This position is located in the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), National Institutes of Health (NIH), in the Immediate Office of the Director (OD).
Summary
This position is located in the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), National Institutes of Health (NIH), in the Immediate Office of the Director (OD).
UAs a Public Affairs Specialist, your duties will include but are not limited to the following:
Planning and coordinating the dissemination of information relating to the organization's programs through multiple avenues, including print, digital communication (i.e., websites, email, and social media channels), news media, and other methods.
Supporting project management activities, including helping identify key objectives and tasks needed to complete projects, establishing timelines, and monitoring and reporting on progress.
Determining in what ways the organization can work more closely with media and/or stakeholder groups in communicating with audiences interested in or affected by programs.
Evaluating the impact and effectiveness of communication plans and advising management if efforts should be discontinued, emphasis changed, or coverage expanded in improving intercommunication between the organization and various audiences.
U.S. Citizenship requirement or proof of being a U.S. National must be met by closing date.
Position is subject to a background investigation.
Applicants must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement.
Males born after December 31, 1959 must be registered with the Selective Service.
Qualifications
Specialized Experience is experience that has equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the position to be filled. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the next lower grade level in the federal service.
In order to qualify for a Public Affairs Specialist, GS-1035 at the GS-12 level, you must have 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-11 level in the Federal service obtained in either the private or public sector, performing the following types of tasks: : writing a variety of information materials related to public health or scientific issues designed to reach national audiences through the news media such as wire services, radio, television, newspaper, the internet, etc.; improving intercommunication between an organization and various audiences through media utilization; and developing effective relationships with media representatives of specialized groups.
In order to qualify for a Public Affairs Specialist, GS-1035 at the GS-13 level, you must have 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-12 level in the Federal service obtained in either the private or public sector, performing the following types of tasks: developing strategic media communication plans related to public health and scientific information; and, evaluating the impact and effectiveness of public health or scientific information communication plans in promoting intercommunication between an organization and various audiences.
Education
If you qualify based on education in lieu of specialized experience, you are strongly encouraged to submit a copy of your transcripts or a list of your courses including titles, credit hours completed and grades. Unofficial transcripts will be accepted in the application packages. Official transcripts will be required from all selectees prior to receiving an official offer. Click here for information on Foreign Education
Additional information
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.
A one-year probationary period may be required upon selection/placement.
We may make additional selections for similar positions within the commuting area(s) of the locations listed through this vacancy announcement.
The National Institutes of Health participates in the USCIS Electronic Employment Eligibility Verification Program (E-Verify). E-Verify helps employers determine employment eligibility of new hires and the validity of their Social Security numbers.
The NIH maintains a tobacco free work environment and campus.
NIH may repay certain outstanding Federally-insured student loans to facilitate the recruitment and retention of highly qualified people. Recipients will be determined on a case-by-case basis based on organizational need, specific case justification, and budget limitations.
A newly appointed or reappointed employee may receive service credit for prior work experience or active duty uniformed service that otherwise would not be creditable for the purpose of determining his or her annual leave accrual rate. All creditable service must be directly related to the duties of the position being filled and decisions to allow for such credit must be finalized prior to the selectee's entrance on duty. Recipients will be determined on a case-by-case basis based on organizational need, specific case justification, and budget limitations.
A newly appointed or reappointed individual may receive a recruitment incentive. Recipients will be determined on a case-by-case basis based on organizational need, specific case justification, and budget limitations.
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.
If you meet the minimum qualifications for this position, your application and responses to the online questionnaire will be evaluated under Category Rating and Selection procedures for placement in one of the following categories:
Best Qualified - for those who are superior in the evaluation criteria
Well Qualified - for those who excel in the evaluation criteria
Qualified - for those who only meet the minimum qualification requirements
The Category Rating Process does not add veterans' preference points, but protects the rights of veterans by placing them ahead of non-preference eligibles within each category. Applicants determined to be Best Qualified will be referred for further consideration. Preference eligibles in the Best Qualified category are referred before all other applicants. As part of the process, you may be asked to provide more detailed information about your experience and/or capabilities.
To be considered well qualified for the purposes of the Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) and the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP), you must substantively exceed the basic qualifications by scoring at least an 85 on the assessment and meet all eligibility, physical, medical, suitability, and any other requirements.
