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Summary

This position is located in the Office of Communications, National Park Service (NPS) headquarters in Washington, DC. The Office of Communications serves as the national voice for more than 400 special places and important programs that protect, preserve and share America's historic, cultural and natural beauty. The role of the supervisory public affairs specialist is to produce and supervise the production of a wide range of communications products that engage the public through traditional and new media and other channels on nationally significant priorities in order to promote enjoyment of parks, expand awareness of NPS programs, and explain NPS management decisions, which may be controversial or contentious. The Office of Communications also provides advice, counsel, and useful communication tools for NPS leadership, park and program managers and staff to use in pursuit of similar communications goals on local and issue-specific matters.

Please visit find a park for additional park information.

Career/Career-Conditional Full-Time appointment.

Travel, transportation, and relocation expenses will not be paid. All travel, transportation, and relocation expenses associated with reporting for duty in this position will be the sole responsibility of the selected employee.

This career opportunity was advertised under Merit Procedures, vacancy announcement 10049410. If you wish to be considered under both announcements, you must make separate applications to each. Please note that eligibility and instructions may differ for these two announcements.

Summary

Overview

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Hiring complete

Open & closing dates

10/19/2017 to 11/09/2017

Salary: $112,021 to - $145,629 per year

Pay scale & grade: GS 14

Location

1 vacancy in the following location:

Washington DC, DC

Travel Required: Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.

Relocation expenses reimbursed: No

Appointment type: Permanent

Work schedule: Full-Time

Service

Promotion potential

Job family (Series)

1035 Public Affairs

Supervisory status: Yes

Announcement number: WO-1614-COMM-18-10065859-DE

Control number: 482171100

This job is open to

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Duties

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The position serves as the Chief of Public Affairs and Chief Spokesperson of the National Park Service, in the Washington headquarters Office, reporting to the Assistant Director, Communications.

Duties include:

Supporting the Assistant Director for Communications by creating, planning and executing multi-platform communications plans to explain nationally important issues, initiatives and priorities for the National Park Service;
Supervising a team of public affairs specialists and providing guidance to public affairs officers across the NPS;
Serving as the primary agency spokesperson on high priority national-level and controversial issues;
Developing complex, comprehensive communication plans and campaigns that highlight and explain NPS programs and policies;
Advising the Assistant Director for Communications, and senior bureau, regional and DOI officials, on anticipated public response to service plans and actions, offering specific recommendations for public information strategies and activities;
Advising senior staff on attitudes of the media and special interest groups reflected through print and broadcast news and interaction with the public and assisting with developing information for the news media and special interest groups in complex, controversial and emergency situations;
Practicing continuous triage to re-prioritize actions and reactions to address changing circumstances and deploying resources to successfully handle multiple critical tasks simultaneously;
Supervising the Washington Office of Communications public affairs staff, creating work plans, monitoring assignments, developing performance standards, and completing staff evaluations;
Providing leadership and guidance to a dispersed public affairs workforce in park, program and regional offices;
Overseeing the development of training to keep public affairs specialists well-versed in communications issues, policies and techniques.

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.
Performance Evaluation

Selectee will be required to participate in the Direct Deposit Electronics Funds Transfer Program.
You will be required to complete a Confidential Financial Disclosure Report, OGE-450 on an annual basis.
Any individual who is currently holding, or has held within the previous 52 weeks, a General Schedule position under non-temporary appointment in the competitive or excepted service, must meet time-in-grade requirements (must have served 52 weeks at the next lower grade or equivalent in the Federal service).

Qualifications

Applicants must have at least one-year of specialized experience in the Federal service equivalent to at least the GS-13 grade level which is in or directly related to the line of work of the position to be filled. Your experience must demonstrate your ability to perform the work of a Supervisory Public Affairs Specialist. Specialized experience is experience that equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities needed to successfully perform the duties of this position. For this position, you must have specialized experience serving as an organization's spokesperson on national issues, implementing the tactics of multi-channel communications strategies, supervising staff, building relationships with local regional or national media, and advising superiors on communications matters.

