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Public Affairs Specialist

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
This job announcement has closed

Summary

This position is located in the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection, External Affairs Division, Office of Communication. The purpose of this position is to serve as an on-the-record spokesperson for the news media and to perform assignments communicating information in both English and Spanish to the news media and general public regarding the Bureau.

See our tips on the application process and printable checklist to ensure each step of the application is completed.

Overview

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Reviewing applications
Open & closing dates
11/27/2018 to 12/10/2018
Salary
$111,684 to - $203,633 per year
Pay scale & grade
CN 60
Location
Washington DC, DC
2 vacancies
Telework eligible
No
Travel Required
Occasional travel - Occasional travel may be required.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time - Career/Career Conditional
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
60
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Drug test
No
Announcement number
19-CFPB-28-P
Control number
517830300

Duties

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As a Public Affairs Specialist, you will:

  • Design and execute proactive communications plans for announcing policy decisions, rulemakings and enforcement actions on behalf of the Bureau. 
  • Provide on-the-record comments, in consultation with supervisors, on behalf of the BCFP.
  • Plan, organize and coordinate news media interviews, briefings and information exchange opportunities with staff, and oversee arrangements with media representatives involving organization activities; provide supporting materials as required.
  • Establish and maintain effective working relationships with the news media and information networks with state, local entities and industries affected by the organizational programs to gain a better understanding of their interests and to in enlisting their cooperation in providing the public with information about Bureau activities.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • Please refer to "Conditions of Employment."
  • Click "Print Preview" to review the entire announcement before applying.
  • Must be a U.S. Citizen or U.S National

The experience may have been gained in either the public or private sector or volunteer service. One year of experience refers to full-time work; part-time work is considered on a prorated basis. To ensure full credit for your work experience, please indicate dates of employment by month/year, and indicate number of hours worked per week on your résumé.

Qualifications

You must meet the following requirements within 30 days of the closing date of this announcement.

Specialized experience: To qualify at the CN-60 level, you must have one year of specialized experience at or equivalent to the CN-53 level in the Federal service.  (For qualification purposes, the CN-53 level is broadly equivalent to the GS-13 level.)  For this position, specialized experience is defined as experience demonstrating ability to develop informational materials about financial policy and personal finance issues. These materials include news releases, fact sheets, booklets and broadcast spots that increase communication between the organization's representatives and various public audiences.  Examples of specialized experience include:  writing press statements, guidance, press releases, speeches and informational materials for dissemination through financial, business, personal finance, and other media; providing representatives of the financial, business, and other media with timely and accurate explanations of organizational operations, and activities; analyzing public reaction to financial policy, personal finance and related programs and policies and developing recommendations that significantly modify major programs and policies; developing and maintaining effective working relationships with a variety of individuals and organizations, including media, financial oversight bodies, and other groups with an interest in organizational activities, goals and operations related to financial policy and personal finance issues.

Additional information

- We may select from this announcement or any other source to fill one or more vacancies. 
- This is a non bargaining unit position.
- We offer opportunities for telework.
- We offer opportunities for flexible work schedules.
-Ethics:  Bureau employees are subject to government-wide ethical standards of conduct, financial disclosure requirements, and post-employment prohibitions, which applicants may review at www.oge.gov.  In addition, employees must comply with the Supplemental Standards of Ethical Conduct for Employees of the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection (5 CFR 9401), which, among other things, prohibit an employee or the employee’s spouse or minor child from owning or controlling a debt or equity interest in an entity supervised by the Bureau. Regulations also impose restrictions on the outside activities of certain Bureau employees, including examiners and attorneys.  Applicants may review the Bureau ethics regulations and a summary of the regulations at www.consumerfinance.gov.   Questions regarding these requirements and prohibitions should be directed to the Bureau Ethics Office at EthicsHelp@cfpb.gov.

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT
- A one year probationary period may be required. . 
- Must successfully complete a background investigation.
- Complete a Declaration for Federal Employment to determine your suitability for Federal employment, at the time requested by the agency
- If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System or are exempt from having to do so.
- Go through a Personal Identity Verification (PIV) process that requires two forms of identification from the Form I-9.  Federal law requires verification of the identity and employment eligibility of all new hires in the U.S.
- Obtain and use a Government-issued charge card for business-related travel.

How you will be evaluated

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

Your application includes your résumé, responses to the online questions, and required supporting documents. Please be sure that your résumé includes detailed information to support your qualifications for this position; failure to provide sufficient evidence in your resume may result in a “not qualified” determination.

Rating: Your application will be evaluated in the following areas: 

  • Building Inclusive Relationships
  • Analytical Thinking
  • Written Communications

If you meet the minimum qualification requirements and receive a score within the top tier of candidates on the self-assessment questions, you will then be required to participate in a written exercise. Upon receiving an email notification from a CFPB representative (via email) to participate in this exercise, applicants must acknowledge with a response within three business days or he/she will be removed from consideration for this position. It is advised to occasionally check your “junk mail”/SPAM folders within your email to ensure you do not miss a message. The CFPB representative will then schedule a time for the applicant to receive instructions and complete and/or submit the exercise. The entire process must be completed by the applicant within two weeks from the initial contact from a CFPB representative or he/she will be removed from consideration.

The exercise will be evaluated in the following areas: Building Inclusive Relationships, Analytical Thinking and Written Communication.

Category rating will be used to rank and select eligible candidates. If qualified, you will be assigned to one of three quality level categories, A, B or C depending on your responses to the online questions and results of your exercise, regarding your experience, education, and training related to this position. Your rating may be lowered if your responses to the online questions are not supported by the education and/or experience described in your application.

Veterans' preference is applied after applicants are assessed. Preference-eligibles will be listed at the top of their assigned category and considered before non-preference-eligibles in that category. Qualified preference-eligibles with a compensable service-connected disability of 10% or more will be listed at the top of the highest category. 

Referral: If you are among the top qualified candidates, your application may be referred to a selecting official for consideration. You may be required to participate in a selection interview. 

If you are a displaced or surplus Federal employee (eligible for the Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP)/Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP)) you must be assigned the middle category or better to be rated as “well qualified" to receive special selection priority.


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