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Technical Writer-Editor

Department of Health and Human Services
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health
This job announcement has closed

Summary

This position is located in the Department of Health And Human Services, Office of the Assistant Secretary of Health, Commissioned Corps Headquarters (CCHQ) located in Rockville, Maryland.

*This announcement will remain open for 10 business days OR until the first 75 applications have been received, whichever occurs first*

Overview

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Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
07/28/2021 to 08/03/2021
This job will close when we have received 75 applications which may be sooner than the closing date. Learn more
Salary
$72,750 to - $94,581 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 11
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Rockville, MD
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel up to 5% for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
None
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Confidential
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Moderate Risk (MR)
Trust determination process
Announcement number
HHS-ACF-DE-21-11176515
Control number
608810900

Duties

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  • Writing and editing materials, such as reports, regulations, articles, newsletters, magazines, news releases, training materials, brochures, interpretive handbooks, pamphlets, guidebooks, scholarly works, reference works, speeches, etc.
  • Writing and editing content, including speeches, for leadership, policy exchange, and partnership-building.
  • Drafting articles for review for possible submission to technical journals, command information publications and other media covering significant accomplishments of OASH.
  • Conducting research and maintaining reliable information sources.
  • Obtaining information on a variety of medical or scientific program, policy and research issues and educational materials.
  • Ensuring final written products and other information fully and accurately reflect OASH and HHS positions, goals, and interests and do not conflict with the policies and objectives of related programs.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • U.S. Citizenship required
  • Registered or exempt from Selective Service (www.sss.gov)
  • If not previously completed, a background security investigation will be required for all appointees. Appointment will be subject to the applicant's successful completion of a background security investigation and favorable adjudication.
  • One year probationary period may be required
  • If you are selected for this position, the documentation that you present for purposes of completing the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Form I-9 will be verified through the DHS "E-Verify" System.
  • All Federal employees are required to have Federal salary payments made by direct deposit to a financial institution of their choice.
  • Financial disclosure statement may be required.
  • Bargaining Unit Position: Yes
  • Drug Screening Required: No
  • Research position: No

Qualifications

Applicants must demonstrate that they meet the Basic Requirement AND Minimum Qualification requirements as noted below.

Basic Requirement: You must meet one of the items listed below (A or B)

A. Must have included a total of 15 semester hours in an appropriate scientific, technical, or social science field(s), and at least one course above the introductory level in the field(s) covered by the position. (Must provide your official or unofficial transcripts.)
OR
B. Experience that required substantial subject-matter or technical knowledge of the field. This experience must have demonstrated the ability to acquire and present technical information through independent reading, interviews with subject-matter specialists, observation of tests and experiments, interpretation of blueprints or diagrams, or other appropriate methods. Such experience may have been acquired as a writer or editor of technical reports, articles, manuals, or specifications.

Minimum Qualifications:
GS-11: You must possess at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-09 level in the Federal service that includes the following:

  • Writing and/or editing a variety of studies, reports and related technical documentation that explain and interpret technical research findings and/or scientific data
  • Disseminate technical information and/or describe technical procedures
  • Preparing and editing materials in support of federal agency program initiatives
  • Assisting with speech and presentation preparation
OR Have successfully completed a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree (e.g.,LL.M) or three (3) full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. or equivalent degree at an accredited college or university in a field that provided the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work for this position. NOTE: You must submit a copy of your college transcripts (official or unofficial) to support your claim.

NOTE(s):
  • Education: You must submit a copy of your college transcripts (official or unofficial) to document education.
  • Experience: Your resume must support your claim of experience or you may be found ineligible.
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; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to gain employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. If such experience is on a part-time basis, you must provide the average number of hours worked per week as well as the beginning and ending dates of the experience so it can be fully credited.

All qualification requirements must be met by the closing date of the announcement.

Education

If you are claiming education as any part of your qualifications for this position, you must submit an official transcript, unofficial transcript, or a list including courses, grades earned, completion dates, and quarter and semester hours earned.

