Reclamation is seeking a career professional looking for an opportunity to capitalize on their expertise as a Public Affairs Specialist. You can make a difference in the West by assisting in meeting increasing water demands while protecting the environment.
Reclamation is seeking a career professional looking for an opportunity to capitalize on their expertise as a Public Affairs Specialist. You can make a difference in the West by assisting in meeting increasing water demands while protecting the environment.
-Assists with drafting speeches, agendas, handouts, and briefing papers.
-Drafts, edits, and maintains the employee newsletter and office report.
-Assists with monitoring social media content, including Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and internet and intranet web pages.
- Assists with planning and executing the preparation of portions of program materials, such as press releases, newsletters, email notifications, and information bulletins for projects.
- Establishes and maintains basic working relationships with stakeholders and customers.
You must be a U.S. Citizen or U.S. National.
You must be suitable for federal employment, determined by a background investigation.
You must submit a resume and supporting documentation (see Required Documents).
You must meet any minimum education and/or experience requirements (see Qualifications).
You must submit transcript(s) to verify education requirements (see Qualifications/Education).
You must maintain a valid State Driver's License at all times as the position requires operation of government vehicles on government and public roads. Failure to maintain a valid State Driver's License at all times will result in removal from the position.
Who May Apply:
Bureau of Reclamation Employees (Competitive)
Bureau of Reclamation Employees (Non-Competitive)
Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP)
Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act (LMWFA)
Qualifications
In order to be rated as qualified for this position, the HR Office must be able to determine that you meet the specialized experience or education requirement - this information must be clearly supported in the resume or via supporting documentation.
GS-07: Specialized Experience: One full year of specialized experience equivalent in responsibility and scope to the GS-05 level. Specialized experience must include experience assisting with drafting communication documents; collecting social media content; assisting with public and technical meetings; and interfacing with the public on Reclamation projects and programs. OR Education: One full year of graduate level education in a directly related field. OR Superior Academic Achievement (SAA): The superior academic achievement provision is to be used to determine eligibility for applicable GS-07 level positions of persons who have completed (or expect to complete within 9 months) all the requirements for bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university with a qualifying grade point average (GPA), class standing, or honors society. For more information, visit OPM. OR
Combination of graduate level education and specialized experience as described above.
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.
Time-In-Grade: Current career or career-conditional employees of the Federal government, or former career or career-conditional employees, who have a break in service of less than one year, are required to meet the time-in-grade restriction of one year of Federal experience at the next lower-grade, with few exceptions outlined in 5 CFR 300.603(b). Applicants eligible under the Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act (LMWFA) are not required to meet time-in-grade restrictions in order to be considered.
You must meet all Eligibility and Qualification requirements, including time-in-grade restrictions and any selective placement factors if applicable, by 11/13/2023.
Education
This vacancy announcement allows substituting education for experience at the GS-07 grade level. You must submit a copy of college transcript(s) (unofficial copy is acceptable) to support claimed education if substituting education for experience. Transcripts must include the name of the college or university and date the degree was conferred. A typed list of courses, grades, semester/quarter hours, GPA, etc. will not be accepted. Non-submission may result in being rated not-qualified for the position.
You will be required to provide official college transcripts to verify educational qualifications, if selected. An official transcript must be sent directly from the University's Registrar's office and must be provided from the institution awarding the degree. Academic transcripts certified by notary publics are NOT official. Official transcripts must be submitted prior to reporting to work as a condition of employment. Failure to submit official transcripts may be grounds for dismissal or rescission of the job offer.
Accreditation: Only education from an accredited college or university recognized by the Department of Education is acceptable to meet education requirements or to substitute for experience, if applicable. For additional info, refer to the Office of Personnel Management and U.S. Department of Education.
Foreign Education: To receive credit for education completed outside the United States, you must show proof that the education has been submitted to a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign educational credentials and such education has been deemed at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U.S. education programs. For additional info, refer to the U.S. Network for Education Information.
