The Department of Health & Human Services (HHS), Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) works in partnership with the entire health care community to improve quality and efficiency in an evolving health care system and provides leadership in the broader health care marketplace.
CMS' effectiveness depends on the capabilities of a dedicated, professional staff that is committed to supporting these objectives. A career with CMS offers the opportunity to get involved in important national health care issues and be part of a dynamic, fast-paced, and highly visible organization. For more information on CMS, please visit: http://www.cms.gov/.
This position is located in the Department of Health & Human Services (HHS), Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), Office of Communications(OC), Media Relations Group (MRG).
WHO MAY APPLY:
United States Citizens or Nationals
Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP)
Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP)
This vacancy is also being announced concurrently with vacancy announcement CMS-OC-ST-18-10066582 under Merit Promotion procedures. If you wish to be considered under both announcements, you must apply separately to each announcement. In addition, applicants eligible under non-competitive appointment authorities (e.g., Schedule A, Veterans Recruitment Appointment (VRA), 30 Percent or More Disabled Veterans, etc.) who are interested in applying for this position, please apply under vacancy announcement CMS-OC-ST-18-10066582 to be considered under non-competitive procedures.
Summary
The Department of Health & Human Services (HHS), Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) works in partnership with the entire health care community to improve quality and efficiency in an evolving health care system and provides leadership in the broader health care marketplace.
CMS' effectiveness depends on the capabilities of a dedicated, professional staff that is committed to supporting these objectives. A career with CMS offers the opportunity to get involved in important national health care issues and be part of a dynamic, fast-paced, and highly visible organization. For more information on CMS, please visit: http://www.cms.gov/.
This position is located in the Department of Health & Human Services (HHS), Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), Office of Communications(OC), Media Relations Group (MRG).
WHO MAY APPLY:
United States Citizens or Nationals
Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP)
Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP)
This vacancy is also being announced concurrently with vacancy announcement CMS-OC-ST-18-10066582 under Merit Promotion procedures. If you wish to be considered under both announcements, you must apply separately to each announcement. In addition, applicants eligible under non-competitive appointment authorities (e.g., Schedule A, Veterans Recruitment Appointment (VRA), 30 Percent or More Disabled Veterans, etc.) who are interested in applying for this position, please apply under vacancy announcement CMS-OC-ST-18-10066582 to be considered under non-competitive procedures.
As a Public Affairs Specialist, GS-1035-13, you will be responsible for creating messaging and providing communications support for CMS. You will work closely with various internal and external contacts and program experts across the agency to develop communication strategies that support CMS' mission and goals. You will also be responsible for the coordination of media relations activities for assigned "beat" areas.
Specifically, you will:
- Arrange and manage media briefings, media availabilities, and other news-related activities.
- Cultivate and maintain effective working relationships with the news media and other internal and external stakeholders.
- Independently initiate, create, write, and edit materials, including news releases, press statements, fact sheets, and frequently asked questions about CMS programs, initiatives, policy, technical, and provider interests and issues directed towards journalists and lay audiences.
- Brief CMS officials to prepare them for interacting with the media and/or political entities.
Additional selections may be made from this announcement for similar positions within CMS in the same geographical location. For Central Office vacancies, the "same geographical location" includes Baltimore, Maryland; Bethesda, Maryland; and Washington, D.C.
Current Commissioned Corps Officers and boarded applicants interested in applying for this position must send their professional resume (not Curriculum Vitae) and cover letter to DSRWS-CC@cms.hhs.gov in lieu of applying through this announcement. You are to include the Job Announcement Number in the subject line and your current rank/application status in your email. Failure to provide this information may impact your consideration for this position.
You must be a U.S. Citizen or National to apply for this position.
You will be subject to a background and suitability investigation.
Conditions of Employment:
1. Security and Background Requirements: If not previously completed, a background security investigation will be required for all selectees. Appointment will be subject to the applicant's successful completion of a background security investigation and favorable adjudication. Failure to successfully meet these requirements may be grounds for appropriate personnel action. In addition, if hired, a background security reinvestigation or supplemental investigation may be required at a later time. Applicants are also advised that all information concerning qualifications is subject to investigation. False representation may be grounds for non-consideration, non-selection and/or appropriate disciplinary action.
Optional Form 306, Declaration of Federal Employment - available at http://www.opm.gov/forms/pdf_fill/of0306.pdf. This form is not required to be submitted at the time of submitting your application. However, if selected, this form will be required prior to final job offer.
2. E-Verify: The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services participates in the Electronic Employment Eligibility Verification Program (E-Verify). E-Verify helps employers determine employment eligibility of new hires and the validity of their Social Security numbers. Click here for more information.
3. Selective Service: Male applicants born after 12/31/1959 must have registered for the Selective Service. Click here for more information.
4. Direct Deposit: All Federal employees are required to have Federal salary payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of their choosing.
5. Oath of Office: All Federal employees are required to take the Oath of Office and sign Standard Form (SF) 61, Appointment Affidavits.
SF 61 - Appointment Affidavits - available at http://www.opm.gov/forms/pdf_fill/sf61.pdf. This form is not required to be submitted at the time of submitting your application. However, if selected, this form will be required at the time of in-processing.