You must include months, years and hours per week worked to receive credit for your work and/or volunteer experience. One year of specialized experience is equivalent to 12 months at 40 hours per week. Part-time hours are prorated. You will not receive any credit for experience that does not indicate exact hours per week or is listed as "varies".

Education

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

Additional information

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.

If you are unable to apply online or need to fax a document that you do not have in electronic form, view the following link for information regarding an Alternate Application. Click the following link for more information, https://help.usastaffing.gov/Apply/index.php?title=Alternate_Application_Information.

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.

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.

You will be evaluated on the following competencies:

Communications and Media
Flexibility
Leadership
Strategic Thinking

Required Documents

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The following documents are required and must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 11/09/2017:

Resume which includes a list of all significant jobs held and duties performed, with dates specified in month and year format, and, indicate hours worked per week. If military or civilian, please include your rank and/or grade.
A complete Occupational Questionnaire
Other Supporting Documents, if applicable, such as:
- Veterans Preference Documentation:
  - If you are a Discharged, Non-Disabled Veteran, you must submit a copy of your DD-214 showing character of discharge (Member 4 copy), or other Documentation of Service and Separation under Honorable Conditions, as listed on the SF15. If you don't have your DD-214, you may request it after discharge from the National Archives.
  - If you are a veteran within 120 days of discharge, you must submit signed documentation from the Armed Forces certifying: 1) your expected release/retirement from active duty, 2) under honorable conditions, 3) your pay grade/rank/rate at time of discharge, 4) dates of active duty service, 5) any campaign or expeditionary medals received, & 6) dated within 120 days of your separation.
  - If you are a Disabled Veteran, Purple Heart Recipient, or Mother or Spouse of a Disabled or Deceased Veteran, you must submit all additional proof required by the SF15, and if applicable, a completed SF15. You may request a copy of your Department of Veterans Affairs letter from www.ebenefits.va.gov or call 1-800-827-1000 to establish proof of disability.
College transcripts, if qualifying based on education.
Documentation for Interagency/Career Transition Assistance Plan consideration if you are a displaced Federal employee within the local commuting area. You must include: 1) Proof you are a displaced Federal employee, e.g., RIF Separation Notice, Notice of Proposed Removal, etc; 2) SF-50s (Notifications of Personnel Action) showing career/conditional tenure competitive status, promotion potential and duty location; and 3) your most recent performance appraisal. To exercise selection priority, displaced or surplus Federal employees must be rated well-qualified or above 85 on the rating criteria for this position.

Do not submit photographs with your application package. Documents with photographs may not be seen by hiring officials - you must remove your image from any badges, licenses, etc.

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

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.

Help

To apply for this position: You must complete the occupational questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. To receive consideration, the complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 11/09/2017. WE DO NOT ACCEPT HARD-COPY OR E-MAIL APPLICATION PACKAGES.

Select Apply. If you are not logged in, you will be prompted to login or create an account.
Prompted to Start the Application Process by selecting "Start Application."
- For more information on the complete occupational questionnaire, please select the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/10065859
Select or add the resume you want to use for this application. Click here on how to build a resume in USAJOBS.
Select documents you want included in this application.
Review package to acknowledge your documents were reviewed.
Select if you want to include your demographic information.
After reading and certifying the application is true and submitted in good faith, select "Continue to Agency Site."
Follow onscreen prompts and instructions to complete your application.
Add the supporting documents by indexing your documents with the dropdown.
- Upload any missing required documents or optional documents.
Review and Submit Application.
While logged in, you can check the status of your application by selecting "+" next to the job title for this position.
You can review or revise your application at any point during the open period of the announcement.
- To update an application, you should log into your USAJOBS account and select "+" next to the job title for this position. Select "Update Application" for this job.
- Note: When you click Update Application, you will be prompted to re-select your documents from USAJOBS. Documents submitted with the first application will no longer be associated with the applicant record. So it is important that you select all documents you want to use in the re-application.

