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Summary

This position is located in the National Park Service's (NPS) National Capital Region Office of Communications in Washington, D.C.
The office explains NPS policies and stewardship responsibilities and highlights the opportunities park and community programs make available to people in the region. The office develops region-wide communications policies and procedures and leads media, public, and employee information efforts. It also provides communications counsel to parks, programs, and regional leadership. The National Capital Region is planning for and implementing several large-scale transportation infrastructure projects and planning efforts. The public affairs specialist will be responsible for developing and implementing public information and outreach strategies to ensure clear communication about the projects between the National Park Service and the public, including media representatives. A successful strategy will require monitoring the schedules and milestones of the projects to engage the public, answer questions, issue news releases, facilitate meetings, arrange interviews and serve as a spokesperson.

This position has promotion potential to the target grade of GS-12. You may be promoted to the next higher grade without further competition when all statutory and regulatory requirements have been met, performance is satisfactory and promotion is recommended by the supervisor. Promotion to the next higher grade is not guaranteed and is contingent upon the above criteria. Management may select at any of the grade levels announced.

This is a Full-Time TERM position. Appointment to this position will not convey permanent status in the Federal service and will be for a period not to exceed thirteen months, with possible extensions up to a total of four years without further competition.

Noncompetitive/Special Hiring Authorities - Those eligible to be considered for this position based on a Special or Noncompetitive Hiring Authority (i.e., VRA, 30% or more Disabled Veterans, Schedule A, Returning Peace Corps Volunteers, VISTA Alumni, Certain, Military Spouses, Public Lands Corps Alumni, Pathways interns who are eligible for noncompetitive conversion, etc.) may apply for this position.

Travel, transportation, and relocation expenses will not be paid. All travel, transportation, and relocation expenses associated with reporting for duty in this position will be the sole responsibility of the selected employee.

Summary

Overview

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Job canceled

Open & closing dates

09/27/2017 to 10/05/2017

Salary: $66,510 to - $103,639 per year

Pay scale & grade: GS 11 - 12

Location

Washington DC, DC

1 vacancy

Travel Required: Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.

Relocation expenses reimbursed: No

Appointment type: Term

Work schedule: Full-Time

Service

Promotion potential

Job family (Series)

1035 Public Affairs

Supervisory status: No

Announcement number: NC-1616-NCRO-17-10052224-DE

Control number: 479951900

This job is open to

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Duties

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Duties of the position include, but are not limited to:

Serve as a public affairs specialist and spokesperson on a wide variety of complex, sometimes controversial, topics with tight deadlines.
Develop and implements strategic communication plans and measures results in coordination with colleagues at the park/program, regional, and national levels. Actively promotes the mission of the NPS and the opportunities and benefits it provides.
Establish and maintain effective working relationships with internal/external contacts to develop and implement communications strategies and foster understanding of the Agency's complex mission and responsibilities.
Develop, write and disseminate communication products appropriate to national, regional, and local audiences.
Organize and coordinate media interviews for NPS subject matter experts.
Research and write speeches and talking points. Research and respond or coordinate responses to requests for information about NPS issues.
Orchestrate and provide support for regional and park/program special events.

Duties will be developmental in nature when filled below the full performance level.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

U.S. Citizenship required.
Appointment subject to background investigation and favorable adjudication.
Meet Selective Service Registration Act requirement for males.

Selectee will be required to participate in the Direct Deposit Electronics Funds Transfer Program.
You may be required to operate a government (or private) motor vehicle as part of your official duties. Prior to your first official motor vehicle operation, and again every year thereafter (or more frequently if management determines such need exists), you will be required to sign an affidavit certifying to your possession of a valid State issued driver's license that is current and has not been revoked, suspended, canceled, or otherwise disqualified in any way to prohibit your operation of a motor vehicle. You will also submit a photocopy of your valid State issued driver's license prior to your first official motor vehicle operation, and again every year, or more frequently if management determines such need exists. Lastly, you may be required to submit (within a State sealed envelope or submitted directly by the State authorities), and at your own expense, all certified driving records from all States that discloses all valid driver's licenses, whether current or past, possessed by you. Please indicate in your application whether you possess a valid State driver's license.
Frequently, you will be required to wear a uniform and comply with the National Park Service uniform standards. A uniform allowance will be provided.
You may be required to work on-call, evenings, weekends, holidays, overtime and shift work.
You will be required to complete a one-year trial period.
You may be required to travel overnight away from home. You must obtain a government charge card for travel purposes.
You may be required to complete training and obtain/maintain a government charge card with travel and/or purchase authority.