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.
Your resume must thoroughly describe how your skills and experiences align to the criteria defined in the "Qualifications" section of this announcement and it must support your responses to the assessment questionnaire. We cannot assume you have performed the necessary experience required for this position regardless of your employment history or academic career.
To ensure all of the essential information is in your resume, we encourage you to use the USAJOBS online Resume Builder.If you choose to use your own resume, you must ensure it contains all of the required information and you organize it so we can associate the following information for each experience/position:
1. Job title
2. Name of employer
3. Beginning and ending dates of employment (month/day/year format)
4. Hours worked per week. We will assume full-time unless otherwise stated. We will prorate part-time employment in crediting experience.
5. Detailed description of job duties, accomplishments, related skills, and responsibilities to include any supervisory/managerial responsibilities and number of staff supervised (if applicable)
6. Series and grade or equivalent (if a federal position)
If the position has an education requirement or you are qualifying on the basis of education, you need to list your education history including the type of degree and your major of study. If the position requires a certain number of credit hours, you are strongly encouraged to list the relevant courses in your resume.
Do not include a photograph or video of yourself, or any sensitive information (age, date of birth, marital status, protected health information, religious affiliation, social security number, etc.) on your resume or cover letter. We will not access web pages linked on your resume or cover letter to determine your qualifications.
You must submit a completed assessment questionnaire.
All of the above information is necessary to determine your qualifications for the position. Please help us make an informed decision regarding your eligibility by providing complete and thorough information on your experience and qualifications. Not providing all of required information may result in a determination that you do not meet minimum requirements for the position (e.g., an ineligible rating) or a lower rating.
REQUIRED DOCUMENTATION FOR PREFERENCE OR ELIGIBILITY CLAIMS
To claim veterans' preference, career transition selection priority, or Schedule A eligibility, you must provide the documentation listed below AND respond accordingly to the associated question on the online questionnaire.
- Veterans' preference (DD-214, VA Disability Letter, etc.): Reference Standard Form 15 (SF-15) for required documentation for 10 point claims. Submission of SF-15 is not required, unless you are claiming derived preference (XP) as described in questions 7, 8, or 9 on the SF-15. In those cases, you must submit a completed SF-15 and the required documentation. For 5 point claims, you must submit your DD-214 (if separated) or any written documentation from the armed forces 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 submitted with your application package.
Required Documentation for Schedule A Eligibility (Applicants with Disabilities)
Applicants who are eligible to be considered under Schedule A must submit appropriate documentation to verify your eligibility. Such documentation can be obtained from a licensed medical professional (e.g., a physician or other medical professional certified by a state, the District of Columbia, or a U.S. territory to practice medicine); a licensed vocational rehabilitation specialist (i.e., state or private); or any Federal agency, state agency, or agency of the District of Columbia or a U.S. territory that issues or provides disability benefits. The letter must be printed on a medical professional's letterhead and signed. Please note the Schedule A hiring authority neither guarantees employment, nor gives an individual preference in the hiring process.
If you do not provide the required information, we will assume you are not eligible or you do not wish to be considered for any preference or eligibility.
Please do not submit any other supplementary documentation that is not requested of you. To protect your personal information, we will only send your resume and cover letter to the selecting official or hiring manager.
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 position, please read and follow all instructions in this announcement, complete the online application, and submit the documentation specified in the "Required Documents" section. Your complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM Eastern Time (ET) on 10/26/2018 to receive consideration.
1. To begin, click Apply to access the online application. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account to apply.
2. Follow the prompts to select your resume and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package (see the "Required Documents" section for any additional forms and/or supplemental materials required). You will have the opportunity to upload additional documents to include in your application before it is submitted. You must submit your documents through the online application. Unfortunately, we cannot accept emailed or mailed documents. NOTE: that your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
3. Read all Eligibility questions and respond accordingly to any Eligibility you wish to claim.NOTE: You will only be considered for those Eligibility questions (Status Applicant, Reinstatement, Schedule A, etc.) you respond in the affirmative to, including veterans' preference, regardless of what documentation you submit. We use these questions to assist in determining your eligibility for appointment, preference, and consideration. We cannot assume you intended to respond differently to a question based on other information in your application package. We cannot accept responsibility for granting you eligibility for something you did not claim other than what you provided us in the questionnaire.
