As Senior Communications Advisor for the Office of Inspector General for the U.S. Department of the Interior, you will lead and work on challenging and diverse assignments and make a significant contribution on issues affecting the natural resources, environment, wildlife, energy policy, scientific research, American Indian and Alaska Native trust responsibilities, and cultural and historical heritage of our nation.
You will play an important role as the Supervisory Writer-Editor of a highly professional and collaborative editorial and communications team advancing the Office of Inspector General (OIG) mission, which is to provide independent oversight and promote excellence, integrity, and accountability in the programs and management of the Department of the Interior (Department).
This position reports directly to the OIG’s Chief of Staff and supervises the OIG’s Communications and Reports Unit (CRU). CRU has the overall responsibility of managing, implementing, editing, producing, designing, and distributing audit, evaluation, inspection, and investigative reports and other products for the OIG. It is responsible for developing and implementing standards for style and visual identity, and developing, managing, and delivering training on effective writing, report process, and communication issues. CRU writer-editors work closely and continuously with audit and investigative staff and other OIG employees and managers on a wide variety of reports and products and play a leading role in content development of the OIG website and other internal and external communication functions identified by the OIG, including in web-based formats.
This Job Opportunity Announcement has been amended to include the Herndon, Virginia duty location. This position will require several days a week working at either the Washington, DC office or the Herndon, VA office. Please select your duty station preference.
Summary
As Senior Communications Advisor for the Office of Inspector General for the U.S. Department of the Interior, you will lead and work on challenging and diverse assignments and make a significant contribution on issues affecting the natural resources, environment, wildlife, energy policy, scientific research, American Indian and Alaska Native trust responsibilities, and cultural and historical heritage of our nation.
You will play an important role as the Supervisory Writer-Editor of a highly professional and collaborative editorial and communications team advancing the Office of Inspector General (OIG) mission, which is to provide independent oversight and promote excellence, integrity, and accountability in the programs and management of the Department of the Interior (Department).
This position reports directly to the OIG’s Chief of Staff and supervises the OIG’s Communications and Reports Unit (CRU). CRU has the overall responsibility of managing, implementing, editing, producing, designing, and distributing audit, evaluation, inspection, and investigative reports and other products for the OIG. It is responsible for developing and implementing standards for style and visual identity, and developing, managing, and delivering training on effective writing, report process, and communication issues. CRU writer-editors work closely and continuously with audit and investigative staff and other OIG employees and managers on a wide variety of reports and products and play a leading role in content development of the OIG website and other internal and external communication functions identified by the OIG, including in web-based formats.
This Job Opportunity Announcement has been amended to include the Herndon, Virginia duty location. This position will require several days a week working at either the Washington, DC office or the Herndon, VA office. Please select your duty station preference.
As the Senior Communications Advisor you will perform the following duties:
Serve as a subject matter expert on communication-related matters and provide input to senior OIG management;
Perform complex and difficult duties targeted to improving performance and overall quality of the delivery of written products;
Provide analytical and evaluative methods to conduct program/policy analysis in the development and editorial review of OIG program and policy documents;
Perform analyses to compile visuals and infographics within reports;
Conduct periodic training for OIG Staff regarding preparing, presenting and editing work products;
Provide expert advice on digital and web-based communication programs and processes;
Mentor staff in the areas of media relations, investigative and audit reporting and document presentation;
Provide technical writing and editing assistance to senior OIG Staff and/or Writer-Editors; and,
Lead a team of skilled Writer-Editors while managing a full-workload.
The duties of this position are suitable for some telework and the selectee may be allowed to telework with supervisor approval.
Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for the Selective Service.
May be required to complete a one year supervisory probationary period.
May be required to complete a one year initial probationary period.
Selectee for this position will be subject to a background security investigation, which must be favorably adjudicated. Failure to successfully meet this requirement will be grounds for termination.
Selectee for this position must submit to urinalysis drug testing for illegal drug use prior to appointment and is subject to random drug testing and criminal investigation inquiries after selection.