This position requires specific coursework and/or a degree to meet the basic education requirement. You must submit an official transcript, unofficial transcript, or a list including courses, grades earned, completion dates, and quarter and semester hours earned. Your transcript(s) must clearly demonstrate the course(s) listed in the qualification requirement section. If the transcript(s) does not clearly demonstrate this you must submit a copy of the course description and/or other documentation demonstrating that the courses are equivalent.

Special Instructions for Foreign Education: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show that the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. Failure to provide such documentation with your application will result in lost consideration. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

Additional information

INCENTIVES
Incentives may be authorized; however, this is contingent upon multiple factors, including funds availability. If authorized, certain incentives may require you to sign a service agreement to remain in the Federal government for a period of up to 3 years. Note: This statement does not imply nor guarantee an incentive will be offered and paid. Incentives may include the following: moving expenses, recruitment or relocation incentive; student loan repayment, superior qualifications appointment, creditable service for annual leave for prior non-federal work experience or prior uniformed military service, etc.

In accordance with Executive Order 12564 of September 14, 1986, The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is A Drug-Free Federal Workplace. The use of illegal drugs, on or off duty, by Federal employees is inconsistent not only with the law-abiding behavior expected of all citizens, but also with the special trust placed in such employees as servants of the public.

Veterans' Preference - https://www.fedshirevets.gov/job/vetpref/index.aspx

Reasonable Accommodation: This agency provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please see Agency Contact Information for whom to contact for more info. The decision on granting reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis. You must contact the HR contact on the vacancy announcement at least three business days before the closing date of this announcement to receive assistance. For more information on disability employment, please visit https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/disability-employment/

Selective Service: Males born after December 31, 1959 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service - http://www.sss.gov

Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP): For information on how to apply as an ICTAP eligible see http://opm.gov/rif/employee_guides/career_transition.asp#ictap. To be well-qualified and exercise selection priority for this vacancy, displaced Federal employees must be rated at 85.0 or above on the rating criteria for this position.

Political appointment: Beginning January 1, 2010, agencies must seek prior approval from OPM before they can appoint a current or recent political appointee to a competitive or non-political excepted service position at any level under the provisions of title 5, United States Code. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, or Non-career SES employee in the executive branch, you MUST disclose that to the Human Resources Office.

If you are unable to apply online, please go to https://help.usastaffing.gov/Apply/index.php?title=Alternate_Application_Information for more information on our alternate application method.

How you will be evaluated

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

Additional selections may be made for similar positions across the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) within the local commuting area(s) of the location identified in this announcement. By applying, you agree to have your application shared with interested selecting official(s) at HHS. Clearance of CTAP/ICTAP will be applied for similar positions across HHS.

Once the application process is complete, a review of the resume and supporting documentation will be made and compared against your responses to the assessment questionnaire to determine if you are qualified for this job. If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and/or experience, you may lose consideration for this position. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your eligibility. Category rating procedures will be used to rate and rank candidates. The category assignment is a measure of the degree in which your background matches the competencies required for this position. Qualified candidates will be ranked into one of three categories:

  • Best Qualified - Applicants who have experience that is almost identical to those required by the position.
  • Well Qualified - Applicants who have experience that is very similar to those required by the position.
  • Qualified - Applicants who meet minimum qualification requirements, but do not identify any additional qualifying experience or skill.
Candidates in the highest category will be referred to the hiring agency.

The Category Rating Process does not add veterans' preference points but protects the rights of veterans by placing them ahead of non-preference eligibles within each category. Preference eligibles who meet the minimum qualification requirements and who have a compensable service-connected disability of at least 10 percent must be listed in the highest quality category (except in the case of scientific or professional positions at the GS-9 level or higher).

Your qualifications will be evaluated on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities and other characteristics):
  • Communication
  • Knowledge Management
  • Strategic Thinking
  • Technical Documentation

To preview the assessment questionnaire, click the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/11176515

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