The purpose of this position is to serve as a Public Affairs Specialist and national on-the-record spokesperson for the Department of Justice and Office of Public Affairs. The incumbent will be guiding and coordinating the federal law enforcement public information programs. The Public Affairs Specialist deals with such entities as print, radio, television, internet media, law enforcement agencies, government officials, and private industry.
Summary
The purpose of this position is to serve as a Public Affairs Specialist and national on-the-record spokesperson for the Department of Justice and Office of Public Affairs. The incumbent will be guiding and coordinating the federal law enforcement public information programs. The Public Affairs Specialist deals with such entities as print, radio, television, internet media, law enforcement agencies, government officials, and private industry.
The incumbent will serve as a Public Affairs Specialist for the Office of Public Affairs performing the following duties:
Act on-the-record spokesperson.
Maintain effective relationships and serve as liaison to Department stakeholders.
Plan, develop, and implement communication plans and strategies.
Knowledge of the principles, methods, practices and techniques of conducting a public affairs program.
Develop, coordinate, and implement social media and website content.
Represent organization in media interviews and press conferences with agency officials, government representatives, and stakeholder associations.
Monitor international, national, regional, and local news stories that directly affect the Department.
Respond to media inquiries.
If you wish to be considered under merit promotion procedures, please apply to announcement number OPA-18-41399MP.
Must complete a Background Investigation to include drug testing
Selective Service Registration is required, as applicable
May require completion of one year probationary period
Resume and supporting documents (See Required Documents Section)
Qualifications
To qualify for the GS-11: You must have one year of specialized experience at least equivalent to GS-9 which is in or directly related to the line of work of the position to be filled and which has equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position. Examples of specialized experience for the GS-11 level are: assisting in planning and managing public relations programs; conducting research on technical and legal information in order to communicate it to the public; writing and editing material including news releases, fact sheets, and other informational pieces; and preparing talking points.
SUBSTITUTION OF EDUCATION FOR EXPERIENCE: Experience requirements at the GS-11 level may be met by three (3) full academic years of graduate level education or the successful completion of a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree. COMBINATION OF EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE: Equivalent combinations of successfully completed education and experience may be used to meet the experience requirements.
To qualify for the GS-12: You must have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 level which is in or directly related to the line of work of the position to be filled and which has equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position. Examples of specialized experience for the GS-12 level are: assisting in planning and managing public relations programs; conducting research on technical and legal information in order to communicate it to the public; writing and editing material including news releases, fact sheets, and other informational pieces; preparing talking points; and representing an organization in media interviews, press conference, national-level conference, and meetings with agency officials, government representatives, and stakeholder associations.
YOUR RESUME MUST support your responses to the online questionnaire. Failure to provide support may result in an ineligible rating. Your latest resume submitted for this vacancy announcement will be used to determine qualifications and supersedes previous submissions.
YOUR RESUME MUST provide specific details as to how your experience meets the specialized experience as described in the vacancy announcement if you are using experience to meet all or part of the qualification requirements. Please ensure that your resume includes the month and year that you began and ended each position held or that position will not be credited toward meeting the specialized experience requirement. Full-time employment will be assumed unless otherwise stated on your resume. Part-time employment or unpaid experience, including volunteer work, will be prorated in crediting experience. Failure to provide details will result in an ineligible rating.
You MUST meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement.
Education
All academic degrees and coursework must be completed at a college or university that has obtained accreditation or pre-accreditation status from an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For a list of schools that meet this criteria, see www.ed.gov.
OR
Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the above education requirements if you can show that the foreign education is comparable to that received in an accredited educational institution in the United States. It is your responsibility to timely provide such evidence by submitting proof of creditability of education as evaluated by a credentialing agency with your application materials. More information may be found at https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html.
Career Transition Assistance Programs: These programs apply to employees who have been involuntarily separated from a Federal service position within the competitive service or Federal service employees whose positions have been deemed surplus or no longer needed. To receive selection priority for this position, you must: (1) meet CTAP or ICTAP eligibility criteria; (2) be rated well-qualified for the position with a score of 85 or above; and, (3) submit the appropriate documentation to support your CTAP or ICTAP eligibility. For more information visit: http://www.opm.gov/rif/employee_guides/career_transition.asp.
Veteran Preference: If you are entitled to or claim veteran preference (VP), you should indicate the type of veteran preference (5 or 10 points) you are claiming on your résumé. In order to determine your eligibility, you can find additional information at: http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/veterans-services/vet-guide/.