Travel throughout the United States and its Territories is required.
CTAP/ICTAP: Individuals who have special priority selection rights under the Agency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) or the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) must be rated at 85 or above on the rating criteria for the position to receive consideration for special priority selection. Federal employees seeking CTAP/ICTAP eligibility must submit proof that they meet the requirements of 5 CFR 330.605 (a) for CTAP and 5 CFR 330.704 for ICTAP. This includes a copy of the agency notice, a copy of their most recent Performance Rating and a copy of their most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty location. Please annotate your application to reflect that you are applying as a CTAP or ICTAP eligible.
E-Verify: DOI uses E-Verify to confirm the employment eligibility of all newly hired employees. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, please visit www.dhs.gov/E-Verify.
Qualifications
Minimum Qualification Requirements, GS-15
There is no education substitute for the GS-15 level.
Applicants must have 1 year of specialized experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GS-14 grade level in the Federal service. Qualifying specialized experience at the next lower level for this position includes:
Editing and publishing complex investigative and/or audit reports specifically concerning misconduct or wrongdoing and/or concerning organization improvements. This experience must have included editing written materials from multiple sources, compiling multiple source documents into one easily understood publication, ensuring balanced treatment of topics, and writing original material; and,
Creating visual/infographics to present data in a reader-friendly format; and,
Serving as a supervisor and/or as a project lead/manager creating project plans, allocating resources based on workload and tracking milestones.
Applicants must meet the minimum qualification requirements by the closing date of the announcement.
Your responses to the questionnaire and/or competency statements will be evaluated to determine the degree to which your skills match this position. Your responses to the self-assessment questionnaire will be validated against your resume to determine if you meet the qualification requirements for this position.
NOTE: If a determination is made that qualifications and/or experience have been inflated, your score will be adjusted to more accurately reflect your abilities.
Time-In-Grade Requirement:Federal applicants must have served 52 weeks at the next lower grade to satisfy time-in-grade restrictions contained in 5CFR 300, Subpart F.
Education
This position does not have a positive education requirement.
Additional information
A Top Secret Clearance is not required to apply for this position. However, you must be able to acquire this clearance as a condition of employment.
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 evaluated on the quality and extent of your experience (paid and unpaid), education, awards, and training and self-development as it relates to the position. Category Rating procedures will be used to rate and rank candidates. Candidates will be placed into one of the following categories:
Best Qualified: Highly proficient with an overall comprehensive level of knowledge, skills, and abilities of the job based on a complete review of experience, education, and training as described in the qualification section of this vacancy announcement.
Well Qualified: Competent in the position with an overall accomplished level of knowledge, skills, and abilities of the job based on a complete review of experience, education, and training as described in the qualification section of this vacancy announcement.
Qualified: Overall basic level of knowledge, skills, and abilities of the job based on a complete review of experience, education, and training as described in the qualification section of this vacancy announcement.
Veterans Preference: If you are entitled to veterans preference, you should indicate the type of veterans' preference you are claiming on your resume. Your veterans' preference entitlement will be verified by the employing agency. If you are entitled to veterans' preference and qualified for the position, your name will be placed above non-preference candidates on a list sent to the hiring manager for employment consideration. Qualified veterans' preference eligible with a service-connected disability of 10% or more will be listed at the top of the highest quality category depending on the position and grade level of the job. For information on entitlement see http://www.fedshirevets.gov/job/vetpref/index.aspx.
If you are a current or former Federal employee, you must indicate the GS or pay band level for each position that you held. If your resume includes non-government service, including contractors, please include the salaries for each position held. All work experience should specify the length of time spent in the position and tour of duty (full or part time to include number of hours). One year of general or specialized experience is equivalent to 12 months at 40 hours per week. Part-time hours are pro-rated.
