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Duties

Summary

For more information on the Department of Justice and the United States Attorneys' Offices, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/.

As needed, additional positions may be filled using this announcement.

Learn more about this agency

Responsibilities
Responsibilities

As a Public Affairs Specialist in the United States Attorney's Office (USAO) you will:
- Establish and maintain existing professional working relationships with members of the local and regional print and broadcast media representatives and specialized groups interested in the United States Attorney's Office programs.
- Establish and maintain contacts with Federal, state, and local law enforcement organizations and agencies, civil rights groups, and other community interest groups.
- Organize and coordinate news media interviews and press conferences for the United States Attorney's Office, including media events involving multi-agency case announcements.
- Develop and write material to provide to the news media and law enforcement community, such as news releases, feature stories, background information, data compilations, biographical material, and articles on office program commitments and priorities.
- Respond to information requests, in written and oral form, from news media, and specialized and general public inquiries on significant United States Attorney's Office program initiatives.
- Responsible for maintaining an updated Internet site and District's Social Media Accounts (i.e., Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.)
- Arrange and conduct special events, workshops, seminars, and other meetings with various organizations.
- Provide advice and guidance to the United States Attorney and other management officials on potential media and public reaction to information disseminated.
Responsibilities will increase and assignments will become more complex as your training and experience progress.
Travel Required

Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.

Supervisory status

No

Promotion Potential

12
Job family (Series)

1035 Public Affairs
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Requirements

Conditions of Employment
- You must be a U.S. Citizen or National
- Background investigation, credit check, and drug test required
- You must be registered for Selective Service, if applicable
- If selected, you may be required to complete a one year probationary period.
- Time-in-Grade: Federal employees must meet time-in-grade requirements within 30 days after the closing date of this announcement.
- You must meet all qualification requirements within 30 days after the closing date of this announcement and before placement in the position.
Qualifications

GS-12: To be qualified at the GS-12 level, you must have ONE (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 level in the Federal Service.

Specialized Experience is defined as planning, organizing, and executing complex, controversial and diverse communication strategies to carry out public affairs activities and to promote programs and/or services of an organization; experience independently writing, editing, and preparing communications materials (i.e., news releases, fact sheets, brochures, blogs, web pages, etc.) related to crime, law enforcement actions, legislation, trials, and court decisions; experience managing, editing and recommending approval of daily content and interactions on social media platforms (i.e., Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.); experience interacting with the public and the news media on behalf of an organization; and advising senior level management on communication needs.

Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP)-The CTAP provides eligible surplus and displaced competitive service employees in the Department of Justice with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. If your Department of Justice component has notified you in writing that you are a surplus or displaced employee eligible for CTAP consideration, you may receive selection priority if: 1) this vacancy is within your CTAP eligibility, 2) you apply under the instructions in this announcement, and 3) you are found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be well qualified, you must satisfy all qualification requirements for the vacant position and receive a score of 85 or better on established ranking criteria. You must provide a copy of your written notification of CTAP eligibility with your application. Additional information about CTAP eligibility is at http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/.

Education

Additional information

Payment of relocation expenses will not be authorized.

The Department of Justice offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes, in part, paid vacation; sick leave; holidays; telework; life insurance; health benefits; and participation in the Federal Employees Retirement System.

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How You Will Be Evaluated

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

Your resume and supporting documentation will be used to determine whether you meet the job qualifications listed on this announcement. If you are basically qualified for this job, your resume and supporting documentation will be compared to your responses on the Occupational Questionnaire. If you rate yourself higher than is supported by your application materials, your responses may be adjusted and/or you may be excluded from consideration for this job. If you are found to be among the top candidates, you will be referred to the selecting official for employment consideration.

You will be rated on the following Competencies (see The Delegated Examining Operations Handbook, Appendix F for definitions):
Communications and Media, Customer Service, Interpersonal Skills, and Writing

The Occupational Questionnaire will take you approximately 20 minutes to complete.

