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Public Affairs Officer

Department of the Interior
Bureau of Land Management
This job announcement has closed

Summary

Explore a new career with the BLM - where our people are our greatest natural resource.

For additional information about the BLM, please visit Our website.

*This position may be relocated to Palm Springs, CA in 2020*

Overview

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Reviewing applications
Open & closing dates
06/05/2019 to 06/19/2019
Salary
$100,820 to - $131,064 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 13
Location
Moreno Valley, CA
1 vacancy
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
Occasional travel - For meetings, training, and site visits.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
Yes—Travel and relocation expenses will be paid consistent with Federal Travel Regulation, Chapter 302, and Departmental policy.
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-Time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
13
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
No
Announcement number
CA-Merit-2019-0105
Control number
535533000

Duties

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The California Desert District Office is located in Moreno Valley; a semi-arid region of western Riverside County just southwest of the San Bernardino Mountains and National Forest and southeast of the San Gabriel Mountains and Angeles National Forest. Moreno Valley is conveniently located about an hour from everything – mountains, desert and beaches. The community is surrounded by several other communities including Redlands, Riverside, Colton, San Bernardino, Banning, and Yucaipa. It is an hour north of Murrieta and Temecula’s wine country, 45 minutes west of Palm Springs, and one hour east of coastal communities like Newport Beach. There are ski areas, mountain lakes, wilderness areas and the Pacific Crest Trail just an hour away. Average annual high temperature is 76 degrees with an average low of 49 degrees. An average of about ten inches of rain falls in any given year, making the weather great for year-round outdoor activity. Read all about Moreno Valley at www.moreno-valley.ca.us

  • Serves as the lead Public Affairs Officer for the California Desert District, leading a unique program with national significance representing the entire range of programmatic issues regarding the district at the national level.
  • The incumbent must maintain an up‐to‐date understanding of both regional and national level policy issues as well as understand the roles and positions of various stakeholders and elected officials on policy issues.
  • Implements pro‐active and reactive communication plans to disseminate information about frequently controversial or complicated programs, correct misperceptions and enhance public understanding of BLM policies and actions.
  • Identifies internal and external target audiences at the local and national level and develops the full suite of communications tools and products to reach those audiences.
  • Analyzes BLM information needs and recommends strategies, programs and products needed to communicate with the media, constituent groups, other agencies, elected officials and the BLM workforce.
  • Serves as a liaison between the BLM and DOI, Members of Congress, and their respective personal office and committee staffs, on all matters of legislative and Congressional interest related to the program.
  • Prepares press and informational releases for distribution to the public and to local and national media outlets, including articles, op‐eds, content for the internet and social media or feature items on both technical and non‐technical aspects of the program.
  • Executes special projects to meet particular public information, education, and cooperative relations needs; and prepares speeches and public statements for the key agency personnel.
  • Implements a strategic and dynamic new media and web presence for National BLM programs in concert with the existing national social media program, based on industry trends, best practices, and forward‐looking communication technologies.

Physical Demands: The work is primarily sedentary. Occasional travel is required utilizing government vehicles and commercial or chartered aircraft. Writing and editing assignments require a degree of concentration and often include working under extremely tight deadlines with considerable outside pressure.
Work Environment: Work is performed primarily in an office environment in an urban setting. Occasional field assignments are required to gather information and carry out the communications program.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • U.S. Citizenship is required
  • Be sure to read the "How to Apply" and "Required Documents" Sections
  • You cannot hold an active real estate license, nor can you
  • Have an interest or hold stocks in firms with interest in Federal Land
  • Direct Deposit Required
  • Background Investigation Required

You must meet the specialized experience requirement. Education cannot be used to qualify for this position.

Qualifications

Specialized Experience Requirements:

In order to be rated as qualified for this position, we must be able to determine that you meet the specialized experience requirement - please be sure to include this information in your resume.  To be creditable, this experience must have been equivalent in difficulty and complexity to the next lower grade of the position to be filled.

Examples of one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12:  the development and execution of plans for dissemination of written and oral information; developing written materials designed to encourage the public to adopt positions on a variety of natural resources issues; Interpreting natural resources program policies and recommending solutions to public affair issues; advising management officials of any media problems, potential public reactions and negative public opinion on disseminated information regarding Bureau natural resources programs.

You must meet all qualification requirements within 30 days of the closing date of the announcement. Federal employees in the competitive service are also subject to the Time-In-Grade requirement in accordance with 5 CFR 300.604. If you are a current Federal employee in the General Schedule (GS) pay plan and applying for a promotion opportunity, you must have completed a minimum of 52 weeks at the next lower grade level in the normal line of progression for the position being filled.

Additional information

SELECTIVE SERVICE:  Male applicants born after December 31, 1959, must certify that they have registered with the Selective Service System, or are exempt from having to do so under the Selective Service Law.  To register or verify your registration go to the Selective Service System website.

May require completion of a 1 year probationary period.

Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP)/Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP):  CTAP provides eligible surplus and displaced Federal competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. Information about CTAP/ICTAP eligibility is available from OPM's Career Transition Resources website at CTAP or ICTAP.  If your agency has notified you in writing that you are a surplus or displaced employee eligible for CTAP consideration or that you are a displaced employee eligible for ICTAP consideration, you may receive selection priority if: 1) This vacancy is within your CTAP/ICTAP eligibility; 2) You apply under the instructions in this announcement; and 3) You are found well qualified for this vacancy. You must provide proof of eligibility with your application to receive selection priority. Such proof may include a copy of your written notification of CTAP/ICTAP eligibility, or a copy of your separation personnel action form. CTAP and ICTAP eligibles will be considered well qualified if they receive a minimum score of 90 based on the rating criteria used for this position.

Reemployment Priority List (RPL): The RPL is the mechanism agencies use to give reemployment consideration to their former competitive service employees separated by a RIF or who have fully recovered from a compensable injury after more than one year.  If you are currently on a Reemployment Priority List, you may be given priority consideration.

BLM may use certain incentives, currently offered by the Federal government, to attract high quality applicants.

The Bureau of Land Management has determined that the duties of this position are suitable for telework and the selectee may be allowed to telework with supervisor approval.

You must be able to obtain and maintain a valid driver's license.

How you will be evaluated

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

Upon receipt of your complete application package, a review of your application will be made to ensure you meet the basic qualification requirements.  Your rating will be based on your responses to the Job Specific Questionnaire and the information stated in your resume. If qualified, your score may range from 70-100 points.  In addition, interviews may be conducted for this position.  The interviews may be conducted on a pass/fail basis or may be scored. Top candidates may be asked to provide a portfolio of work. The job specific questions relate to the following knowledge, skills and abilities required to do the work of this position:

KSA #1: Knowledge of multiple‐use natural resource issues as well as the associated concepts, laws, policies, and regulations governing public lands.

KSA #2: Thorough knowledge of a wide variety of mass communication media, including print, broadcast, digital and social media; including benefits and limitations of each media.

KSA #3: Ability to represent the BLM at a national and local level, and work with a wide range of customers.

KSA #4: Skill in developing written and multimedia information products to varying knowledge levels, priorities, and interests which includes print, broadcast, digital and social media.


To preview questions please click here.

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