Additional information
You may be required to serve an initial probationary period.
Reclamation has determined that the duties of this position are suitable for telework and you may be allowed to telework with supervisory approval.
DOI uses E-Verify to confirm the employment eligibility of all newly hired employees. To learn more about E-Verify, including applicant rights and responsibilities, please visit https://www.e-verify.gov/
This position is designated as a MODERATE RISK Public Trust position. It requires a fully completed and favorably adjudicated Public Trust Suitability Background Investigation (T2S or T2RS or equivalent) that is current (within the last 5 years). This is a condition of employment.
Male applicants born after December 31, 1959 must certify registration with the Selective Service System or that the applicant is exempt from having to do so under the Selective Service Law. Go to: https://www.sss.gov
This is a non-bargaining unit position.
Additional vacancies may be filled using this job announcement.
Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA 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 RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments here.
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. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal 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.
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 well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), the responses you provide on the application questionnaire, and the result of the online assessments required for this position. You will be assessed on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics):
Attention to Detail
Communications and Media
Flexibility
Information Management
Integrity/Honesty
Interpersonal Skills
Interpersonal Skills
Learning
Reading Comprehension
Reasoning
Self-Management
Stress Tolerance
Teamwork
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. Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on the online assessment may also result in your removal from consideration.
Applicants who apply under this job opportunity announcement agree to have their application, associated documents and applicable personal information shared with other Bureaus/Offices within the Department of the Interior (DOI) who have vacancies with the same occupational series, grade, full performance level and in the same geographic location(s). Applying to this announcement does not replace the need to apply to other job opportunity announcements for which you wish to receive consideration. You may choose to opt in of having your information shared with other agencies when applying for this position. If an agency requests a copy of a certificate you are on, you will be notified.
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. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal 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.
Please submit the supporting documents outlined below applicable to your claimed eligibility status and the position and grade to which you are applying. Failing to submit required documents will result in non-consideration due to an incomplete application package.
RESUME: You must submit a resume that demonstrates how skills and experiences through job duties meet the qualifications and requirements listed in the job announcement to be considered for the job. Each job experience must include dates of employment including start and end dates (month and year), work schedule (full-time or part-time), and hours worked per week. For more information, click here.
TRANSCRIPTS: Required for candidates using education as a basis for qualifications.
PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL: You must submit 1) a copy of your most recent performance appraisal/evaluation, and 2) a list of any awards (e.g. superior performance awards, special act/achievement awards, quality step increase, etc.) you received in the last 5 years. Any performance appraisal/evaluation and award documentation you provide will be forwarded to the selecting official. The selecting official will review this documentation and give it due weight consideration during the overall selection process. If you do not have your most recent performance appraisal/evaluation, please submit a statement as to why it is not available. Please indicate if any prior performance appraisals/evaluations were at an acceptable level.
FEDERAL EMPLOYEES: Competitive Service current and/or former federal employees eligible for Promotion, Reassignment, Transfer, Reinstatement, etc. You must submit a copy of their SF-50, verifying highest rate of pay and documenting career or career-conditional status in the competitive service (Tenure 1 or 2) for which the applicant is claiming eligibility. Do not submit award SF-50s. If you are applying for a higher grade and your SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you meet the one year time-in-grade requirement so you will need to provide an SF-50 which clearly demonstrates you meet the time-in-grade requirements (examples of appropriate SF-50s include Promotions, Within-grade Grade/Range Increases, and SF-50s with an effective date more than one year old). For more information, click here.
CAREER TRANSITION PROGRAMS: Permanent Federal employees who are surplus, displaced, or involuntarily separated. You must submit a copy of your most recent performance appraisal, proof of eligibility, and most current SF-50 noting position, grade level, and duty location with their application. To be considered under CTAP, you must be well-qualified (i.e., meet the minimum qualification requirements, including selective factors, education and experience requirements) and score at least 85.0 on the assessment questionnaire as established, and be able to perform the duties of the position upon entry. For more information, click here.
