information gathering
Analyzing audiences, proposing communication channels
Standard communication principles, methods, and techniques
Ability to work collaboratively in a team environment
Day-to-day support of public affairs professionals
We will evaluate your relevant education and/or work experience as they relate to the competencies, knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) mentioned above. If you rate yourself higher than is supported by your application materials, your responses may be adjusted and/or you may be excluded from consideration for this job. Based on the results of this evaluation, you will be placed in one of the following categories:
Best: placement in this category indicates you have the type and quality of experience and/or education that substantially exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position, including any selective placement factors and/or appropriate quality ranking factor(s).
Better: this category indicates you have the type and quality of experience and/or education that exceed the minimum qualifications of the position.
Good: if you are placed in this category, it indicates you meet the minimum qualifications and/or education of the position and are proficient in some, but not all, of the requirements of the position. You may require extensive training and/or orientation in order to satisfactorily perform the duties of the position.
Candidates in the Best category will be the first ones sent to the hiring manager for interview consideration. Within each category, those with veterans' preference eligibility will receive selection priority over non-veterans.
You may be required to complete a writing sample/assessment if selected for an interview, the topic and time line will be submitted to you by the hiring official.
Your resume, and supporting documentation for education, should contain sufficient information for us to make a valid determination that you fully meet the qualification requirements for this vacancy. We do not make inferences and can only consider the information you provide to us. Insufficient resumes and application packages will result in loss of consideration. Your experience and education is also evaluated using an assessment questionnaire, which is available at the following link:https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/10030666
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.
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.
To receive consideration, you must complete the occupational questionnaire and submit the documentation specified below by 11:59 PM ET .
1. Resume. Your resume or any other written format you choose should contain the following information:
paid and non-paid experience, including job titles, dates held (month and year for qualifying purposes to receive credit), number of hours worked per week, and salary
knowledge of the subject matter and technical skills pertinent to this position
specific duties performed that fully detail the level and complexity of the work
names and phone numbers of your current and/or previous supervisor(s)
Your resume should contain enough information to make a valid determination that you fully meet the basic, general, or specialized experience requirements for each grade level you are applying. This information must be clearly identified in your resume. If you do not provide enough information for us to determine your qualifications, you may be rated ineligible.
2. Occupational Questionnaire: A complete job-specific occupational questionnaire submitted through your Application Manager account or fax it using the methods outlined in the How to Apply section.
3. Transcripts: If you are using education to qualify OR if there are mandatory education requirements listed under theQualifications and Evaluations section, you MUST submit a copy of your college transcript(s) with your application. Your education must be accredited by the U.S. Department of Education. Your transcript must contain;
name of academic institution
list of courses
credit hours
major(s)
grade-point average or class ranking
Foreign Education: You can use education you completed in a foreign college or university if you can show that the foreign education is comparable to that received in an accredited educational institution in the United States. You must provide an official statement certifying that your education is equivalent with your application package. The link contains a list of accredited organizations that specialize in interpreting of foreign education credentials: http://www.naces.org/members.htm.
If you are selected for a position, you must submit an official/sealed college transcript(s) prior to employment.
4. Veterans' Preference: If claiming veterans' preference, you must indicate the type of veterans' preference you are claiming on your resume.
A. For 5-point veterans' preference, you must provide:
a copy of your DD 214 Certificate of Release or Discharge which shows the type of discharge and dates of active duty (Member 4 copy preferred).
B. If you are currently on active duty, to receive 5-point preference you must provide an official statement of service from your command/unit which states: -
your branch of service
period(s) of service
campaign medals or expeditionary medals earned
expected discharge type and date
date you will be separated or be on approved terminal leave
If you supply a statement of service at this stage, your preference/eligibility will be verified by a DD 214 prior to your appointment with our agency.
C. To receive 10-point veterans' preference, you must provide:
any documentation required by this form to support your claim.
If we cannot verify your 10-point preference status, you will receive 5-point preference if you meet the requirements. You can obtain an SF-15 through this link: http://www.opm.gov/forms/standard-forms/.