4. Complete the assessment questionnaire. Applicants are asked all questions regardless of their consideration preferences. NOTE: We will only consider you for the grades, series, and specialties that you self-identify as being qualified for. We cannot assume you intended to respond differently to a qualification question based on other information in your application package. Preview assessment questionnaire before you apply: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/10333930
5. Verify all required documentation is included in your application package, review your responses to the assessment questionnaire for accuracy, and then submit your application.
In addition to the required documents, we encourage you to submit the following although they are not required at the time of application (these documents may be requested later in the process).
- Cover letter
- Copy of transcripts (if applicable). Official transcripts will be required if selected.
- Copy of current, valid, unrestricted professional license/registration (if applicable).
To check your application status or to update your application, log into your USAJOBS account. Access the USAJOBS help page for guidance on navigating the system.
We cannot assume responsibility or grant extensions for personal issues (e.g., power outage, loss of internet, not understanding a question) when applying to our announcements. For technical difficulties, contact HR Systems Support between 8:00 AM and 4:30 PM ET Monday through Friday at hrss@nih.gov.
If you need any other accommodation or assistance with applying please contact Kevin Fletcher-Velasco at .fletcherkr@mail.nih.gov
National Institutes of Health
2115 East Jefferson Street
Rockville, MD 20851
US
Next steps
Once you submit your application package, you will receive an acknowledgement email. Your application will be assessed to determine your qualifications and eligibility for the position. After the assessment is complete, you will be notified of the status via email. In addition, you can track the progress of your application package through your USAJOBS account.
The selecting official, hiring manager, or someone acting on their behalf will review the applications of the referred candidates and determine who to interview. We may contact you for an interview or to provide additional information after a few days or up to several months from the closing date of the announcement. We may contact you through email or phone so please ensure you have provided us with your accurate and current contact information. To remain in consideration for this vacancy announcement, you must respond in a timely manner to our correspondence and requests for documentation or information throughout the selection and hiring process.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
Your resume must thoroughly describe how your skills and experiences align to the criteria defined in the "Qualifications" section of this announcement and it must support your responses to the assessment questionnaire. We cannot assume you have performed the necessary experience required for this position regardless of your employment history or academic career.
To ensure all of the essential information is in your resume, we encourage you to use the USAJOBS online Resume Builder.If you choose to use your own resume, you must ensure it contains all of the required information and you organize it so we can associate the following information for each experience/position:
1. Job title
2. Name of employer
3. Beginning and ending dates of employment (month/day/year format)
4. Hours worked per week. We will assume full-time unless otherwise stated. We will prorate part-time employment in crediting experience.
5. Detailed description of job duties, accomplishments, related skills, and responsibilities to include any supervisory/managerial responsibilities and number of staff supervised (if applicable)
6. Series and grade or equivalent (if a federal position)
If the position has an education requirement or you are qualifying on the basis of education, you need to list your education history including the type of degree and your major of study. If the position requires a certain number of credit hours, you are strongly encouraged to list the relevant courses in your resume.
Do not include a photograph or video of yourself, or any sensitive information (age, date of birth, marital status, protected health information, religious affiliation, social security number, etc.) on your resume or cover letter. We will not access web pages linked on your resume or cover letter to determine your qualifications.
You must submit a completed assessment questionnaire.
All of the above information is necessary to determine your qualifications for the position. Please help us make an informed decision regarding your eligibility by providing complete and thorough information on your experience and qualifications. Not providing all of required information may result in a determination that you do not meet minimum requirements for the position (e.g., an ineligible rating) or a lower rating.
REQUIRED DOCUMENTATION FOR PREFERENCE OR ELIGIBILITY CLAIMS
To claim veterans' preference, career transition selection priority, or Schedule A eligibility, you must provide the documentation listed below AND respond accordingly to the associated question on the online questionnaire.