6. Probationary Period(s): A one year probationary period may be required upon appointment.
Qualifications
ALL QUALIFICATION REQUIREMENTS MUST BE MET BY THE CLOSING DATE OF THIS ANNOUNCEMENT.
In order to qualify for the GS-13, you must meet the following: You must demonstrate in your resume at least one year (52 weeks) of qualifying specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12 grade level in the Federal government, obtained in either the private or public sector, to include: #1) writing press releases, fact sheets, statements, summaries or remarks for the news media regarding health care or health policy news; #2) conducting briefings with media representatives; and #3) advising senior staff on the development and dissemination of information to the public.
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.
Bargaining Unit Position: Yes - 2268 Tour of Duty: Flexible Recruitment Incentive: Not Authorized Financial Disclosure: Not Required
This is a competitive vacancy announcement advertised under Delegated Examining Authority. Selections made under this vacancy announcement will be processed as new appointments to the civil service. Current civil service employees would therefore be given new appointments to the civil service; however, benefits, time served and all other Federal entitlements would remain the same.
CMS employees currently participating in 100% Full-Time Telework Program may be eligible to remain in the program. If an employee in this program is selected, the pay will be set in accordance with the locality pay for the applicable duty station. The listed salary range reflects the locality pay assigned to the duty location(s) listed in the vacancy announcement. For more information about pay based on locality, please visit the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Salaries & Wages Page.
The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced federal employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit the required documentation and be rated well-qualified for this vacancy. Click here for a detailed description of the required supporting documents. A well-qualified applicant is one whose knowledge, skills and abilities clearly exceed the minimum qualification requirements of the position. Additional information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at www.opm.gov/rif/employee_guides/career_transition.asp.
If you are unable to apply online or need to fax a document you do not have in electronic form, view the following link for information regarding an Alternate Application.
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.
If you meet the minimum qualifications and education requirements for this position, your application and responses to the online occupational questionnaire will be evaluated under Category Rating and Selection procedures for placement in one of the following categories:
Best Qualified - for those who are superior in the evaluation criteria
Well Qualified - for those who excel in the evaluation criteria
Qualified - for those who only meet the minimum qualification requirements
The Category Rating Process does not add veterans' preference points or apply the "rule of three" but protects the rights of veterans by placing them ahead of non-preference eligibles within each category. Veterans' preference eligibles who meet the minimum qualification requirements and who have a compensable service-connected disability of at least 10 percent will be listed in the highest quality category (except in the case of professional or scientific positions at the GS-09 level or higher).
Once the announcement has closed, your resume, supporting documentation, and responses to the occupational questionnaire will be used to determine if you meet eligibility and qualification requirements listed on this announcement. If you are found to be among the top qualified candidates, you will be referred to the selecting official for employment consideration. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating.
Your qualifications will be evaluated on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities and other characteristics):
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.
1. Resumeshowing relevant experience; cover letter optional. Your resume must indicate your citizenship and if you are registered for Selective Service if you are a male born after 12/31/59. Your resume must also list your work experience and education (if applicable) including the start and end dates (mm/dd/yy) of each employment along with the number of hours worked per week. For work in the Federal service, you must include the series and grade level for the position(s). Your resume will be used to validate your responses to the assessment tool(s). For resume and application tips visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/faq/application/documents/resume/what-to-include/
2. A complete Occupational Questionnaire.
3. Supporting Documents (e.g., SF-50, DD-214, SF-15, etc.). Supporting documents may be required to be considered for this vacancy announcement. Click here for a detailed description of the required supporting documents. Failure to provide the appropriate documentation WILL result in an ineligible rating OR non-consideration.
PLEASE NOTE: Submission of a resume alone is NOT a complete application package. This position requires the completion of the occupational questionnaire and submission of supporting documents, as described under the "Required Documents" section of this announcement. Please carefully review the complete job announcement and the "How to Apply" instructions. Failure to provide the required information and/or documents will result in you not being considered for employment.
Contact Information: CMS HR Center Helpdesk
Phone: 1-888-423-2737 or 410-786-3936
Email: HRCenterHelpdesk@cms.hhs.gov
Hours of Operation: Monday - Friday from 8:00AM ET to 5:00PM ET (excludes all federal holidays)
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 the documentation specified in the "Required Documents" section below. A complete application package (to include resume, occupational questionnaire and other applicable supporting documents) must be received by 11:59 PM ET on 11/03/2017 to receive consideration.
IN DESCRIBING YOUR WORK EXPERIENCE AND/OR EDUCATION, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE OR EDUCATION.
We strongly encourage applicants to utilize the USAJOBS resume builder in the creation of resumes. Please ensure EACH work history includes ALL of the following information:
Official Position Title (include series and grade if Federal job)
Duties (be specific in describing your duties)
Employer's name and address
Supervisor name and phone number
Start and end dates including month, day and year (e.g. June 18, 2007 to April 05, 2008)
Full-time or part-time status (include hours worked per week)
Salary
Determining length of general or specialized experience is dependent on the above information and failure to provide ALL of this information WILL result in a finding of ineligible.