NOTE: To verify your veteran preference entitlement, please submit a copy of the Member Copy 4 of your DD-214(Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty); official statement of service from your command if you are currently on active duty; or other official documentation (e.g., documentation of receipt of a campaign badge or expeditionary medal) that shows your military service was performed under honorable conditions. (1) If you are claiming 10-point preference, you must submit Member Copy 4 of your DD-214 in addition to the supporting documentation required and identified on the reserves side of the SF-15, Application for 10 Point Veteran Preference. (2) If you are claiming 10-point DERIVED PREFERENCE as a relative you must submit Member Copy of the veteran's DD-214, and an SF-15, Application for 10-point veteran preference" in addition to the supporting documentation required and identified on the reverse side of this form. If you fail to do so, you will receive consideration as a non-veteran.
Reasonable Accommodation Statement: Federal agencies must provide reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities where appropriate. Applicants requiring reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process should contact the hiring agency directly. Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis.
Schedule A: DOJ welcomes and encourages applications from persons with disabilities and is firmly committed to satisfying its affirmative obligations under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 to ensure that persons with disabilities have every opportunity to be hired and advanced on the basis of merit within the Department. DOJ also encourages eligible Schedule A applicants to submit their resumes to resume@benderconsult.com, and reference "Federal Career Opportunities" in the subject line. Additional information is found at: www.benderconsult.com.
Selective Service: If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, you must certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System, or are exempt from having to do so under the Selective Service Law. Additional information is found at: www.sss.gov.
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 and rated under DOJ's Category Rating and Selection Procedures. Your resume and supporting documentation will be used to determine whether you meet the job qualifications listed on this announcement. If you are basically qualified for this job, your resume and supporting documentation will be compared to your responses on the Occupational Questionnaire. If you rate yourself higher than is supported by your application materials, your responses may be adjusted and/or you may be excluded from consideration for this job. If it is determined you meet minimum qualification requirements, your application will then be placed in one of three categories: Best Qualified, Highly Qualified, or Qualified. Within these categories, applicants eligible for Veterans' Preference will receive selection priority over non-veteran preference eligibles.
All applicants' qualifications will be evaluated on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, and other characteristics):
Public Affairs Program Planning and Evaluation
Communication and Information Dissemination
Written Product and Material Review of Work
Please Note: The Selecting Official may select additional candidates if more positions become available within 90 days after the HR office issues the selection certificate.
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.
Resume showing relevant experience. Your resume showing relevant experience and dates the experience was obtained. 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. (cover letter optional).
Veteran documentation, (if applicable).
SF-50 (most recent career/career conditional, if applicable); or for reinstatement to Federal service purposes, the SF-50 that shows you have acquired competitive status
CTAP/ICTAP documentation, (if applicable)
Schedule (A) Documentation (if applicable)
An unofficial college transcript (Note: If you are selected for this position, official transcript(s) will be required prior to your first day.) (Use if education is being credited for the purpose of meeting minimum qualification requirements or if grade point average is being used to determine superior academic achievement.)
Your Responses to the Occupational Questionnaire.
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 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 résumé 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/.
If you are unable to apply online, you must request an alternative application which is available from the Human Resources Office. Please contact Willie Smith at Willie.smith3@usdoj.gov or (202) 616-3742 ~ to obtain an alternative application.
Office of Public Affairs
145 N Street NE
Room 9W.300
Washington, DC 20530
US
Next steps
Once the online questionnaire is received you will receive an acknowledgement email that your submission was successful. After a review of your complete application is made you will be notified of your rating and/or referral to the hiring official. We will notify you of the outcome after each step of the recruitment process has been completed. After making a tentative job offer, we will conduct a suitability/security background investigation. We expect to make a final job offer within 80 days after the closing date of the announcement.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
Resume showing relevant experience. Your resume showing relevant experience and dates the experience was obtained. 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. (cover letter optional).
Veteran documentation, (if applicable).
SF-50 (most recent career/career conditional, if applicable); or for reinstatement to Federal service purposes, the SF-50 that shows you have acquired competitive status
CTAP/ICTAP documentation, (if applicable)
Schedule (A) Documentation (if applicable)
An unofficial college transcript (Note: If you are selected for this position, official transcript(s) will be required prior to your first day.) (Use if education is being credited for the purpose of meeting minimum qualification requirements or if grade point average is being used to determine superior academic achievement.)
Your Responses to the Occupational Questionnaire.
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 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 résumé 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/.
If you are unable to apply online, you must request an alternative application which is available from the Human Resources Office. Please contact Willie Smith at Willie.smith3@usdoj.gov or (202) 616-3742 ~ to obtain an alternative application.
Office of Public Affairs
145 N Street NE
Room 9W.300
Washington, DC 20530
US
Next steps
Once the online questionnaire is received you will receive an acknowledgement email that your submission was successful. After a review of your complete application is made you will be notified of your rating and/or referral to the hiring official. We will notify you of the outcome after each step of the recruitment process has been completed. After making a tentative job offer, we will conduct a suitability/security background investigation. We expect to make a final job offer within 80 days after the closing date of the announcement.
Fair and transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