LAND MANAGEMENT WORKFORCE FLEXIBILITY ACT: Current or former land management agency appointees. You must submit (1) a copy of your SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action, that reflects having initially been hired under competitive examining procedures to a time limited (temporary/term) appointment; (2) a copy of SF-50(s), Notification of Personnel Action(s), that reflect having served under one (1) or more time-limited (temporary/term) appointments by a land management agency for a period totaling more than 24 months without a break in service of two (2) or more years; and (3) a copy of your Performance Appraisal Plan and/or Supervisor Memorandum that reflects having performed at an acceptable level during each period of service. For more information, click here.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
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.
Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply and to be considered for this position, you must complete all required questionnaires, assessments, and required documentation as specified in the How to Apply and Required Documents section. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration. The application process is as follows:
Click the Apply Online button.
Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation.
Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59 PM (ET) on the announcement closing date.
If you are required to complete any USA Hire Assessments, you will be notified after submitting your application. The notification will be provided in your application submission screen and via email. The notification will include your unique assessment access link to the USA Hire system and the completion deadline. Additionally, in USAJOBS you can click "Track this application" to return to your assessment completion notice.
Access USA Hire using your unique assessment link. Access is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials.
Review all instructions prior to beginning your assessments. You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation before beginning the assessments should you have a disability covered under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended.
Set aside at least 3 hours to take the USA Hire Assessments; however, most applicants complete the assessments in less time. If you need to stop the assessments and continue later, you can re-use your unique assessment link.
Your responses to the USA Hire Assessments will be reused for one year (in most cases) from the date you complete an assessment. If future applications you submit require completion of the same assessments, your responses will be automatically reused.
To update your application, including supporting documentation: During the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account, find your application record, and click Edit my application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has close
To view the announcement status or your application status: Click on this: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/howto/application/status/. Your application status page is where you can view your application status, USA Hire assessment completion status, and review your notifications sent by the hiring agency regarding your application.
Dakotas Area Office
Bureau of Reclamation
304 East Broadway Avenue
Bismarck, ND 58501
US
Next steps
Upon successful submission of the application packet, applicants will receive a confirmation email from USAJOBS. If this email confirmation is not received by the applicant, the application has not yet been accepted by the system.
After all application packages have been received, resumes and supporting document(s) will be reviewed to ensure applicants meet the basic qualification requirements. Each applicant who meets the basic qualifications will be further evaluated on the information provided in the resume, application questionnaire, and other assessment criteria identified in the "How You Will Be Evaluated" section above. Best-qualified applicants will be referred to the selecting official. After making a tentative job offer, a suitability and/or security background investigation will be conducted. A final job offer is typically made within 40 days after the deadline for applications. Applicants should monitor their status for positions with the Bureau of Reclamation by regularly checking their public status notifications in the USAJOBS profile.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
Please submit the supporting documents outlined below applicable to your claimed eligibility status and the position and grade to which you are applying. Failing to submit required documents will result in non-consideration due to an incomplete application package.
RESUME: You must submit a resume that demonstrates how skills and experiences through job duties meet the qualifications and requirements listed in the job announcement to be considered for the job. Each job experience must include dates of employment including start and end dates (month and year), work schedule (full-time or part-time), and hours worked per week. For more information, click here.
TRANSCRIPTS: Required for candidates using education as a basis for qualifications.
PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL: You must submit 1) a copy of your most recent performance appraisal/evaluation, and 2) a list of any awards (e.g. superior performance awards, special act/achievement awards, quality step increase, etc.) you received in the last 5 years. Any performance appraisal/evaluation and award documentation you provide will be forwarded to the selecting official. The selecting official will review this documentation and give it due weight consideration during the overall selection process. If you do not have your most recent performance appraisal/evaluation, please submit a statement as to why it is not available. Please indicate if any prior performance appraisals/evaluations were at an acceptable level.
