This position is located in the Office of External Affairs, Office of Press Relations. This team provides support to the Agency’s public affairs objectives and programs, and develops the Agency’s outreach and visibility with various audiences. The Public Affairs Specialist will perform research and information collection, writing, public relations, information dissemination, liaison activities, and other program support functions.
Summary
This position is located in the Office of External Affairs, Office of Press Relations. This team provides support to the Agency’s public affairs objectives and programs, and develops the Agency’s outreach and visibility with various audiences. The Public Affairs Specialist will perform research and information collection, writing, public relations, information dissemination, liaison activities, and other program support functions.
• United States Citizens
• Current or former Federal employees
• Internal agency employees; including agency temporary employees, eligible agency Experts, and eligible agency personal services contactors
• 30% Disabled Veterans
• Individuals with disabilities
The Public Affairs Specialist performs the following major duties:
Collaborates with the Regional Public Affairs Specialists (PAS) and Office of Communications to develop and implement a national media and communications strategy to increase public and media awareness about the Peace Corps.
Prepares detailed statistical reports and analyses.
Identifies and summarizes national and regional news items having a direct impact on PC programs and activities.
Serves as the lead point of contact in coordinating with the marketing team, other members of the Office of Communications, and various Peace Corps offices to responds to requests for information.
Employs a variety of techniques to analyze effectiveness and advises managers and staff on methods to employ in communicating information regarding PC programs, services, and policies.
Coordinates the preparation of program publicity and marketing for print and electronic distribution with PC staff.
Submits materials to the local and national media and continually monitors the placement of these materials.
NOTE: The duties listed are those reflective of the higher graded position.
Peace Corps Manual Section 611 is applicable to this position. This section prohibits the employment of certain persons previously engaged in intelligence activities or connected with intelligence agencies within the past 10 years. If you have ever worked for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), you are not eligible for employment at the Peace Corps in any capacity, and you should not apply for employment.
PC-1336 Form: Applicants who are found to be otherwise qualified will be required to submit upon request in the future a completed PC-1336 form, or narrative signed statement, indicating whether the applicant has been involved in or has had any connection with intelligence activities or related work and, if so, the nature and dates of his or her involvement. Failure to meet this requirement will result in the applicant being rated ineligible for further consideration. If you have any other type of possible intelligence connection, your application will not be further considered until you submit this form. Except when the CIA or the National Security Agency (NSA) is involved (see below), if your connection with an Intelligence Agency involves an immediate family member who works or has worked in intelligence, the immediate family member should complete the form, not the applicant. Usually relying on memory is sufficient to answer most if not all of the questions. If you have an immediate family member who works or has worked for the CIA, you should not give them this form to complete. Please contact your relative in person—not by phone, email, social networking, or any other means that is not in person— and ask him or her to contact the Office of General Counsel at the CIA.
If your intelligence connection involves the NSA, you (or, if the connection is with a family member, that person) must contact NSA’s Office of the General Counsel at 410-854-3910 before submitting this form to Peace Corps.
Qualifications
Specialized Experience:
You must meet the specialized experience at the grade level(s) in which you choose to be considered by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST) on the closing date of the announcement. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. To ensure full credit for your experience, please indicate dates of employment by month, day, and year and the number of hours worked per week in your resume.
This vacancy is being announced at two (2) grade levels:
FP-5
Qualifying experience for the FP-5 grade level includes one year of specialized experience at least equivalent to the FP-7 or GS-7 grade 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. Specialized experience includes: Experience applying techniques and practices used in management of public affairs program; Experience applying analytical skill and judgment to understand various target audience needs and prepare communication to create visibility for agency programs; Experience writing articles, news releases, brochures and informational material to support Agency communication needs; Experience applying principles and methods of written and oral communication.
or
master's or equivalent graduate degree
or
2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree
or
LL.B. or J.D., if related
FP-4
Qualifying experience for the FP-4 grade level includes one year of specialized experience at least equivalent to the FP-5 or GS-9 grade 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. Specialized experience includes: Experience applying techniques and practices used in management of public affairs program; Experience establishing and maintaining effective professional relationships with internal customers and external contacts, including local and national media representatives and community groups; Experience conveying programmatic information and clarifying organization’s activities to specialized audiences and general public; Experience applying interpersonal skill to communicate and interact in response to various tasks and problems, meet audience expectation and protect Agency interests.
or
Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree
or
3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree
Time-in-Grade Requirements: Internal applicants and Federal employees who are currently holding, or who has held within the previous 52 weeks, a position under a non-temporary appointment in the competitive or excepted service, must meet "time-in-grade" requirements (have served 52 weeks at the next lower grade of the grade for which you are applying). NOTE: All current or former Federal employees (including internal employees) must provide a copy of their SF-50 (you may need to submit more than one), "Notice of Personnel Action" that indicates proof of status and time-in-grade eligibility. The SF-50 must include your position, title, series, grade, step, tenure, and type of service (Competitive or Excepted).
