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Public Affairs Specialist, GS-1035-14 (Term Appointment Not To Exceed Two Years)

Department of Homeland Security
U.S. Coast Guard
This job announcement has closed

Summary

Apply for this exciting position to support the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) missions of safeguarding our Nation's maritime interests in the heartland, in the ports, at sea, and around the globe.

For over two centuries the USCG has protected the maritime economy and the environment, we defend our maritime borders, and we save those in peril. This history has forged our character and purpose as America's Maritime Guardian - Always Ready for all hazards and all threats.

This position is located in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), USCG, Director of Governmental and Public Affairs, Office of Public Affairs in Washington, DC.

Any offers of employment made pursuant to this announcement will be consistent with all applicable authorities, including Presidential Memoranda, Executive Orders, interpretive U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) guidance, and Office of Management and Budget plans and policies concerning hiring. These authorities are subject to change.

Applying to this announcement certifies that you give permission for DHS to share your application with others in DHS for similar positions.

Overview

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Reviewing applications
Open & closing dates
06/06/2018 to 06/20/2018
Salary
$114,590 to - $148,967 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 14
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Washington DC, DC
1 vacancy
Travel Required
Occasional travel - Periodic travel is required for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent - This is a TERM appointment limited to 2 years.
Work schedule
Full-time - This is a full-time position.
Service
Promotion potential
14
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Secret
Announcement number
18-1516-HQ-GS-M-R
Control number
501618300

This job is open to

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Duties

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You will serve as the Public Affairs Officer (CG-0922) within the directorate of the Assistant Commandant for Governmental and Public Affairs (CG-092). This directorate is responsible for the complete range of activities related to the development and delivery of the strategic corporate message of the Coast Guard (CG), and internal coordination of strategic communication processes.

Being a CG civilian makes you a valuable member of the CG team. Typical work assignments include:

  • Serving as the Public Affairs Officer for internal communications initiatives and coordinating the communication policy strategy and tactics for those initiatives.
  • Acting as a technical expert and liaison between CG program writers and the CG Public Affairs Staff; preparing, coordinating, and releasing information to the media; and developing written information materials such as white papers, scripts, and background material and fact sheets.
  • Arranging briefings, news conferences and interviews with CG expert for assigned work.
  • Keeping abreast of media technology and trends to determine the most expeditious and appropriate avenues for disseminating information to various target publics.
  • Establishing and maintaining effective working relationships with counterpart public affairs specialists in other Federal agencies with CG-related interests.
  • Keeping abreast of tends, new developments, criticism and events pertaining to specific assignments.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • U.S. Citizenship is required.
  • This position requires a Secret clearance.

All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of the announcement. This includes Time-In-Grade requirements for current status employees applying through merit promotion procedures. Status applicants applying for a promotion must have 52 weeks of service at the next lower grade.

Qualifications

GS-14: Applicants must have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-13 level in the federal sector. Examples of specialized experience include: Coordinating major press conferences and interviews of senior officials and assisting Public Affairs staffs throughout the United States in handling both crisis and non-crisis news events by providing them with coordination information, advice, and training assistance as well as informing them of the national implications of regional events; establishing and maintaining effective working relationships with representatives of national and international news media, assisting them in developing stories and arranging for access to senior officials and as necessary, embarkation aboard department units worldwide; preparing and assisting in the preparation of special articles and features about the department for use in newspapers, magazines, trade publications and books; communicating organizational messages and developing solutions; developing strategic communications plans; executing strategic communication plans and programs for federal agencies or large organizations; and making oral presentations designed to seek the cooperation of others.

Specialized experience is experience that has equipped you with the particular ability, skill, and knowledge to successfully perform the duties of this position and is typically in or related to this line of work.

National Service Experience (i.e., 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.

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.

Education

This position does not have a positive education requirement. If you are including education on your resume, report only attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. See Required Documents section for detail.

FOREIGN EDUCATION: Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet Federal qualification requirements if you can show that your foreign education is comparable to education received in accredited educational institutions in the United States. It is your responsibility to provide such evidence with your application. See Recognition of Foreign Qualifications click here

Additional information

Applicants will be required to complete questions contained on the Declaration for Federal Employment (OF-306) at the time a tentative job offer is made. At the time of appointment, selectees will be required to update the OF-306. Certain responses on the form could pose a problem with suitability for employment determinations.

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, prior to entry on duty. False statements on any part of the application may result in withdrawal of offer of employment, dismissal after beginning work, or imprisonment.

DHS uses E-Verify, an Internet-based system, to confirm the eligibility of all newly hired employees to work in the United States. Learn more about your rights and responsibilities at click here

Recruitment incentives may be authorized.

Moving expenses will not be paid.

All Federal employees are required to have Federal salary payments made by direct deposit.

For Veterans' preference eligibility, visit Veterans' Employment Resources. Veterans, Peace Corps/VISTA volunteers, and persons with disabilities possess a wealth of unique talents, experiences, and competencies that can be invaluable to the DHS mission. If you are a member of one of these groups, you may not have to compete with the public for federal jobs. To determine your eligibility and to understand the documentation that would be required with your application, click on the links above and contact the Servicing Human Resources Office listed at the bottom of this announcement.

More than 1 selection may be made from this announcement if additional identical vacancies in the same title, series, grade, and unit occur within 90 days from the date the certificate was issued.

This is a term appointment not to exceed 2 years. However, an extension is possible up to 4 years..

If you need a reasonable accommodation for the application and hiring process, please contact 202-795-6312. Decisions on granting reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis. Visit Reasonable Accommodation






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 résumé and supporting documentation to ensure you meet the basic qualification requirements. If you meet the minimum qualifications, your experience, education and training will be rated using the on-line self assessment questions that are based on the following competencies or knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to perform this job:

  1. Skill in written communication, developing publications, scripts, web page and digital content and other materials that effectively communicate information about complex Coast Guard policies, programs and activities to targeted audiences. This skill must encompass the ability to achieve understanding among audiences with varying comprehension and interest levels or who are in different to the material presented.
  2. Skill in developing and maintaining effective relationships with program representatives and with Public Affairs Officers in DHS, in the Coast Guard and with those outside of the government.
  3. Skill in making oral presentations designed to seek the cooperation of others in furthering directorate goals and objectives.
  4. Skill in setting up and conducting impromptu meetings, conferences and briefings.
  5. Ability to brief senior officials on short notice in complete and concise terms is absolutely essential.
  6. Skill in adapting existing organizational guidelines to meet unique informational requirements resulting from world events.
Your resume and responses to the self-assessment questions are an integral part of the process for determining your qualifications for the position. Therefore, you must support your responses to the self-assessment questions by providing examples of past and present experience in your resume.

If you are best qualified, you may be referred to the hiring manager for consideration and may be called for an interview.

Consideration will be given to performance appraisals and incentive awards as an indicator of quality of prior experience; no points will be assigned.



To preview questions please click here.

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