Clarification from the agency

U.S. Citizens and Status Candidates (this includes Merit Promotion, Status Candidates, Former Overseas Employees, CTAP, ICTAP, VRA, VEOA, 30% or More Disabled, EVHO, Schedule A, Military Spouses, Americorps, Peace Corps, Vista, Interchange Agreement Eligibles, Land Management, and National Guard).

In this position, you will serve as a Writer-Editor responsible for writing and editing materials, such as reports, inquiries, articles, newsletters, magazines, news releases, training materials, brochures, interpretive handbooks, pamphlets, guidebooks, reference works, speeches, and/or scripts as well as other documentation that may be both complex and controversial. Typical work assignments include, but are not limited to:

• Preparing and publishing written materials that codify communications processes, explaining and presenting information that addresses the mission goals, programs, and functions of an organization.
• Coordinating internal communications written products.
• Working with internal stakeholders, both in senior leadership and in SME roles, to ensure strong coordination, communication, procedures, and processes.
• Maintaining relationships with and acting as liaison to government officials; media and other key stakeholders for public affairs.
• Delivering presentations on a variety of topics, including in briefings to senior leadership.
• Coordinating cross-organizational campaigns and communications projects in support of leadership objectives.
• Maintaining a working knowledge of cybersecurity program content and pertinent information for inclusion in written materials; and using an advanced knowledge of web publishing processes and document design principles to prepare written guidance to higher level reviewing officials.
• Drafting and execution of Standard Operating Procedures.

Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this position
• You must successfully pass a background investigation
• Selective Service registration required
• Current Federal employees must meet time-in-grade requirements
• You must be able to obtain and hold a secret clearance
• Relocation expenses are not authorized. Other recruitment incentives may be authorized.
• This position has been designated exempt from bargaining unit representation under the national security provision of 5 USC Section 7112(B)(6).
• All employees are required to participate in Direct Deposit/ Electronic Funds Transfer for salary payments.
• New employees must serve a one year probationary period.
• You must submit to a drug test and receive a negative test result prior to appointment to this position. After appointment, you may be subject to periodic random drug testing.

Qualifications

GS-13
Must have at least one full year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-12 level in the Federal service (can be obtained in either the public or private sectors). This experience must include activities such as: 1) independently developing strategies to disseminate relevant written communication products of multi-faceted information used to increase internal coordination and cooperation; 2) writing and editing documents that incorporate authoritative information gathered by personal research ensuring that it is consistent with other
presented information; 3) analyzing the impact of new, revised, or proposed legislation or policy changes for application to written material; and 4) editing, writing, and publishing a wide variety of written communications that are complex and/or controversial and that require a high degree of tact and diplomacy in presentation method, which include reports, talking points, speeches, and/or standard operating procedures or manuals for review and approval by all levels of leadership.

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.

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.

Qualifications Must Be Met
The qualification requirements listed above must be met by the closing date of this announcement.

Time-in-Grade
Current federal employees must have served 52 weeks at the next lower grade level or equivalent grade band in the federal service. The time-in-grade requirement must be met by closing date of this announcement.

Submit a copy of your most recent Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50) that demonstrates your eligibility for consideration, e.g., length of time you have been in your current/highest grade (examples of appropriate SF-50s include promotions, with-in grade/range increases); your current promotion potential; proof of permanent appointment if applying based on an interchange agreement; etc. Please note: While a General Adjustment and/or Award SF-50 may be your most recent SF-50 it typically DOES NOT show proof of Time in Grade. Thus, you may have to submit more than one SF-50 as proof of Time in Grade.

How you will be evaluated

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

Applicants will be evaluated on their resume 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 an Assessment Questionnaire that is based on the following competencies or knowledge, skills, and abilities needed to perform this job:

• Publishing Processes
• Qualitative/Quantitative Analysis
• Writing

Category Rating Procedures: 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.

Veterans: Qualified veterans who have a compensable service-connected disability of at least 10% are listed in the best-qualified category, except when the position being filled is scientific or professional at the GS-09 grade level, or higher. This position is not considered scientific/professional. Other 10-point preference eligibles and veterans with 5-point preference who meet the eligibility and qualification requirements are placed above non-preference eligibles within the category in which they qualify. View information on www.fedshirevets.org

Candidates who apply under Competitive Merit Promotion procedures will undergo a quality review to determine if they are best qualified based on the content of their resume and their responses to the questionnaire. Best qualified candidates will be referred if all required supporting documentation has been provided.

Candidate who apply under Noncompetitive and Special Hiring Authorities procedures will undergo a quality review to determine if they are minimally qualified based on the content of their resume, supporting documentation submitted and their responses to the assessment questionnaire.

If you are determined qualified, you may be referred to the hiring manager for consideration and may be called for an interview. Preview the Assessment Questionnaire, click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/10230737

Interagency/Career Transition Assistance Program (I/CTAP) Eligibles: If you have never worked for the federal government, you are not I/CTAP eligible. View information about I/CTAP eligibility on OPM's Career Transition Resources website. To be considered well qualified under I/CTAP, you must be rated at a minimum score of 85 for this position. In addition, you must submit the supporting documents listed under the required documents section of this announcement.

Interviews are required for this position. Failure to complete the interview may result in removal from further consideration.