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Public Affairs Specialist

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

Summary

This position is with the Office of Communications, National Park Service, Washington, DC. with responsibility for serving as a Public Affairs Specialist, supporting the Chief of Public Affairs and the entire Office of Communications.

Please visit find a park for additional park information.

Who May apply: Current and former Federal employees with status, or who are reinstatement eligible; veterans eligible under the VEOA authority, or who are 30% or more disabled; applicants eligible under special appointing authorities such as individuals with targeted disabilities, certain military spouses, former Peace Corps and Vista Volunteers, etc. For more information, select the following link(s): 1) Merit Promotion, 2) Status Candidate, and/or 3) Veteran Employment Opportunities Act (VEOA).

Current or former displaced Federal employee in the local commuting area eligible under the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP), current Department of Interior (DOI) employees in the local commuting area eligible under the Career Transition Program (CTAP), and Veterans Employment Opportunities Act (VEOA) eligibility. For more information, select the following link(s): 1) Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP), 2) Career Transition Program (CTAP), and/or 3) Veteran Employment Opportunities Act (VEOA).

Current Department of Interior (DOI) employees in the local commuting area who has been identified as surplus and eligible for priority consideration under the Career Transition Program (CTAP); OR current or former displaced Federal employees in the local commuting area and eligible for consideration under the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP). For more information, select the following link(s): Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) and/or 2) Career Transition Program (CTAP).

Current or former time-limited (temporary and term) employees of a land management agency eligible for permanent positions under the Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act (LMWFA). For more information, select the following link: Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act (LMWFA).

Career/Career-Conditional Fulltime appointment.

Travel, transportation, and relocation expenses will be paid if the selectee lives outside of the local commuting area and is otherwise eligible for reimbursement of relocation expenses in accordance with the Federal Travel Regulation.

Overview

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Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
04/02/2018 to 04/23/2018
Salary
$81,548 to - $126,062 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 12 - 13
Location
2 vacancies in the following location:
Washington DC, DC
Travel Required
Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.
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
Promotion potential
13
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Q Access Authorization
Announcement number
WO-16140-COMM-10173569
Control number
495261800

Duties

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As a Public Affairs Specialist, you will:

  • Serve as NPS spokesperson on major controversial issues.
  • Manage Media Outreach Program for a specific program or issue
  • Analyze and evaluate high profile, controversial issues, initiatives, programs, and policies
  • Develop complex, comprehensive communication plans and campaigns that highlight and explain NPS programs and policies.
  • Provide advise Chief of Public Affairs, Assistant Director for Communications, and senior bureau, regional and DOI officials regarding public information strategies and activities.
  • Prepare speeches, statements, talking points, frequently asked questions and other communications materials on matters pertaining to the NPS and dealing with the policies governing the Service
  • Plan and coordinate special events, and communications strategies for events
  • Explain policies, practices, or decisions of the Service or the Department to the general public or to specific elements or groups of the public.
Duties will be developmental in nature when filled below the full performance level.

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 male
  • selectee will be required to participate in the Direct Deposit Electronics Funds Transfer Program.
  • 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). Time-in-grade requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement.
  • If you are a new employee or supervisor in the Federal government, you will be required to complete a one-year probationary period.

Qualifications

For the GS-12 grade level, you must have specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 grade level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors) . Specialize experience is experience that has equipped you with the knowledge skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position. For this position you must have served as a public information officer, creating and implementing multi-channel communications strategies, building and managing relationships with media, and advising high-level officials on communications matters, especially related to crises or high-profile controversial issues.

For the GS-13 grade level, you must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12 grade level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). Specialized experience is experience that has equipped you with the knowledge, skills and abilities to perform successfully the duties of position. For this position, you must have served as a spokesperson for a large, complex organization, creating and implementing the tactics of multi-channel communications strategies, building relationships with local regional or national media, and advising superiors on communications matters, and preparing written material that are appropriate to communicate the policy of an organization. You must include hours per week worked.

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.

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.

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 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 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 who apply under Competitive Merit Promotion procedures will undergo a quality review to determine if they are highly qualified based on the content of their resume and their responses to the questionnaire. Best qualified candidates will be referred if all required supporting documentation has been provided.

Candidates who apply under Noncompetitive Merit Promotion procedures will undergo a quality review to determine if they are minimally qualified based on the content of their resume and their responses to the questionnaire. Qualified candidates will be referred if all required supporting documentation has been provided.

You will be evaluated on the following competencies:

  • Communication and Media
  • Planning and Evaluating
  • Organizational Awareness
  • Teamwork
  • Problem Solving
  • Technology Application

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