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Local Hire (Research & Writing Specialist)

Department of Homeland Security
Federal Emergency Management Agency
This job announcement has closed

Summary

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has an immediate need to employ residents of the Lincoln, NE area as temporary local hires to assist with disaster response and recovery efforts. Local hire employees are local residents who aid in the recovery of the community and help their fellow citizens in the recovery process. Apply for this exciting opportunity!

View common definitions of terms found in this announcement. 

Overview

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Job canceled
Open & closing dates
04/24/2019 to 05/13/2019
This job will close when we have received 200 applications which may be sooner than the closing date. Learn more
Salary
$16.04 to - $16.04 per hour
Pay scale & grade
IH 00
Location
FEW vacancies in the following location:
Lincoln, NE
FEW vacancies
Telework eligible
No
Travel Required
Not required
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Temporary - Not to exceed 120 days with possibility of extension.
Work schedule
Intermittent - Temporary
Service
Excepted
Promotion potential
NA
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Other
Drug test
No
Announcement number
FEMA-19-EGB-298414-LH
Control number
531602600

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

This announcement will close at 11:59 pm EST on Wednesday May 1, 2019; or at 11:59pm EST on the day the application limit is reached, whichever comes first. This job is open to: U.S. Citizens.

Duties

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Local Hire employees:

  • Help FEMA respond to, recover from and mitigate all hazards by performing a variety of emergency management functions which are not limited to disaster survivor assistance, conducting and verifying damage assessments, and providing administrative, financial and logistical support.
  • A local hire’s term of employment is 120 days. Local Hire appointments may be extended, in 120 day increments, for a maximum 365 day appointment, based on the needs of the disaster. 
  • Work within 23 different Cadres which are groups of personnel organized by operational function and FEMA Qualification System (FQS) position.
  • Each Local Hire is hired to a position within a Cadre based on his or her skills and experience.

FEMA is seeking candidates with experience developing written communications for external distribution. 

In this position, you will gather and consolidate data to draft written materials for FEMA. Typical duties include:

  • Developing and incorporating graphics into FEMA products in AP style writing format.
  • Drafting press releases, Congressional Advisories, external correspondence, reports, and briefing materials.
  • Planning communications activities for emergency management programs.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • You must be a U.S. citizen to be considered for this position.
  • You must successfully pass a background investigation.
  • Selective service registration is required for males born after 12/31/59.
  • Please review "Other Information" section for additional conditions.

Please ensure you meet the qualification requirements described below.

Qualifications

FEMA is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Salaries are comparable to local pay rates.

FEMA’s mission is to support our citizens and first responders to ensure that as a nation we work together to build, sustain, and improve our capability to prepare for, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate all hazards.

STAFFORD ACT EXCEPTED SERVICE APPOINTMENTS: The Local Hire Program is an appointment type granted under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, Section 306 (b), which authorizes FEMA to appoint such temporary employees as necessary to accomplish work authorized under the Act. Appointments under this authority within FEMA are made to the excepted service and are nonpermanent in nature.

To qualify for this position, you must possess experience:

  • Conducting research to gather and verify facts; and
  • Drafting written products for external audiences and/or public distribution.

IN ADDITION:

  • Minimum age of eighteen years of age is required.
  • All candidates must be a high school graduate or possess a GED.

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 provides valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

Your application must show that you meet all requirements for this position.  You may be found "not qualified" if you do not possess the minimum competencies required for the position.

NOTE: Qualifications are based on breadth/level of experience. In addition to describing duties performed, applicants must provide the exact dates of each period of employment (from MM/YY to MM/YY) and the number of hours worked per week if part time. As qualification determinations cannot be made when resumes do not include the required information, failure to provide this information may result in disqualification. Applicants are encouraged to use the USAJOBS Resume Builder to develop their federal resume. For a brief video on How to Create a Federal Resume, click here.

Current or former FEMA Reservists/DAE employees: To accurately credit your experience for these intermittent positions, make sure to list the dates (from MM/YY to MM/YY) of each deployment, along with the job title and specific duties you were responsible for during each deployment.  Failure to provide this information may result in disqualification.

Additional information

  • Local hire positions are full time, temporary positions.
  • To ensure the accomplishment of our mission, DHS requires every employee to be reliable and trustworthy. To meet those standards, all selected applicants must undergo, successfully pass, and maintain a background investigation for Public Trust clearance as a condition of placement into this position. This may include a credit check after initial job qualifications are determined (Mythbuster), review of financial issues, such as delinquency in the payment of debts, child support and/or tax obligations, as well as certain criminal offenses and illegal use or possession of drugs. For more information on background investigations for Federal jobs please visit the OPM website at https://www.opm.gov/investigations/background-investigations/.
  • If you receive a conditional offer of employment for this position, you will be required to complete an Optional Form 306, Declaration for Federal Employment, and to sign and certify the accuracy of all information in your application, prior to entry on duty. False statements on any part of the application may result in withdrawal of offer of employment, dismissal after beginning work, fine, or imprisonment.
  • DHS uses E-verify, an internet based system, to confirm the eligibility of all newly hired employees to work in the United States. Learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities.
  • This announcement may be used to fill one or more vacancies.
  • NOTE: TRAVEL BACK AND FORTH TO LINCOLN, NE WILL NOT BE REIMBURSED.  LODGING WILL NOT BE PROVIDED TO LOCAL HIRE EMPLOYEES.

How you will be evaluated

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

To determine if you are qualified for this job, a review of your resume and supporting documentation will be made and compared against your responses to the occupational questionnaire. If you are qualified, you will be referred to a selection panel for consideration.


We recommend that you preview the online questions for this announcement before you start the application process. 


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


To preview questions please click here.

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