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Public Affairs Specialist

Department of the Interior
National Park Service
This job announcement has closed

Summary

This full-time permanent position is located in Gateway Arch National Park. For information on the duties or location of this position contact Jeremy_Sweat@nps.gov or 314-655-1610.
This announcement has been extended to 11/28/2023.
This announcement is concurrently open to current permanent competitive Department of the Interior (DOI) employees or those eligible under the Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act (LMWFA), and CTAP eligibles under announcement number MW-1544-JEFF-24-12192430-IN.

Overview

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Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
11/09/2023 to 11/28/2023
Salary
$84,679 to - $110,083 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 12
Location
Saint Louis, MO
1 vacancy
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position up to 3 nights per month
Relocation expenses reimbursed
Yes—You may qualify for reimbursement of relocation expenses in accordance with agency policy.
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
None
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process
Announcement number
MW-1544-JEFF-24-12192429-DE
Control number
759759900

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Duties

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Serves as Public Affairs Specialist and Partnership Coordinator to the Superintendent and Deputy Superintendent of Gateway Arch National Park (JEFF). Serves as the Park's liaison and primary spokesperson with community leaders, the news media, Federal, state, and local officials, partners, and special interest groups essential to maintain or establish productive external relationships. Explains NPS policies and stewardship responsibilities and highlights the opportunities park and community programs make available to people in greater St. Louis Metro, MO. When requested by the Superintendent, incumbent coordinates many operational matters and complex special projects that cross Divisional lines. In the absence of the superintendent and deputy, assumes additional responsibilities and authority while representing the Superintendent's office to outside interests. Serves as a liaison between the park and its partners including non-profit and public agency partners, and elected officials, to inform and cultivate collaborative programming and projects, and to initiate and manage agreements and financial assistance mechanisms to achieve shared program objectives.

Physical Demands: Work is mainly sedentary in an office setting but involves some hiking to inspect facilities or escort visitors and media to areas of interest, which may expose the employee to hot, humid, or inclement weather and require movement over rough or uneven terrain. Incumbent is sometimes required to do extensive travel by vehicle or air. Must be able to travel on short notice to represent the National Park Service and the Superintendent.

Work Environment: The work environment involves everyday risks typical of office settings and vehicles such as planes, trains, buses, or automobiles and requires normal safety precautions. The regular work area is adequately lighted, heated/cooled, and ventilated. The incumbent will be required to work outside in all weather conditions to address emerging issues, support news gathering activities, and to support special events. In addition, the incumbent may be called to work unscheduled hours at all times of the day or night and may be expected to support events that occur on holidays and weekends.

Area Information
There is no government housing available.
The Gateway Arch National Park is located in downtown St. Louis, Missouri, on the banks of the Mississippi River. The park memorializes the city's role in westward expansion through the 630 foot Gateway Arch and underground Museum at the Gateway Arch. The Old Courthouse commemorates the site where the slave Dred Scott began his freedom suit, ultimately leading to the divisive U. S. Supreme Court decision that polarized the nation and became a leading cause of the Civil War. "Whether you're single or have a family, a sports fan or connoisseur of the arts, a fitness fanatic or a film aficionado, St. Louis has something for you." -St. Louis Regional Chamber and Growth Association. A sports lover's paradise, fans are kept on the edge of their seats all year by a host of professional teams. With remarkable low cost of living for all the comforts and attractions it affords, St. Louis has a small-town feel, yet offers all the amenities you'd expect in a major metropolitan area, including top-notch health care and education resources. The City of St. Louis is relatively small, but the surrounding metropolitan area with nearly two million residents in both Missouri and Illinois offers many suburban and rural counties for easy commutes. Cultural institutions abound; in Forest Park alone, you'll find the Zoo, Art Museum, History Museum, Science Center, the Municipal Opera and more. There are over 100 parks and some 200 miles of cycling, running and walking trails. Visit the website: http://www.stlrcga.org for more information.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • U.S. Citizenship required.
  • Appointment subject to background investigation and favorable adjudication.
  • Meet Selective Service Registration Act requirement for males.
  • Complete the initial online assessment and USAHire Assessment, if required.
  • Selectee will be required to participate in the Direct Deposit Electronics Funds Transfer Program.
  • You will be required to operate a government (or private) motor vehicle as part of your official duties; a valid driver's license is required. You will be required to submit a Motor Vehicle Operator's License and Driving Record. You must also submit (within a State sealed envelope or submitted directly by the State authorities), and at your own expense, all certified driving records from all States that disclose all valid driver's licenses, whether current or past, possessed by you.
  • You will be required to wear a uniform and comply with the National Park Service uniform standards. A uniform allowance will be provided.
  • You may be required to work evenings, weekends, holidays, and overtime.
  • If you are a new employee or supervisor in the Federal government, you will be required to complete a one-year probationary period.
  • You may be required to travel overnight away from home up to 3 nights per month. You must obtain a government charge card for travel purposes.
  • You may be required to complete training and obtain/maintain a government charge card with travel and/or purchase authority.
  • Applicants must be at least (1)18 years old or (2) at least 16 years old and: (a) Have graduated from high school or been awarded a certificate equivalent to graduating from high school; or (b) Have completed a formal vocational training program; or (c) Have received a statement from school authorities agreeing with their preference for employment rather than continuing their education; or (d) Be currently enrolled in a secondary school and either work only during school vacation periods or work part-time during the school year under a formal student employment program.

