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Public Affairs Specialist

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.

This position is located in the Bureau of Land Management, California State Office, Office of Communications located in Sacramento, CA. Information about Sacramento and the surrounding area can be found at City of Sacramento.

We expect to fill 1 vacancy at this time; however, additional positions may be filled from this announcement if they become available.

Overview

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Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
04/28/2021 to 05/12/2021
Salary
$84,452 to - $130,552 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 12 - 13
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Sacramento, CA
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
Yes—Travel and relocation expenses will be paid consistent with the Federal Travel Regulation, Chapter 302, and Departmental policy. Selectee will be responsible for tax obligations related to payments for moving expenses - 2017 Tax Cuts and Job Act, Public Law 115-97. See "Other" section for additional information on 2017 Tax Cuts as related to PCS.
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
13
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Other
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Moderate Risk (MR)
Trust determination process
Announcement number
CADE-21-11092625-JB
Control number
599809200

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

All U.S. Citizens - No previous Federal Service is required. CTAP and ICTAP candidates in the local commuting area.

Duties

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  • Serve as an adjunct to the State Director to Congressional, state, and local government agencies/officials in managing the external aspects of a diverse spectrum of critical public land issues of regional and national importance.
  • Manage a variety of comprehensive programs relative to public education and enlightenment, public participation and involvement, and cooperative relations throughout California and closely related states.
  • Serve the State Director and their management team as one of the key advisors on all significant program and policy areas.
  • Offer advice on Congressional and legislative matters which involve researching/presenting policy and advice from a political/public relations perspective on variety of issues, such as wilderness management, land use planning, renewable energy, etc.
  • Develop liaison with the California Congressional delegation, consisting of 53 members of the House of Representatives, 2 United States Senators, and field staff, with particular emphasis on districts with large amounts of Federal public lands.
  • Identify and track State legislative proposals which may affect BLM personnel, programs, policies, and efforts to manage the public lands in California and northwestern Nevada.
  • Provide valuable policy advice on all significant issues with external implications before the State Director, primarily relating to public acceptance, political implications, media reaction, and coordination with other key influences.
  • Prepares responses to complex and sometimes controversial Congressional inquiries and proposals.
  • Advises line managers, program leaders, and staff on potential public reaction to BLM policies, decisions and activities.

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 Lands.
  • Direct Deposit Required.
  • Appointment will be subject to a favorably adjudicated background/suitability investigation/determination.
  • Your resume must contain enough information to show that you meet the qualification requirements as defined in the announcement. In addition, your responses to the questions must adequately reflect in your resume.
  • May require a one year probationary period.

Qualifications

In order to be rated as qualified for this position, we must be able to determine that you meet the qualification requirements, please be sure to include this information in your resume. No assumptions will be made about your experience.

To qualify for the GS-12 you must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 level. Examples of specialized experience may include: Developing and managing internal and external strategic communications projects, including producing briefing papers, developing and implementing a variety of communications materials, and coordinating high level meetings. Represent an organization in official and public meetings. Advise staff on public affairs matters. Prepare correspondence for leadership and support an organization's digital and visual media platforms, including the website, social media and print products, such as brochures and fact sheets.

To qualify for the GS-13 you must have one year of specialized work experience equivalent to GS-12 level. Examples of specialized experience may include: Analyze emerging and controversial public land issues and, in consultation with management and other teams, developing and implementing communication policies, plans, and strategies for a wide variety of diverse and often conflicting resource management programs. Create, write, and distribute a wide variety of materials (high-level correspondence; news releases; reports; early alerts; talking points; briefing papers; speeches; signs and maps; web and social media content; etc.) to communicate information about bureau issues, programs, and activities to key publics. Coordinate and conduct proactive outreach with other Federal, state, tribal and local government agencies; the Governor's office; industry; Non-Governmental Organizations; and/or other stakeholder groups. Maintain regular, proactive communication and outreach to the Congressional staff, keeping them informed of current and future significant programs, issues, plans, policies, and activities affecting their districts. Experience must be in or related to public lands, natural resource management programs, and multiple use.

Education may not be substituted for specialized experience.

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

You must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of the announcement.

Additional information

DOI uses E-Verify to confirm employment eligibility of all newly hired employees. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, please visit E-Verify

Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP)/lnteragency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP): These programs apply to employees who have been involuntarily separated from a Federal service position within the competitive service or Federal service employees whose positions have been deemed surplus or no longer needed. To receive selection priority, you must: 1) meet CTAP or ICTAP eligibility criteria; 2) be rated well qualified for the position with a score of 90 or above; and 3) submit the appropriate documentation to support your CTAP or ICTAP eligibility. For more information: CTAP or ICTAP

Males born after 12/31/59 must be registered for Selective Service

Tax Law Impact for PCS: Moving expenses reimbursement is a taxable benefit. However, the Federal Travel Regulation 18-05 issued by General Services Administration has authorized agencies to use the Withholding Tax Allowance and Relocation Income Tax Allowance to pay for "substantially all" of the increased tax liability resulting from the "2018 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act" for certain eligible individuals.

The official worksite for the selectee is the duty station identified in this vacancy announcement. The selectee will typically report to this duty location on a regular and recurring weekly basis. The selectee may be allowed to telework with supervisor approval.

This announcement is being advertised concurrently under number CAMP-21-11092624-JB, for status candidates and special hiring authority eligible. You must apply to each announcement separately if you wish to be considered under both recruitment methods.

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

Reasonable Accommodation Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended and Americans with Disabilities Act 1990 as amended, that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a reasonable accommodation in your online application. Requests for Reasonable Accommodations for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for Reasonable Accommodation must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for Reasonable Accommodations are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a Reasonable Accommodation, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments here: https://help.usastaffing.gov/Apply/index.phptitle=Reasonable_Accommodations_for_USA_Hire

How you will be evaluated

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

You will be evaluated based on how your application materials reflect the qualification requirements of this position.

In order to be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and application questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job.

Once the application process is complete, we will review your application to ensure you meet the job requirements. To determine if you are qualified for this job, a review of your resume, supporting documentation and responses to the online questionnaire will be made. Your responses to the online questionnaire will be used to measure the degree to which your background matches the requirements for this position. Qualified applicants will be placed in one of three predefined categories: Best Qualified, Well Qualified and Qualified. However, your resume must support your responses to the scored occupational questionnaire, or your score may be lowered. Within these categories, applicants eligible for veteran's preference will receive selection priority over non-veterans. Candidates placed in the Best Qualified category will be identified for referral to the hiring manager and may be contacted for an interview.

Your answers to the online questionnaire will be used to evaluate your competencies in the following areas: Attention to Detail, Communications and Media, Customer Service, External Awareness, Flexibility, Influencing/Negotiating, Integrity/Honesty, Interpersonal Skills, Learning, Oral Communication, Reading, Reasoning, Self-Management, Stress Tolerance, and Teamwork

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