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Public Affairs Specialist

Department of State
Department of State - Agency Wide
This job announcement has closed

Summary

This position is located in the Office of Press and Public Diplomacy in the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs (NEA). As a geographic bureau, NEA is responsible
for the general conduct of foreign relations with countries in its respective geographic region.

Overview

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Reviewing applications
Open & closing dates
03/11/2021 to 03/17/2021
Salary
$103,690 to - $134,798 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 13
Location
District of Columbia, DC
1 vacancy
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
Occasional travel - Some occasional travel maybe required.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-Time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
13
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Top Secret
Drug test
Yes
Announcement number
HRSC/NEA-2021-0008
Control number
594841600

Duties

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  • Drafts press guidance, press statements, public remarks, and briefing papers for the Department Spokesperson, senior principals, and other officials
  • Interacts with journalists and other media representatives to effectively communicate U .S. foreign policy, arrange interviews with senior officials, and implement media strategies.
  • Serves as NEA/PPD representative and advocate for the Department and NEA's objectives throughout the Department and interagency community where relevant.
  • Contributes to the shaping of all State Department public messages on Middle East policy by drafting press guidance, public statements, talking points, and public remarks used by spokespersons in Washington and at NEA posts throughout the world.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • Incumbent will be subject to random drug testing.
  • Verification of employment eligibility in the United States is required.
  • One year probationary period, unless excepted by regulation.
  • U.S. Citizenship is required.
  • Must be able to obtain and maintain a Top Secret security clearance.

Qualifications

Applicants must meet all the required qualification requirements, including education and any selective placement factors described below by the closing date of this announcement.

If you are qualifying based on education OR if there are mandatory education requirements listed below, you MUST submit a copy of your college transcript with your application.

Applicants must have 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12 level in the Federal service which provided the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to perform the duties of the position.

Qualifying specialized experience must demonstrate the following:

  • Experience drafting and clearing press guidance and public statements on all matters regarding U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East.
  • Experience providing advice and guidance and develop strategic public communication strategies in regards to the Middle East.

There is no substitute of education for specialized experience for the GS-13 position

Education

See the qualifications section of this vacancy announcement for education requirements, if applicable.

Additional information

For reasonable accommodation at the U.S. Department of State, please contact the Office of Accessibility and Accommodations at (202) 663-3474 or ReasonableAccommodations@state.gov.

EMPLOYMENT ELIGIBILITY VERIFICATION PROGRAM (E-Verify) – U.S. law requires organizations to employ only individuals who may legally work in the United States - either U.S. citizens, or foreign citizens who have the necessary authorization. This agency utilizes E-Verify to compare information from the Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, to data from U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Social Security Administration (SSA) records to confirm employment eligibility. If the employee’s information does not match DHS and/or SSA records, the employee is given an opportunity to resolve the problem. If eligibility cannot be verified, employment will be terminated.

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 and rated under the Category Rating and Selection procedures. Based on your responses to the job-specific self-assessment questions, eligible candidates are placed for selection consideration into one of three pre-defined quality categories as described below:

Highly-qualified Category - In addition to meeting minimum qualifications for the position, candidates must fully demonstrate proficiency in all major aspects of the position.

Well Qualified Category - In addition to meeting minimum qualifications, candidates must demonstrate proficiency in some, but not all of the major aspects of the position.

Qualified Category - In addition to meeting minimum qualifications, applicants must demonstrate a basic level of knowledge, skill and ability of the position.

Your qualifications will be evaluated on the following knowledge, skills, abilities (KSAs) and other characteristics that are relevant to the duties of this position and must be fully supported by information in your resume: 

- Ability to analyze and evaluate materials as they relate to public affairs issues.

- Skill in translating from English into Modern Standard Arabic

- Ability to understand trends in public and media attitudes

- Skill in producing social media analysis.

- Knowledge of analysis and assessment of relevant trends in Arabic.

-Knowledge of Arabic social media networks. 

Your resume serves as the basis for qualification determinations and must highlight your most relevant and significant work experience and education (if applicable) as it relates to this job opportunity. 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). Your resume should include the dates of all qualifying experience (from month/year to month/year) and the number of hours worked/volunteered per week. For assistance with creating a resume, please click here.

Application of Veterans Preference: The Category Rating Method does not add veterans' preference points or apply the "rule of three," but protects the rights of veterans by placing them ahead of non-preference eligibles within each pre-defined quality category. Preference eligibles who meet minimum qualification requirements and who have a compensable service-connected disability of at least 10 percent (i.e., CPS and CP) must be listed in the highest quality category, except when the position being filled is scientific or professional at the GS-09 grade level or higher.

Agency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) candidates must be rated "Well Qualified" for the position to receive consideration for selection priority. Applicants must meet all the qualification requirements and submit any required supporting documentation by the closing date of this announcement.

Your application package must contain sufficient information to make a valid determination that you fully meet the basic/specialized experience requirements as stated in this job opportunity announcement for each grade level(s) for which you are applying. Applicants found to be among the top qualified candidates will be referred to the hiring official for further consideration and possible interview.


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