- Veterans' preference (DD-214, VA Disability Letter, etc.): Reference Standard Form 15 (SF-15) for required documentation for 10 point claims. Submission of SF-15 is not required, unless you are claiming derived preference (XP) as described in questions 7, 8, or 9 on the SF-15. In those cases, you must submit a completed SF-15 and the required documentation. For 5 point claims, you must submit your DD-214 (if separated) or any written documentation from the armed forces 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 submitted with your application package.
Required Documentation for Schedule A Eligibility (Applicants with Disabilities)
Applicants who are eligible to be considered under Schedule A must submit appropriate documentation to verify your eligibility. Such documentation can be obtained from a licensed medical professional (e.g., a physician or other medical professional certified by a state, the District of Columbia, or a U.S. territory to practice medicine); a licensed vocational rehabilitation specialist (i.e., state or private); or any Federal agency, state agency, or agency of the District of Columbia or a U.S. territory that issues or provides disability benefits. The letter must be printed on a medical professional's letterhead and signed. Please note the Schedule A hiring authority neither guarantees employment, nor gives an individual preference in the hiring process.
If you do not provide the required information, we will assume you are not eligible or you do not wish to be considered for any preference or eligibility.
Please do not submit any other supplementary documentation that is not requested of you. To protect your personal information, we will only send your resume and cover letter to the selecting official or hiring manager.
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 position, please read and follow all instructions in this announcement, complete the online application, and submit the documentation specified in the "Required Documents" section. Your complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM Eastern Time (ET) on 10/26/2018 to receive consideration.
1. To begin, click Apply to access the online application. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account to apply.
2. Follow the prompts to select your resume and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package (see the "Required Documents" section for any additional forms and/or supplemental materials required). You will have the opportunity to upload additional documents to include in your application before it is submitted. You must submit your documents through the online application. Unfortunately, we cannot accept emailed or mailed documents. NOTE: that your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
3. Read all Eligibility questions and respond accordingly to any Eligibility you wish to claim.NOTE: You will only be considered for those Eligibility questions (Status Applicant, Reinstatement, Schedule A, etc.) you respond in the affirmative to, including veterans' preference, regardless of what documentation you submit. We use these questions to assist in determining your eligibility for appointment, preference, and consideration. We cannot assume you intended to respond differently to a question based on other information in your application package. We cannot accept responsibility for granting you eligibility for something you did not claim other than what you provided us in the questionnaire.
4. Complete the assessment questionnaire. Applicants are asked all questions regardless of their consideration preferences. NOTE: We will only consider you for the grades, series, and specialties that you self-identify as being qualified for. We cannot assume you intended to respond differently to a qualification question based on other information in your application package. Preview assessment questionnaire before you apply: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/10333930
5. Verify all required documentation is included in your application package, review your responses to the assessment questionnaire for accuracy, and then submit your application.
In addition to the required documents, we encourage you to submit the following although they are not required at the time of application (these documents may be requested later in the process).
- Cover letter
- Copy of transcripts (if applicable). Official transcripts will be required if selected.
- Copy of current, valid, unrestricted professional license/registration (if applicable).
To check your application status or to update your application, log into your USAJOBS account. Access the USAJOBS help page for guidance on navigating the system.
We cannot assume responsibility or grant extensions for personal issues (e.g., power outage, loss of internet, not understanding a question) when applying to our announcements. For technical difficulties, contact HR Systems Support between 8:00 AM and 4:30 PM ET Monday through Friday at hrss@nih.gov.
If you need any other accommodation or assistance with applying please contact Kevin Fletcher-Velasco at .fletcherkr@mail.nih.gov
National Institutes of Health
2115 East Jefferson Street
Rockville, MD 20851
US
Next steps
Once you submit your application package, you will receive an acknowledgement email. Your application will be assessed to determine your qualifications and eligibility for the position. After the assessment is complete, you will be notified of the status via email. In addition, you can track the progress of your application package through your USAJOBS account.
The selecting official, hiring manager, or someone acting on their behalf will review the applications of the referred candidates and determine who to interview. We may contact you for an interview or to provide additional information after a few days or up to several months from the closing date of the announcement. We may contact you through email or phone so please ensure you have provided us with your accurate and current contact information. To remain in consideration for this vacancy announcement, you must respond in a timely manner to our correspondence and requests for documentation or information throughout the selection and hiring process.
Fair and transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