Qualifications

For the GS-11: One year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-9 level in Federal service. Specialized experience is experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities needed to successfully perform the duties of the position. Experience includes writing and issuing news releases, serving as an on-the-record spokesperson, writing talking points and remarks for executives, creating and maintaining web content and helping to develop and implement multi-channel communication campaigns. OR possess a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree, 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree or an L.L.M in a field related to the position. OR Possess a combination of the education and experience.

For the GS-12: One year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 level in Federal service. Specialized experience is experience that equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities needed to successfully perform the duties of the position. Experience includes independently writing and issuing news releases, speeches and talking points; serving as an on-the-record spokesperson for television, radio, and print stories, helping to craft multi-channel strategic communication campaigns, and implementing multi-channel strategic communication campaigns and measuring their success.

Volunteer Experience: 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.

You must include months, years and hours per week worked to receive credit for your work and/or volunteer experience. One year of specialized experience is equivalent to 12 months at 40 hours per week. Part-time hours are prorated. You will not receive any credit for experience that does not indicate exact hours per week or is listed as "varies".

Education

To qualify based on education, you must submit a legible copy of transcripts from an accredited institution with your name, school name, credit hours, course level, major(s), and grade-point average or class ranking. Transcripts do not need to be official, but if you are selected for this position and you used your education to qualify, you must provide official transcripts before you begin work.

If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet qualification requirements, you must show that your 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.

Additional information

This announcement may be used to fill additional positions if identical vacancies occur within 90 days of the issue date of the referral certificate.

Promotion to the full performance level is neither guaranteed nor implied and will be based solely on your ability to satisfactorily perform the work of the position, existing work at the higher grade level, and recommendation by the position's supervisor.

Physical Demands: This work is usually performed at a desk; however, there are frequent visits to outdoor sites for events or media interviews, which may expose the employee to inclement weather or require movement over rough or uneven terrain. Long or unpredictable hours and stressful situations are common.

Working Conditions: The work environment involves everyday risks typical of an office setting and vehicles such as planes, trains, busses, or automobiles and requires normal safety precautions. The regular work area is adequately lighted, heated/cooled, and ventilated. However, the incumbent will be required to work outside in all weather conditions to address emerging issues, breaking news, and to support special events. in addition, the incumbent may be called to work unscheduled hours at all times of the day or night any may be expected to support events that occur on holidays and weekends.

The National Park Service has determined that the duties of this position are suitable for telework and the selectee may be allowed to telework with supervisor approval.

If you are unable to apply online or need to fax a document that you do not have in electronic form, view the following link for information regarding an Alternate Application. Click the following link for more information, https://help.usastaffing.gov/Apply/index.php?title=Alternate_Application_Information.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

A review of your resume and supporting documentation will be made and compared against your responses to the Occupational Questionnaire to determine if you are qualified for this job. If your resume is incomplete or does not support the responses provided in the Occupational Questionnaire, or if you fail to submit all required documentation, you will be rated 'ineligible', 'not qualified', or your score may be adjusted accordingly. If a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications or experience, you may lose consideration for this position. Please follow all instructions carefully; errors or omissions may affect your rating.

Candidates will be rated and ranked using Category Rating procedures. These procedures place candidates with veteran's preference above non-preference eligibles within each category. Veterans with a service connected disability of at least 10 percent are listed in the highest quality category, except when the position being filled is scientific or professional at the GS-09 grade level or higher. Under Category Rating, candidates will be rated and ranked into one of three categories:

Best Qualified - applicants possessing experience that substantially exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors and are highly proficient in all requirements of the job and can perform effectively in the position
Well Qualified - applicants possessing experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors and are proficient in most of the requirements of the job
Qualified - applicants possessing experience that meets the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors and are proficient in some, but not all of the requirements of the job.