All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement. Qualification claims will be subject to verification.
Additional information
Peace Corps Information
This is a Federal civilian job in the Excepted Service. PC employees are paid on the Foreign Service scale and employment is limited NTE 5 years.
Qualified internal applicants will be given first consideration.
Additional hiring needs may be filled through this vacancy.
National Service (e.g., volunteer) refers to paid & unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional, philanthropic, religious, community, student).
Peace Corps is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service, or other non-merit factors.
Peace Corps is a drug free workplace and promotes a drug free environment.
Peace Corps is committed to maintaining a diverse and inclusive culture. Our goal is to attract and develop the best and brightest from all lifestyles and backgrounds. Peace Corps strives to create a culture of inclusion where individuals feel respected and are treated fairly in all aspects of differences. Our commitment is to make a difference in the lives of people around the world.
Peace Corps provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the hiring process, please notify the Office of Human Resources by calling 202-692-1200 or the Office of Civil Rights and Diversity on 202-692-2139. Decisions on granting reasonable accommodation are made on a case-by-case basis.
Conditions of Employment
Applicants must be U.S. citizens.
You must successfully complete a background security investigation with favorable adjudication. Failure to successfully meet this requirement will be grounds for employment termination.
All male applicants born after December 31, 1959, must have registered for the selective service. If selected for this position, you must sign a statement certifying your registration, or you must demonstrate exempt status under the Selective Service Law.
Prior Intelligence Activity or Related Work: Individuals who have been engaged in certain intelligence activity or related work or who have been employed by or connected with an intelligence agency are ineligible for employment with Peace Corps. Acceptance of employment with Peace Corps precludes employment by certain intelligence organizations for a specific period of time, determined by the employing agency, after Peace Corps employment ceases.
All Federal employees are required to have federal salary payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of their choosing.
This is a bargaining unit position.
This position requires a Public Trust background clearance.
If you have questions regarding this vacancy, you may contact peacecorpsjobs@peacecorps.gov. In the subject line, include the vacancy #, position title and closing date.
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.
Peace Corps employees receive the same benefits as other Federal employees. This includes health insurance plans, a retirement system with investment options, paid holidays, paid sick and annual (vacation) leave, life insurance, incentive systems and training and development opportunities. Employees located in the United States may also receive subsidized transportation, flexible work schedules, and family work life programs.
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 based on your resume, attached supporting documentation and your responses to the self-assessment questionnaire. Your materials will be evaluated to validate your possession of any required knowledge, skills, abilities (KSA) and/or competencies. The following competencies will be evaluated in the self-assessment questionnaire:
Planning and Evaluation
Oral Communication
Interpersonal Skills
Written Communication
Communication and Media
Please note that a complete application is required for consideration; including any documentation that is being used for qualifications. Your resume and supporting documentation will be reviewed by a Human Resources Specialist, which must support the answers you provided. Falsifying your background, education, and/or experience is cause for disqualification.
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.
Peace Corps employees receive the same benefits as other Federal employees. This includes health insurance plans, a retirement system with investment options, paid holidays, paid sick and annual (vacation) leave, life insurance, incentive systems and training and development opportunities. Employees located in the United States may also receive subsidized transportation, flexible work schedules, and family work life programs.
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.
To apply for this position, you must submit a complete Application Package. This includes: a detailed resume, a completed electronic self-assessment questionnaire, an SF-50 (for current and former Federal employees), and the submission of any other required documents. All required documents listed below, that are applicable to you, must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the closing date of this announcement.
Resume: Include relevant work experience including job title, duties and accomplishments, employer name and address, supervisor name and phone number, start and end dates, hours per week & salary. If you are a current Federal employee or former Federal employee, provide your pay plan, series and grade level (e.g. GS-0201-09).
Veterans Documents: Veterans' preference in appointment does not apply to this vacancy; however, if you are using your 30% or more disability rating to be considered, you must attach all required documentation; including a DD-214 reflecting the type of discharge, the SF-15 and a VA Letter. Proof of a service-connected disability is required at the time of application. For more information regarding veterans’ preference, please review the OPM Vet Guide.
Federal Employees: If you are a current or former Federal employee (including internal employees), you must provide a copy of your most recent SF-50 (and/or the SF-50 which verifies your reinstatement eligibility). Please note that this appointment does not convey career or career-conditional tenure in the competitive service; however, federal employees who have earned career tenure will not lose it as a result of this appointment.