Candidates are required to possess certain Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs) to successfully perform the functions of this position. Candidates will be asked to demonstrate their attainment of these KSAs in an online job questionnaire. The mandatory KSAs are:
Skill in editing written articles and other communications for newspapers, magazines, technical publications and other news media course for a major private or public organization.
Ability to exercise staff supervisory responsibility and direct and administer an organization required to perform significant communications activities.
Collaboration across a wide range of occupations at various organization levels to serve as a subject matter expert of complex communication principles, analytical methods, and practices.
Skill in preparing complex and unprecedented written responses and/or decisions and executive level correspondence/reports with minimal corrections, and to edit and provide assistance to OIG staff to improve their written work products.
Ability to communicate orally in order to lead teams and effectively communicate with internal and external officials.
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.
All documentation, applicable to you, must be submitted by the closing date of this announcement. Failure to submit the required documents will disqualify you from further consideration for this position.
Resume (required): Your resume must contain information sufficient to make a valid determination that you fully meet the basic/specialized experience requirements and demonstrate possession of the mandatory KSAs as stated in this vacancy announcement and OPM qualification standards for each grade level(s) for which you are applying. Insufficient information will result in an ineligible rating.
SF-50 Notification of Personnel Action (if applicable): documenting proof of competitive status, tenure, position, grade level and step.
Veterans Preference documentation (if applicable): Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty (DD Form 214-Member 4 copy), if applicable Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference (SF-15) and an official statement, dated 1991 or later, from the Department of Veterans Affairs or from a branch of the Armed Forces, certifying to the veteran's present receipt of compensation. If you are still on active duty, you may submit a statement of service from your unit which states the date you entered active duty and the date you are separating. Your separation date must be within 120 days of the closing date of this announcement. For more information, consult the Vet Guide.
ICTAP/CTAP: such as a RIF separation notice, certificate of expected separation, SF-50 Notification of Personnel Action stating you were separated by RIF, OR a letter from your agency documenting your priority consideration status.
If you are applying under a special hiring authority (e.g. 30% compensable disabled veterans, severely handicapped individuals, former Peace Corp and VISTA volunteers, etc.), you MUST indicate on your application the special program and submit proof of eligibility with your application. Individuals who are eligible for consideration will be considered non-competitively for this vacancy.
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 job opportunity, you must submit a resume and an on-line application through the Office of Personnel Management's (OPM) application system, USAJOBS. This information will be transferred to the Department of Interior's OIG Automated Application System. You have until 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the closing date of this announcement to complete the following four-step application process: STEP 1: Select the "Apply On-line" button and follow the instructions to register or sign into USAJOBS. STEP 2: Submit a detailed resume or any other written format you choose documenting your job-related qualifications, experience, and education (if applicable). Cover letter is optional. If you submit a cover letter, you must also submit a resume. Please see the “How You Will Be Evaluated” section for specific information that should be outlined in your resume. STEP 3: Answer the eligibility and assessment questionnaires on-line through the automated application system. These questions will be used to evaluate your student eligibility for this job opportunity. STEP 4: Submit all required documentation, applicable to you, listed in the Required Documents section of this job opportunity to the automated application system prior to the closing date of this announcement.
ALTERNATE APPLICATION PROCEDURES If applying online poses an extreme hardship, you may request alternate application procedures to submit your application package by fax. Contact the Human Resources office listed on the announcement between the business hours of 8:15 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. ET, at least two working days prior to the closing date of this announcement. The application package for alternate application procedures must be submitted and received in the Human Resources office no later than 11:59 p.m. ET on the closing date of this announcement. NOTE: Paper applications and information sent by mail WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.
Technical assistance with your online application can be obtained by contacting the Help Desk at mgshelp@monster.com OR by calling (866) 6566830 or (703) 2694944 between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. ET
Office of Inspector General
U.S. DOI - Office of Inspector General
1849 C Street, NW
Mail Stop 4428
Washington, District of Columbia 20240
United States
Next steps
Once the online questionnaire is received you will receive an acknowledgement email that your submission was successful. After the closing date of the announcement, we will review your resume to ensure you meet the basic qualification requirements. You will be notified of your rating and/or referral of your resume to the hiring official. If further evaluation or interviews are required, you will be contacted. You will be informed of the outcome via e-mail. We expect to make a selection within 45 to 60 days of the closing date of the vacancy announcement.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
All documentation, applicable to you, must be submitted by the closing date of this announcement. Failure to submit the required documents will disqualify you from further consideration for this position.