Applicants who are referred to the hiring manager for consideration may be asked to participate in a writing and/or editing written assessment within 30 days of referral.

You will be evaluated on the following competencies:

Communications and media
Strategic thinking
Technical competence
Writing
Interpersonal skills
Information Management

Required Documents

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The following documents are required and must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 10/11/2017:

Resume which includes a list of all significant jobs held and duties performed, with dates specified in month and year format, and, indicate hours worked per week. If military or civilian, please include your rank and/or grade.
A complete Occupational Questionnaire
Other Supporting Documents, if applicable, such as:
- Veterans Preference Documentation:
  - If you are a Discharged, Non-Disabled Veteran, you must submit a copy of your DD-214 showing character of discharge (Member 4 copy), or other Documentation of Service and Separation under Honorable Conditions, as listed on the SF15. If you don't have your DD-214, you may request it after discharge from the National Archives.
  - If you are a veteran within 120 days of discharge, you must submit signed documentation from the Armed Forces certifying: 1) your expected release/retirement from active duty, 2) under honorable conditions, 3) your pay grade/rank/rate at time of discharge, 4) dates of active duty service, 5) any campaign or expeditionary medals received, & 6) dated within 120 days of your separation.
  - If you are a Disabled Veteran, Purple Heart Recipient, or Mother or Spouse of a Disabled or Deceased Veteran, you must submit all additional proof required by the SF15, and if applicable, a completed SF15. You may request a copy of your Department of Veterans Affairs letter from www.ebenefits.va.gov or call 1-800-827-1000 to establish proof of disability.
College transcripts, if qualifying based on education.
Documentation for Interagency/Career Transition Assistance Plan consideration if you are a displaced Federal employee within the local commuting area. You must include: 1) Proof you are a displaced Federal employee, e.g., RIF Separation Notice, Notice of Proposed Removal, etc; 2) SF-50s (Notifications of Personnel Action) showing career/conditional tenure competitive status, promotion potential and duty location; and 3) your most recent performance appraisal. To exercise selection priority, displaced or surplus Federal employees must be rated well-qualified or above 85 on the rating criteria for this position.
Noncompetitive/Special Hiring Authorities - You must provide documentation of eligibility for appointment (i.e., Schedule A letter, DD-214 [showing character of service], a letter from the military branch of service/Department of Veterans Affairs certifying permanent service-connected disability/temporary disability dated within 12 months from the date of application, noncompetitive eligibility letter letter, etc.), in addition to selecting the appropriate eligibility/eligibilities in the Assessment Questionnaire.

Do not submit photographs with your application package. Documents with photographs may not be seen by hiring officials - you must remove your image from any badges, licenses, etc.

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

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. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

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.

Help

To apply for this position: You must complete the occupational questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. To receive consideration, the complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 10/11/2017. WE DO NOT ACCEPT HARD-COPY OR E-MAIL APPLICATION PACKAGES.

Select Apply. If you are not logged in, you will be prompted to login or create an account.
Prompted to Start the Application Process by selecting "Start Application."
- For more information on the complete occupational questionnaire, please select the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/10052224
Select or add the resume you want to use for this application. Click here on how to build a resume in USAJOBS.
Select documents you want included in this application.
Review package to acknowledge your documents were reviewed.
Select if you want to include your demographic information.
After reading and certifying the application is true and submitted in good faith, select "Continue to Agency Site."
Follow onscreen prompts and instructions to complete your application.
Add the supporting documents by indexing your documents with the dropdown.
- Upload any missing required documents or optional documents.
Review and Submit Application.
While logged in, you can check the status of your application by selecting "+" next to the job title for this position.
You can review or revise your application at any point during the open period of the announcement.
- To update an application, you should log into your USAJOBS account and select "+" next to the job title for this position. Select "Update Application" for this job.
- Note: When you click Update Application, you will be prompted to re-select your documents from USAJOBS. Documents submitted with the first application will no longer be associated with the applicant record. So it is important that you select all documents you want to use in the re-application.