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Background checks and security clearance

Security clearance

Other

Drug test required

Yes
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Required Documents

You must provide a complete Application Package, which includes:
-Required: Your responses to the Online Occupational Questionnaire (This is completed automatically during the apply online process).
-Required: Your resume showing relevant experience and dates (month/day/year) of employment and work schedule for each (e.g., part-time XX hours per week or full-time)(cover letter optional).
-Required if you are a current or former Federal employee: a recent copy of an SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action, showing title, series, grade, and full performance level (FPL); AND a copy of your most recent performance appraisal. Please note your SF-50 must include your FPL in the remark section (e.g., appointment, reassignment, promotion actions), pay adjustments and awards do not include this information so they are not acceptable.
-Required, if applicable: CTAP documentation (a copy of a separation notice or other proof of eligibility for priority selection; a copy of an SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action, showing current position, grade, promotion potential, and duty location; AND a copy of your most recent performance appraisal.

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

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.
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Benefits

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. Learn more about federal benefits.

Review our 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.
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How to Apply

To apply for this position, you must complete the occupational questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below.

The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 09/12/2019 to receive consideration.

1. To begin, click Apply Online to create a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USAJOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire.

2. Click the Submit My Answers button to submit your application package. (It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation are submitted prior to the closing date.)

3. To verify your application is complete, log into your USAJOBS account, https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login, select the Application Status link and then select the more information link for this position. The Details page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and any correspondence the agency has sent related to this application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.

To return to an incomplete application, log into your USAJOBS account and click Update Application in the vacancy announcement. You must re-select your resume and/or other documents from your USAJOBS account or your application will be incomplete.

To preview the Assessment Questionnaire, please click the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/10595804

You are encouraged to apply online. Applying online will allow you to review and track the status of your application. If you are unable to apply online, contactMegan Black at (614) 469-5715 or Megan.Black@usdoj.gov as soon as possible to arrange an alternative application process.

You must specify in your questionnaire under what authority you wish to be considered and submit appropriate documentation to verify your eligibility.

Selective Service: If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, you must certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System, or are exempt from having to do so under the Selective Service Law. See http://www.sss.gov/.

Reasonable Accommodation Statement: Federal Agencies must provide reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities, where appropriate. Applicants requiring reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process should contact the hiring agency directly. Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis.

EEO Statement: The United States Government does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, status as a parent, genetic information, disability, age, membership or non-membership in an employee organization, or on the basis of personal favoritism.

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Agency contact information

Megan Black

Phone

(614) 469-5715

Email

Megan.Black@usdoj.gov

Address

Southern District of Ohio
303 Marconi Blvd.
Columbus, OH 43215
US

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Next steps

We will notify you of the outcome after each step of the recruitment process has been completed. After making a tentative job offer, we will conduct a suitability/security background investigation, to include a credit check, and drug test by urinalysis. We expect to make a final job offer within 80 days after the closing date of the announcement.

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Fair & Transparent

The Federal hiring process is setup to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.

Equal Employment Opportunity Policy
The United States Government does not discriminate in employment 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 factor.
- Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) for federal employees & job applicants
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Reasonable Accommodation Policy
Federal agencies must provide reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities where appropriate. Applicants requiring reasonable accommodation for any part of the application process should follow the instructions in the job opportunity announcement. For any part of the remaining hiring process, applicants should contact the hiring agency directly. Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis.

A reasonable accommodation is any change to a job, the work environment, or the way things are usually done that enables an individual with a disability to apply for a job, perform job duties or receive equal access to job benefits.

Under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, federal agencies must provide reasonable accommodations when:
- An applicant with a disability needs an accommodation to have an equal opportunity to apply for a job.
- An employee with a disability needs an accommodation to perform the essential job duties or to gain access to the workplace.
- An employee with a disability needs an accommodation to receive equal access to benefits, such as details, training, and office-sponsored events.
You can request a reasonable accommodation at any time during the application or hiring process or while on the job. Requests are considered on a case-by-case basis.

Learn more about disability employment and reasonable accommodations or how to contact an agency.
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Legal and regulatory guidance

This job originated on www.usajobs.gov. For the full announcement and to apply, visit www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/544837700. Only resumes submitted according to the instructions on the job announcement listed at www.usajobs.gov will be considered.

Public Affairs Specialist

Department of Justice

United States Attorney's Office, Southern District of Ohio

Overview

Open & closing dates

Service

Pay scale & grade

Salary

Appointment type

Work schedule

Location

Relocation expenses reimbursed

Telework eligible

Duties

Summary

Responsibilities

Travel Required

Supervisory status

Promotion Potential

Job family (Series)