FEDERAL EMPLOYEES: Competitive Service current and/or former federal employees eligible for Promotion, Reassignment, Transfer, Reinstatement, etc. You must submit a copy of their SF-50, verifying highest rate of pay and documenting career or career-conditional status in the competitive service (Tenure 1 or 2) for which the applicant is claiming eligibility. Do not submit award SF-50s. If you are applying for a higher grade and your SF-50 has an effective date within the past year, it may not clearly demonstrate you meet the one year time-in-grade requirement so you will need to provide an SF-50 which clearly demonstrates you meet the time-in-grade requirements (examples of appropriate SF-50s include Promotions, Within-grade Grade/Range Increases, and SF-50s with an effective date more than one year old). For more information, click here.
CAREER TRANSITION PROGRAMS: Permanent Federal employees who are surplus, displaced, or involuntarily separated. You must submit a copy of your most recent performance appraisal, proof of eligibility, and most current SF-50 noting position, grade level, and duty location with their application. To be considered under CTAP, you must be well-qualified (i.e., meet the minimum qualification requirements, including selective factors, education and experience requirements) and score at least 85.0 on the assessment questionnaire as established, and be able to perform the duties of the position upon entry. For more information, click here.
LAND MANAGEMENT WORKFORCE FLEXIBILITY ACT: Current or former land management agency appointees. You must submit (1) a copy of your SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action, that reflects having initially been hired under competitive examining procedures to a time limited (temporary/term) appointment; (2) a copy of SF-50(s), Notification of Personnel Action(s), that reflect having served under one (1) or more time-limited (temporary/term) appointments by a land management agency for a period totaling more than 24 months without a break in service of two (2) or more years; and (3) a copy of your Performance Appraisal Plan and/or Supervisor Memorandum that reflects having performed at an acceptable level during each period of service. For more information, click here.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
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.
Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply and to be considered for this position, you must complete all required questionnaires, assessments, and required documentation as specified in the How to Apply and Required Documents section. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration. The application process is as follows:
Click the Apply Online button.
Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation.
Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59 PM (ET) on the announcement closing date.
If you are required to complete any USA Hire Assessments, you will be notified after submitting your application. The notification will be provided in your application submission screen and via email. The notification will include your unique assessment access link to the USA Hire system and the completion deadline. Additionally, in USAJOBS you can click "Track this application" to return to your assessment completion notice.
Access USA Hire using your unique assessment link. Access is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials.
Review all instructions prior to beginning your assessments. You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation before beginning the assessments should you have a disability covered under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended.
Set aside at least 3 hours to take the USA Hire Assessments; however, most applicants complete the assessments in less time. If you need to stop the assessments and continue later, you can re-use your unique assessment link.
Your responses to the USA Hire Assessments will be reused for one year (in most cases) from the date you complete an assessment. If future applications you submit require completion of the same assessments, your responses will be automatically reused.
To update your application, including supporting documentation: During the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account, find your application record, and click Edit my application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has close
To view the announcement status or your application status: Click on this: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/howto/application/status/. Your application status page is where you can view your application status, USA Hire assessment completion status, and review your notifications sent by the hiring agency regarding your application.
Dakotas Area Office
Bureau of Reclamation
304 East Broadway Avenue
Bismarck, ND 58501
US
Next steps
Upon successful submission of the application packet, applicants will receive a confirmation email from USAJOBS. If this email confirmation is not received by the applicant, the application has not yet been accepted by the system.
After all application packages have been received, resumes and supporting document(s) will be reviewed to ensure applicants meet the basic qualification requirements. Each applicant who meets the basic qualifications will be further evaluated on the information provided in the resume, application questionnaire, and other assessment criteria identified in the "How You Will Be Evaluated" section above. Best-qualified applicants will be referred to the selecting official. After making a tentative job offer, a suitability and/or security background investigation will be conducted. A final job offer is typically made within 40 days after the deadline for applications. Applicants should monitor their status for positions with the Bureau of Reclamation by regularly checking their public status notifications in the USAJOBS profile.
Fair and transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