To begin, click Apply to access the online application. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account to apply. If you do not have a USAJOBS account, you will need to create one before beginning the application.
Follow the prompts to select your resume and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package. You will have the opportunity to upload additional documents to include in your application before it is submitted. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
After acknowledging you have reviewed your application package, complete the Include Personal Information section as you deem appropriate and click to continue with the application process.
You will be taken to the online application which you must complete in order to apply for the position. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation is included with your application package, and submit the application.
To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account (https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login), all of your applications will appear on the Welcome screen. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/.
This agency provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process, please send an email to the CMS HR Helpdesk (HRCenterHelpdesk@cms.hhs.gov). You may also contact the CMS HR Helpdesk at 1-888-423-2737 or 410-786-3936. Individuals who are deaf or hard-of-hearing should contact the CMS HR Helpdesk via 1-888-423-2737 using your relay service provider (Video Relay Services or Teletype Services). The decision to grant reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis.
Office of Communications
7500 Security Blvd
Woodlawn, MD 21244
US
Next steps
Once your online application is submitted, you will receive a confirmation notification by email. Your application will be evaluated by the Human Resources Office to determine your eligibility and qualifications for the position. After the evaluation is complete, you will receive another email notification regarding the status of your application.
Within 30 business days of the closing date,11/03/2017, you may check your status online by logging into your USAJOBS account (https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login). We will update your status after each key stage in the application process has been completed.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
1. Resumeshowing relevant experience; cover letter optional. Your resume must indicate your citizenship and if you are registered for Selective Service if you are a male born after 12/31/59. Your resume must also list your work experience and education (if applicable) including the start and end dates (mm/dd/yy) of each employment along with the number of hours worked per week. For work in the Federal service, you must include the series and grade level for the position(s). Your resume will be used to validate your responses to the assessment tool(s). For resume and application tips visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/faq/application/documents/resume/what-to-include/
2. A complete Occupational Questionnaire.
3. Supporting Documents (e.g., SF-50, DD-214, SF-15, etc.). Supporting documents may be required to be considered for this vacancy announcement. Click here for a detailed description of the required supporting documents. Failure to provide the appropriate documentation WILL result in an ineligible rating OR non-consideration.
PLEASE NOTE: Submission of a resume alone is NOT a complete application package. This position requires the completion of the occupational questionnaire and submission of supporting documents, as described under the "Required Documents" section of this announcement. Please carefully review the complete job announcement and the "How to Apply" instructions. Failure to provide the required information and/or documents will result in you not being considered for employment.
Contact Information: CMS HR Center Helpdesk
Phone: 1-888-423-2737 or 410-786-3936
Email: HRCenterHelpdesk@cms.hhs.gov
Hours of Operation: Monday - Friday from 8:00AM ET to 5:00PM ET (excludes all federal holidays)
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 the documentation specified in the "Required Documents" section below. A complete application package (to include resume, occupational questionnaire and other applicable supporting documents) must be received by 11:59 PM ET on 11/03/2017 to receive consideration.
IN DESCRIBING YOUR WORK EXPERIENCE AND/OR EDUCATION, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE OR EDUCATION.
We strongly encourage applicants to utilize the USAJOBS resume builder in the creation of resumes. Please ensure EACH work history includes ALL of the following information:
Official Position Title (include series and grade if Federal job)
Duties (be specific in describing your duties)
Employer's name and address
Supervisor name and phone number
Start and end dates including month, day and year (e.g. June 18, 2007 to April 05, 2008)
Full-time or part-time status (include hours worked per week)
Salary
Determining length of general or specialized experience is dependent on the above information and failure to provide ALL of this information WILL result in a finding of ineligible.
To begin, click Apply to access the online application. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account to apply. If you do not have a USAJOBS account, you will need to create one before beginning the application.
Follow the prompts to select your resume and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package. You will have the opportunity to upload additional documents to include in your application before it is submitted. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
After acknowledging you have reviewed your application package, complete the Include Personal Information section as you deem appropriate and click to continue with the application process.
You will be taken to the online application which you must complete in order to apply for the position. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation is included with your application package, and submit the application.
To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account (https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login), all of your applications will appear on the Welcome screen. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/.
This agency provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process, please send an email to the CMS HR Helpdesk (HRCenterHelpdesk@cms.hhs.gov). You may also contact the CMS HR Helpdesk at 1-888-423-2737 or 410-786-3936. Individuals who are deaf or hard-of-hearing should contact the CMS HR Helpdesk via 1-888-423-2737 using your relay service provider (Video Relay Services or Teletype Services). The decision to grant reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis.
Office of Communications
7500 Security Blvd
Woodlawn, MD 21244
US
Next steps
Once your online application is submitted, you will receive a confirmation notification by email. Your application will be evaluated by the Human Resources Office to determine your eligibility and qualifications for the position. After the evaluation is complete, you will receive another email notification regarding the status of your application.
Within 30 business days of the closing date,11/03/2017, you may check your status online by logging into your USAJOBS account (https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login). We will update your status after each key stage in the application process has been completed.
Fair and transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