Qualifications

All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement-11/28/2023-unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement.

Credit will be given for all appropriate qualifying experience. To receive credit for experience, your resume MUST clearly indicate the nature of the duties and responsibilities for each position, starting and ending dates of employment (month/year), and the resume must reflect full and/or part-time or total number of hours worked (i.e., work 40+ hours a week, rather than indicating full-time). If part-time, the hours must be annotated to be able to pro-rate the amount of qualified specialized experience.

To qualify for this position at the GS-12 grade level, you must possess the following minimum qualification by close of the announcement:

EXPERIENCE: At least one full year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-11 grade level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). This experience must include all the following activities: (1) Creates communication products to meet agency communication goals; (2) Ensures all content meets policy compliance and 508 accessibility standards; (3) Develops messages, information, and materials for an agency's internal and public website and social media platforms; (4) Distills technical or scientific content for non-technical audiences; and (5) Organizes and coordinates information for senior staff and subject matter experts. You must include hours per week worked on your resume.

Volunteer 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.

Education

There is no substitution of education for experience at the grade level(s) of this announcement.

Additional information

A selectee receiving a first appointment to the Federal Government (Civil Service) is entitled only to the lowest step of the grade for which selected. The display of a salary range on this vacancy shall not be construed as granting an entitlement to a higher rate of pay.

A Recruitment Incentive May Be Authorizedfor a newly selected employee when appointed to a permanent, temporary, or term position. A Federal employee who is transferring to the National Park Service from another component, bureau or Federal agency and who does not meet the conditions under 5 CFR 575.102 is not eligible for a recruitment incentive.

A Relocation Incentive May Be Authorizedfor a Federal employee when the employee must move, as directed by the National Park Service (NPS) either through a management directed reassignment or selection for employment, to a different location at least 50 miles away from the one where his/her position of record held at time of selection is currently located, due to a need of the NPS. A relocation incentive is not the same as a Permanent Change of Station (PCS) move and, as such, may be granted in conjunction with one another.

This announcement may be used to fill additional positions if identical vacancies occur within 90 days of the issue date of the referral certificate.

The National Park Service has determined that the duties of this position are suitable for telework and the selectee may be allowed to telework with supervisor approval.

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, based on your adjudication decision. 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: https://help.usastaffing.gov/Apply/index.php?title=Reasonable_Accommodations_for_USA_Hire

Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) OR Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP):CTAP/ICTAP provides placement assistance to permanent Federal employees who are surplus, displaced, or involuntarily separated. Applicants claiming CTAP/ICTAP eligibility must submit a copy of their most recent performance appraisal, proof of eligibility, and most current SF50 noting position, grade level, duty location with their application. To be considered under CTAP/ICTAP, applicants must be qualified (i.e., meet the minimum qualification requirements, including any selective placement factors; education, and experience requirements), and be able to perform the duties of the position upon entry. For Information on CTAP and ICTAP visit: Career Transition (opm.gov)

How you will be evaluated

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

A review of your resume and supporting documentation will be made and compared against your responses to the Occupational Questionnaire to determine if you are qualified for this job. If your resume is incomplete or does not support the responses provided in the Occupational Questionnaire, or if you fail to submit all required documentation, you will be rated 'ineligible', 'not qualified', or your score may be adjusted accordingly. If a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications or experience, you may lose consideration for this position. Please follow all instructions carefully; errors or omissions may affect your rating.

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), your responses on the application questionnaire, and your responses to all 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
  • Customer Service
  • Flexibility
  • Influencing/Negotiating
  • Integrity/Honesty
  • Interpersonal Skills
  • Interpersonal Skills
  • Learning
  • Oral Communication
  • Partnering
  • Planning and Evaluating
  • Reading Comprehension
  • Reasoning
  • Self-Management
  • Stress Tolerance
  • Teamwork
  • Writing


To Preview the application questionnaire, click the following link:https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12192429

The USA Hire assessment includes a cut score based on the minimum level of required proficiency in these critical general competencies. You must meet or exceed the cut score to be considered. You will not be considered for the position if you score below the cut score or fail to complete the assessment.

Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on an assessment may also result in your removal from consideration.

Candidates will be rated and ranked using Category Rating procedures. These procedures place candidates with veteran's preference above non-preference eligibles within each category. Veterans with a service-connected disability of at least 10 percent are listed in the highest quality category, except when the position being filled is scientific or professional at the GS-09 grade level or higher. Under Category Rating, candidates will be rated and ranked into one of three categories:
  • Best Qualified - applicants possessing experience that substantially exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors and are highly proficient in all requirements of the job and can perform effectively in the position.
  • Well Qualified - applicants possessing experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors and are proficient in most of the requirements of the job.
  • Qualified - applicants possessing experience that meets the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors and are proficient in some, but not all of the requirements of the job.

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