Qualifications Based on Education or a Combination of Education and Experience: If you are qualifying based on education or a combination of education and experience, you must submit a copy of your transcript(s) or an appropriate course listing with a diploma. Education must be accredited by an institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be used towards qualifications. Therefore, applicants must report only attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by recognized institutions. Applicants can verify accreditation at the following website.
Note: All applicants (including internal) are required to submit the applicable documents listed above as verification of eligibility. If you fail to provide the information requested, or the information you submit is insufficient to verify your eligibility, you may lose consideration for these positions.
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.
Click ‘Apply Online' to create an account or log into your existing USAJOBS account.
Follow the prompts to complete the assessment questionnaire and upload required documents.
Please ensure you click the Submit My Answers button to submit your application.
Applications must be received by the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration.
Check your application status by logging into your USAJOBS account. Return to an incomplete application by clicking Apply Online in the vacancy announcement and re-selecting your resume and/or other documents from your USAJOBS account.
If you experience any technical difficulties as you complete your application within the CareerConnector system, please e-mail careerconnectorhelp@treasury.gov. Please only direct system-related technical errors to this mailbox. If your question is in regards to your application status, please contact the peacecorpsjobs@peacecorps.gov e-mail.
Peace Corps
1111 20th Street, NW
Washington, District of Columbia 20526
United States
Next steps
Once the online questionnaire is received you will receive an acknowledgement email that your submission was successful.
You may check the status of your application at any time by logging into your USAJOBS account and by going to the "My Account" tab and clicking on "Application Status". For a more detailed update of your application status, you may go to "more information" under the individual vacancy.
USAJOBS has added an alert setting to their system to provide status updates for applicants. You can elect to activate the status updates from your USAJOBS profile at any point during the application process.
If you are among the top qualified candidates, your application may be referred to the Selecting Official for further consideration.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
To apply for this position, you must submit a complete Application Package. This includes: a detailed resume, a completed electronic self-assessment questionnaire, an SF-50 (for current and former Federal employees), and the submission of any other required documents. All required documents listed below, that are applicable to you, must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the closing date of this announcement.
Resume: Include relevant work experience including job title, duties and accomplishments, employer name and address, supervisor name and phone number, start and end dates, hours per week & salary. If you are a current Federal employee or former Federal employee, provide your pay plan, series and grade level (e.g. GS-0201-09).
Veterans Documents: Veterans' preference in appointment does not apply to this vacancy; however, if you are using your 30% or more disability rating to be considered, you must attach all required documentation; including a DD-214 reflecting the type of discharge, the SF-15 and a VA Letter. Proof of a service-connected disability is required at the time of application. For more information regarding veterans’ preference, please review the OPM Vet Guide.
Federal Employees: If you are a current or former Federal employee (including internal employees), you must provide a copy of your most recent SF-50 (and/or the SF-50 which verifies your reinstatement eligibility). Please note that this appointment does not convey career or career-conditional tenure in the competitive service; however, federal employees who have earned career tenure will not lose it as a result of this appointment.
Qualifications Based on Education or a Combination of Education and Experience: If you are qualifying based on education or a combination of education and experience, you must submit a copy of your transcript(s) or an appropriate course listing with a diploma. Education must be accredited by an institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be used towards qualifications. Therefore, applicants must report only attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by recognized institutions. Applicants can verify accreditation at the following website.
Note: All applicants (including internal) are required to submit the applicable documents listed above as verification of eligibility. If you fail to provide the information requested, or the information you submit is insufficient to verify your eligibility, you may lose consideration for these positions.
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.
Click ‘Apply Online' to create an account or log into your existing USAJOBS account.
Follow the prompts to complete the assessment questionnaire and upload required documents.
Please ensure you click the Submit My Answers button to submit your application.
Applications must be received by the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration.
Check your application status by logging into your USAJOBS account. Return to an incomplete application by clicking Apply Online in the vacancy announcement and re-selecting your resume and/or other documents from your USAJOBS account.
If you experience any technical difficulties as you complete your application within the CareerConnector system, please e-mail careerconnectorhelp@treasury.gov. Please only direct system-related technical errors to this mailbox. If your question is in regards to your application status, please contact the peacecorpsjobs@peacecorps.gov e-mail.
Peace Corps
1111 20th Street, NW
Washington, District of Columbia 20526
United States
Next steps
Once the online questionnaire is received you will receive an acknowledgement email that your submission was successful.
You may check the status of your application at any time by logging into your USAJOBS account and by going to the "My Account" tab and clicking on "Application Status". For a more detailed update of your application status, you may go to "more information" under the individual vacancy.
USAJOBS has added an alert setting to their system to provide status updates for applicants. You can elect to activate the status updates from your USAJOBS profile at any point during the application process.
If you are among the top qualified candidates, your application may be referred to the Selecting Official for further consideration.
Fair and transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