To access to your DD 214 online, please visit: http://www.archives.gov/veterans/military-service-records/.
Current or former Federal employees applying under this announcement, and claiming veteran's preference, must submit a qualifying SF-50, to show you meet time-in-grade requirements.
5. Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP)/Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) Eligibles: You must submit the following documents;
a copy of your agency notice
a copy of your most recent performance rating
a copy of your most recent SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action, noting your current position, grade level, and duty location
6. Cover Letter: This is optional.
7. Special hiring authority applicants: If you are applying under a special hiring authority you must submit proof of eligibility with your application.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
To apply for this position, you must complete the occupational questionnaire and submit it along with the documentation specified in the "Required Documents" section below. You must apply online, which allows you to review and track the status of your application. Documents and application references are available at the "Other Information" section of this announcement. You must meet qualifications as of the closing date of the announcement and your complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 (EDT) on 08/18/2017. Please note that this announcement has application limits and may close prior to this date.
To begin the online application process:
a) Log onto USAJOBS, click "Apply Online" to create a USAJOBS account, or to log into your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USAJOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire.
b) Click the "Submit My Answers" button to submit your application package.
c) To verify that your application is complete, log into your USAJOBS account, select the "Application Status" link, and then select the more information link for this position. The Details page will display the status of your application, documentation received and processed, and any correspondence we have sent you related to this job opportunity. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
To return to an incomplete application: Log into your USAJOBS account and click "Update Application" in the vacancy announcement section. You must re-select your resume and/or other documents from your USAJOBS account or your application will be incomplete
Office of External Relations
500 E St SW
Washington, DC 20436
US
Next steps
You will receive an auto-generated e-mail telling you your application has been received. After the application count cut-off date has been met, your application package will be reviewed by the Commission's Human Resource Management Office for completeness and satisfaction of the basic qualification requirements for this position. Applicants who have complete applications and meet the basic qualifications are then placed in one of the following categories: Best, Better and Good. Candidates in the Best Category are the first group sent to the hiring manager for consideration. If additional names are needed, applicants from the other two groups are referred in group order. Within each category, those with veterans' preference eligibility will receive selection priority over non-veterans.
Your application may also be reviewed by Subject Matter Expert(s). If you are selected for an interview, you can expect a structured interview process, which may include a meeting with 2 to 4 Commission staff members.
We appreciate your interest in the Commission and commit to keeping you informed on the status of your application. You will be notified of the following major milestones:
Receipt of your application;
Determination whether your application shows you meet the minimum qualifications for the position;
Determination whether your application was in the group for referral to the hiring official; and
The final outcome of the vacancy.
These notices will be emailed and posted directly on your USAJOBS account.
You can always check the status of your application as the recruitment process moves along by:
1. Logging into your USAJOBS account;
2. Selecting Application Status; and
3. Reviewing the Status column.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
To receive consideration, you must complete the occupational questionnaire and submit the documentation specified below by 11:59 PM ET .
1. Resume. Your resume or any other written format you choose should contain the following information:
paid and non-paid experience, including job titles, dates held (month and year for qualifying purposes to receive credit), number of hours worked per week, and salary
knowledge of the subject matter and technical skills pertinent to this position
specific duties performed that fully detail the level and complexity of the work
names and phone numbers of your current and/or previous supervisor(s)
Your resume should contain enough information to make a valid determination that you fully meet the basic, general, or specialized experience requirements for each grade level you are applying. This information must be clearly identified in your resume. If you do not provide enough information for us to determine your qualifications, you may be rated ineligible.
2. Occupational Questionnaire: A complete job-specific occupational questionnaire submitted through your Application Manager account or fax it using the methods outlined in the How to Apply section.
3. Transcripts: If you are using education to qualify OR if there are mandatory education requirements listed under theQualifications and Evaluations section, you MUST submit a copy of your college transcript(s) with your application. Your education must be accredited by the U.S. Department of Education. Your transcript must contain;
name of academic institution
list of courses
credit hours
major(s)
grade-point average or class ranking
Foreign Education: You can use education you completed in a foreign college or university if you can show that the foreign education is comparable to that received in an accredited educational institution in the United States. You must provide an official statement certifying that your education is equivalent with your application package. The link contains a list of accredited organizations that specialize in interpreting of foreign education credentials: http://www.naces.org/members.htm.