Agency contact information

Michelle Kahoun

Phone: (703) 754-1652
Email: michelle_kahoun@nps.gov

Address: National Capital Regional Human Resources Office
12521 Lee Highway
Manassas Park, VA 20109
US

Next steps

Once the Occupational Questionnaire is received you will receive acknowledgement that your submission was successful. If you are among the most qualified candidates and your name is referred to the hiring official, you may be contacted directly for a possible interview. You will be notified of the status of your Application Package at the time candidates are referred for consideration, and when the selection process is complete.

Required Documents

Help

The following documents are required and must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 10/11/2017:

Resume which includes a list of all significant jobs held and duties performed, with dates specified in month and year format, and, indicate hours worked per week. If military or civilian, please include your rank and/or grade.
A complete Occupational Questionnaire
Other Supporting Documents, if applicable, such as:
- Veterans Preference Documentation:
  - If you are a Discharged, Non-Disabled Veteran, you must submit a copy of your DD-214 showing character of discharge (Member 4 copy), or other Documentation of Service and Separation under Honorable Conditions, as listed on the SF15. If you don't have your DD-214, you may request it after discharge from the National Archives.
  - If you are a veteran within 120 days of discharge, you must submit signed documentation from the Armed Forces certifying: 1) your expected release/retirement from active duty, 2) under honorable conditions, 3) your pay grade/rank/rate at time of discharge, 4) dates of active duty service, 5) any campaign or expeditionary medals received, & 6) dated within 120 days of your separation.
  - If you are a Disabled Veteran, Purple Heart Recipient, or Mother or Spouse of a Disabled or Deceased Veteran, you must submit all additional proof required by the SF15, and if applicable, a completed SF15. You may request a copy of your Department of Veterans Affairs letter from www.ebenefits.va.gov or call 1-800-827-1000 to establish proof of disability.
College transcripts, if qualifying based on education.
Documentation for Interagency/Career Transition Assistance Plan consideration if you are a displaced Federal employee within the local commuting area. You must include: 1) Proof you are a displaced Federal employee, e.g., RIF Separation Notice, Notice of Proposed Removal, etc; 2) SF-50s (Notifications of Personnel Action) showing career/conditional tenure competitive status, promotion potential and duty location; and 3) your most recent performance appraisal. To exercise selection priority, displaced or surplus Federal employees must be rated well-qualified or above 85 on the rating criteria for this position.
Noncompetitive/Special Hiring Authorities - You must provide documentation of eligibility for appointment (i.e., Schedule A letter, DD-214 [showing character of service], a letter from the military branch of service/Department of Veterans Affairs certifying permanent service-connected disability/temporary disability dated within 12 months from the date of application, noncompetitive eligibility letter letter, etc.), in addition to selecting the appropriate eligibility/eligibilities in the Assessment Questionnaire.

Do not submit photographs with your application package. Documents with photographs may not be seen by hiring officials - you must remove your image from any badges, licenses, etc.

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.

How to Apply

Help

Select Apply. If you are not logged in, you will be prompted to login or create an account.
Prompted to Start the Application Process by selecting "Start Application."
- For more information on the complete occupational questionnaire, please select the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/10052224
Select or add the resume you want to use for this application. Click here on how to build a resume in USAJOBS.
Select documents you want included in this application.
Review package to acknowledge your documents were reviewed.
Select if you want to include your demographic information.
After reading and certifying the application is true and submitted in good faith, select "Continue to Agency Site."
Follow onscreen prompts and instructions to complete your application.
Add the supporting documents by indexing your documents with the dropdown.
- Upload any missing required documents or optional documents.
Review and Submit Application.
While logged in, you can check the status of your application by selecting "+" next to the job title for this position.
You can review or revise your application at any point during the open period of the announcement.
- To update an application, you should log into your USAJOBS account and select "+" next to the job title for this position. Select "Update Application" for this job.
- Note: When you click Update Application, you will be prompted to re-select your documents from USAJOBS. Documents submitted with the first application will no longer be associated with the applicant record. So it is important that you select all documents you want to use in the re-application.

Agency contact information

Michelle Kahoun

Phone: (703) 754-1652
Email: michelle_kahoun@nps.gov

Address: National Capital Regional Human Resources Office
12521 Lee Highway
Manassas Park, VA 20109
US

Next steps

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