Skip to main content
U.S. flag
Back to results

Public Affairs Specialist

Department of Homeland Security
Immigration and Customs Enforcement
Office of Public Affairs
This job announcement has closed

Summary

This position is located in the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Office of Public Affairs, Washington DC, District of Columbia.

Overview

Help
Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
03/19/2018 to 03/23/2018
Salary
$96,970 to - $148,967 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 13 - 14
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Washington DC, DC
Travel Required
Occasional travel - 1 to 5 nights per month
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-Time
Service
Promotion potential
14
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Secret
Announcement number
OPM-OPA-10156845-DE-ACM
Control number
493925400

Duties

Help
  • Formulate policy, programs, and procedures governing information dissemination for the agency.
  • Respond to public affairs inquiries and requests by providing different forms of written communication to include news articles and releases. Fact sheets, responses o media or public, articles, pamphlets, newsletters and speeches;
  • Representing the organization at meetings and conferences while serving as a public affairs specialist concerning Agency?s mission and goals.
  • Providing guidance, assistance, and consultation to field offices public affairs specialists concerning Agency procedures on responding to requests.
  • Managing a public relations program involving issues that are controversial or significant public or Congressional interest.

Requirements

Help

Conditions of employment

  • You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this position.
  • You must successfully pass a background investigation. This may include a credit check, a review of financial issues, as well as certain criminal offenses and illegal use or possession of drugs.
  • Selective Service registration required.
  • One-year probationary period may be required.
  • A pre-employment drug test may be required.
  • If you receive a conditional offer of employment for this position, you will be required to complete an Optional Form 306, Declaration for Federal Employment, and to sign and certify the accuracy of all information in your application.
  • DHS uses e-Verify, an Internet-based system, to confirm the eligibility of all newly hired employees to work in the United States.
  • All Federal employees are required to have Federal salary payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of their choosing.
  • Incentives may be authorized; however, this is contingent upon funds availability.
  • License required: No
  • Pre-employment physical required: No
  • Bargaining Unit Position: No

Qualifications

Specialized Experience:
GS-13: Applicant must demonstrate at least one year of specialized experience equivalent in difficulty and responsibility to the GS-12 level in the Federal service that included experience such as:

  • Developing news releases, fact sheets, talking points and other materials intended for use in media outreach;
  • Responding orally and in writing to reports on or off-the-record with clarity; and
  • Preparing senior leadership for media interviews, news conferences, and other press events.
-OR-

GS-14: Applicant must demonstrate at least one year of specialized experience equivalent in difficulty and responsibility to the GS-13 level in the Federal service that included experience such as:
  • Coordinating press conferences, media availabilities, and other significant press events;
  • Serving as the principal spokesperson for an organization to representatives of local, national, and international media;
  • Devising communication and media plans to announce agency policy changes; and
  • Managing a public relations program.
All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement. Qualification claims will be subject to verification.

NOTE:
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.

Education

This job does not have an education qualification requirement.

Additional information

Promotion Potential: When promotion potential is shown, the agency is not making a commitment and is not obligated to provide future promotions to you if you are selected. Future promotions will be dependent on your ability to perform the duties at a higher level, the continuing need for an employee assigned to the higher level, and administrative approval.

Veterans' Preference: If you are a veteran with preference eligibility and you are claiming 5-point veterans' preference, you must submit a copy of your DD-214 (Member Copy 4) or an official statement from your command if currently on active duty that certifies you are expected to be discharged or released from active duty service in the armed forces under honorable conditions not later than 120 days after the date the certification is signed. If you are claiming 10-point veterans' preference, in addition to the DD-214, you must also submit a Standard Form 15 (Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference) and the required supporting documents listed on that form. For more information on veterans' preference see http://www.fedshirevets.gov/.

Current or Former Political Appointees: The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the Human Resources Office.

Career Transition Assistance Program: This program applies to Federal service employees whose positions have been deemed surplus or no longer needed, or employees who have been involuntarily separated from a Federal service position within the competitive service. To receive selection priority for this position, you must: 1) meet eligibility criteria for CTAP or ICTAP; 2) be rated well-qualified for the position; and 3) submit the appropriate documentation to support your CTAP or ICTAP eligibility. Well-Qualified includes those applicants whose knowledge, skills, and abilities clearly exceed the minimum qualification requirements for the position. For information on eligibility criteria and required documentation, go to: http://www.opm.gov/rif/employee_guides/career_transition.asp

Selective Service: Males born after 12/31/59 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service (see http://www.sss.gov/).

You are encouraged to apply online. 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.

How you will be evaluated

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

We will review your resume and supporting documentation to ensure you meet the minimum qualification requirements. If you meet the minimum qualifications, we will use an Assessment Questionnaire to place you in one of three categories based on your experience, education and training. The competencies or knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to perform this job are:

  • Administration and Management
  • Communications and Media
  • Oral Communication
  • Partnering
  • Writing


If you meet the minimum qualifications, you will be placed in one of the following categories:
  1. Best-Qualified: Applicants possessing experience that substantially exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position and demonstrate high proficiency in all of the critical competencies, including all Selective Placement Factors (SPF) and appropriate Quality Ranking Factors (QRF) as determined by the job analysis.
  2. Well-Qualified: Applicants possessing experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position and demonstrates acceptable proficiency in all of the critical competencies, including all SPFs and appropriate QRFs as determined by the job analysis
  3. Qualified: Applicants possessing experience that meets the minimum qualifications of the position and demonstrate basic proficiency in most of the critical competencies, including all SPFs and appropriate QRFs as determined by the job analysis.
If you are best qualified, you may be referred to the hiring manager for consideration and may be called for an interview.

To preview the assessment questionnaire, click the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/10156845

The Category Rating Process does not add veteran's preference points but protects the rights of veterans by placing them ahead of non-preference eligibles within each category. Preference eligibles who meet the minimum qualification requirements and who have a compensable service-connected disability of at least 10 percent must be listed in the highest quality category (except in the case of scientific or professional positions at the GS-9 level or higher). Veteran preference eligibles will receive selection consideration before non-preference eligibles within each quality category.

Your session is about to expire!

Your USAJOBS session will expire due to inactivity in 8 minutes. Any unsaved data will be lost if you allow the session to expire. Click the button below to continue your session.