If you are selected for a position, you must submit an official/sealed college transcript(s) prior to employment.
4. Veterans' Preference: If claiming veterans' preference, you must indicate the type of veterans' preference you are claiming on your resume.
A. For 5-point veterans' preference, you must provide:
a copy of your DD 214 Certificate of Release or Discharge which shows the type of discharge and dates of active duty (Member 4 copy preferred).
B. If you are currently on active duty, to receive 5-point preference you must provide an official statement of service from your command/unit which states: -
your branch of service
period(s) of service
campaign medals or expeditionary medals earned
expected discharge type and date
date you will be separated or be on approved terminal leave
If you supply a statement of service at this stage, your preference/eligibility will be verified by a DD 214 prior to your appointment with our agency.
C. To receive 10-point veterans' preference, you must provide:
any documentation required by this form to support your claim.
If we cannot verify your 10-point preference status, you will receive 5-point preference if you meet the requirements. You can obtain an SF-15 through this link: http://www.opm.gov/forms/standard-forms/.
To access to your DD 214 online, please visit: http://www.archives.gov/veterans/military-service-records/.
Current or former Federal employees applying under this announcement, and claiming veteran's preference, must submit a qualifying SF-50, to show you meet time-in-grade requirements.
5. Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP)/Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) Eligibles: You must submit the following documents;
a copy of your agency notice
a copy of your most recent performance rating
a copy of your most recent SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action, noting your current position, grade level, and duty location
6. Cover Letter: This is optional.
7. Special hiring authority applicants: If you are applying under a special hiring authority you must submit proof of eligibility with your application.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
To apply for this position, you must complete the occupational questionnaire and submit it along with the documentation specified in the "Required Documents" section below. You must apply online, which allows you to review and track the status of your application. Documents and application references are available at the "Other Information" section of this announcement. You must meet qualifications as of the closing date of the announcement and your complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 (EDT) on 08/18/2017. Please note that this announcement has application limits and may close prior to this date.
To begin the online application process:
a) Log onto USAJOBS, click "Apply Online" to create a USAJOBS account, or to log into your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USAJOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire.
b) Click the "Submit My Answers" button to submit your application package.
c) To verify that your application is complete, log into your USAJOBS account, select the "Application Status" link, and then select the more information link for this position. The Details page will display the status of your application, documentation received and processed, and any correspondence we have sent you related to this job opportunity. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
To return to an incomplete application: Log into your USAJOBS account and click "Update Application" in the vacancy announcement section. You must re-select your resume and/or other documents from your USAJOBS account or your application will be incomplete
Office of External Relations
500 E St SW
Washington, DC 20436
US
Next steps
You will receive an auto-generated e-mail telling you your application has been received. After the application count cut-off date has been met, your application package will be reviewed by the Commission's Human Resource Management Office for completeness and satisfaction of the basic qualification requirements for this position. Applicants who have complete applications and meet the basic qualifications are then placed in one of the following categories: Best, Better and Good. Candidates in the Best Category are the first group sent to the hiring manager for consideration. If additional names are needed, applicants from the other two groups are referred in group order. Within each category, those with veterans' preference eligibility will receive selection priority over non-veterans.
Your application may also be reviewed by Subject Matter Expert(s). If you are selected for an interview, you can expect a structured interview process, which may include a meeting with 2 to 4 Commission staff members.
We appreciate your interest in the Commission and commit to keeping you informed on the status of your application. You will be notified of the following major milestones:
Receipt of your application;
Determination whether your application shows you meet the minimum qualifications for the position;
Determination whether your application was in the group for referral to the hiring official; and
The final outcome of the vacancy.
These notices will be emailed and posted directly on your USAJOBS account.
You can always check the status of your application as the recruitment process moves along by:
1. Logging into your USAJOBS account;
2. Selecting Application Status; and
3. Reviewing the Status column.
Fair and transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