Resume (required): Your resume must contain information sufficient to make a valid determination that you fully meet the basic/specialized experience requirements and demonstrate possession of the mandatory KSAs as stated in this vacancy announcement and OPM qualification standards for each grade level(s) for which you are applying. Insufficient information will result in an ineligible rating.
SF-50 Notification of Personnel Action (if applicable): documenting proof of competitive status, tenure, position, grade level and step.
Veterans Preference documentation (if applicable): Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty (DD Form 214-Member 4 copy), if applicable Application for 10-Point Veteran Preference (SF-15) and an official statement, dated 1991 or later, from the Department of Veterans Affairs or from a branch of the Armed Forces, certifying to the veteran's present receipt of compensation. If you are still on active duty, you may submit a statement of service from your unit which states the date you entered active duty and the date you are separating. Your separation date must be within 120 days of the closing date of this announcement. For more information, consult the Vet Guide.
ICTAP/CTAP: such as a RIF separation notice, certificate of expected separation, SF-50 Notification of Personnel Action stating you were separated by RIF, OR a letter from your agency documenting your priority consideration status.
If you are applying under a special hiring authority (e.g. 30% compensable disabled veterans, severely handicapped individuals, former Peace Corp and VISTA volunteers, etc.), you MUST indicate on your application the special program and submit proof of eligibility with your application. Individuals who are eligible for consideration will be considered non-competitively for this vacancy.
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 job opportunity, you must submit a resume and an on-line application through the Office of Personnel Management's (OPM) application system, USAJOBS. This information will be transferred to the Department of Interior's OIG Automated Application System. You have until 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the closing date of this announcement to complete the following four-step application process: STEP 1: Select the "Apply On-line" button and follow the instructions to register or sign into USAJOBS. STEP 2: Submit a detailed resume or any other written format you choose documenting your job-related qualifications, experience, and education (if applicable). Cover letter is optional. If you submit a cover letter, you must also submit a resume. Please see the “How You Will Be Evaluated” section for specific information that should be outlined in your resume. STEP 3: Answer the eligibility and assessment questionnaires on-line through the automated application system. These questions will be used to evaluate your student eligibility for this job opportunity. STEP 4: Submit all required documentation, applicable to you, listed in the Required Documents section of this job opportunity to the automated application system prior to the closing date of this announcement.
ALTERNATE APPLICATION PROCEDURES If applying online poses an extreme hardship, you may request alternate application procedures to submit your application package by fax. Contact the Human Resources office listed on the announcement between the business hours of 8:15 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. ET, at least two working days prior to the closing date of this announcement. The application package for alternate application procedures must be submitted and received in the Human Resources office no later than 11:59 p.m. ET on the closing date of this announcement. NOTE: Paper applications and information sent by mail WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.
Technical assistance with your online application can be obtained by contacting the Help Desk at mgshelp@monster.com OR by calling (866) 6566830 or (703) 2694944 between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. ET
Office of Inspector General
U.S. DOI - Office of Inspector General
1849 C Street, NW
Mail Stop 4428
Washington, District of Columbia 20240
United States
Next steps
Once the online questionnaire is received you will receive an acknowledgement email that your submission was successful. After the closing date of the announcement, we will review your resume to ensure you meet the basic qualification requirements. You will be notified of your rating and/or referral of your resume to the hiring official. If further evaluation or interviews are required, you will be contacted. You will be informed of the outcome via e-mail. We expect to make a selection within 45 to 60 days of the closing date of the vacancy announcement.
Fair and transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