Agency contact information

Kathy Lewis-Shephard

Phone: (202) 354-1997
Email: kathy_lewis-shephard@nps.gov

Address: Office of Communications
1849 C Street, NW
Washington, DC 20240
US

Next steps

Once the Occupational Questionnaire is received you will receive acknowledgement that your submission was successful. If you are among the most qualified candidates and your name is referred to the hiring official, you may be contacted directly for a possible interview. You will be notified of the status of your Application Package at the time candidates are referred for consideration, and when the selection process is complete.

Required Documents

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The following documents are required and must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 11/09/2017:

Resume which includes a list of all significant jobs held and duties performed, with dates specified in month and year format, and, indicate hours worked per week. If military or civilian, please include your rank and/or grade.
A complete Occupational Questionnaire
Other Supporting Documents, if applicable, such as:
- Veterans Preference Documentation:
  - If you are a Discharged, Non-Disabled Veteran, you must submit a copy of your DD-214 showing character of discharge (Member 4 copy), or other Documentation of Service and Separation under Honorable Conditions, as listed on the SF15. If you don't have your DD-214, you may request it after discharge from the National Archives.
  - If you are a veteran within 120 days of discharge, you must submit signed documentation from the Armed Forces certifying: 1) your expected release/retirement from active duty, 2) under honorable conditions, 3) your pay grade/rank/rate at time of discharge, 4) dates of active duty service, 5) any campaign or expeditionary medals received, & 6) dated within 120 days of your separation.
  - If you are a Disabled Veteran, Purple Heart Recipient, or Mother or Spouse of a Disabled or Deceased Veteran, you must submit all additional proof required by the SF15, and if applicable, a completed SF15. You may request a copy of your Department of Veterans Affairs letter from www.ebenefits.va.gov or call 1-800-827-1000 to establish proof of disability.
College transcripts, if qualifying based on education.
Documentation for Interagency/Career Transition Assistance Plan consideration if you are a displaced Federal employee within the local commuting area. You must include: 1) Proof you are a displaced Federal employee, e.g., RIF Separation Notice, Notice of Proposed Removal, etc; 2) SF-50s (Notifications of Personnel Action) showing career/conditional tenure competitive status, promotion potential and duty location; and 3) your most recent performance appraisal. To exercise selection priority, displaced or surplus Federal employees must be rated well-qualified or above 85 on the rating criteria for this position.

Do not submit photographs with your application package. Documents with photographs may not be seen by hiring officials - you must remove your image from any badges, licenses, etc.

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.

How to Apply

Help

Select Apply. If you are not logged in, you will be prompted to login or create an account.
Prompted to Start the Application Process by selecting "Start Application."
- For more information on the complete occupational questionnaire, please select the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/10065859
Select or add the resume you want to use for this application. Click here on how to build a resume in USAJOBS.
Select documents you want included in this application.
Review package to acknowledge your documents were reviewed.
Select if you want to include your demographic information.
After reading and certifying the application is true and submitted in good faith, select "Continue to Agency Site."
Follow onscreen prompts and instructions to complete your application.
Add the supporting documents by indexing your documents with the dropdown.
- Upload any missing required documents or optional documents.
Review and Submit Application.
While logged in, you can check the status of your application by selecting "+" next to the job title for this position.
You can review or revise your application at any point during the open period of the announcement.
- To update an application, you should log into your USAJOBS account and select "+" next to the job title for this position. Select "Update Application" for this job.
- Note: When you click Update Application, you will be prompted to re-select your documents from USAJOBS. Documents submitted with the first application will no longer be associated with the applicant record. So it is important that you select all documents you want to use in the re-application.

Agency contact information

Kathy Lewis-Shephard

Phone: (202) 354-1997
Email: kathy_lewis-shephard@nps.gov

Address: Office of Communications
1849 C Street, NW
Washington, DC 20240
US

Next steps

Fair and transparent

The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.

Criminal history inquiries Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Policy

Financial suitability New employee probationary period

Privacy Act Reasonable accommodation policy

Selective Service Signature and false statements

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