Clarification from the agency

All qualified United States citizens.

The individual selected for this position will:

1. Plan, develop, and coordinate the partnership agreements to ensure activities at all levels are carried out, resolve problems encountered, and determine the need for renegotiation.
2. Address questions, concerns and issues related to current and potential partners and stakeholders.
3. Establish partnership agreements with federal, state local, and tribal governments, and/or local businesses and community groups to develop specific strategies to eliminate enumeration barriers in specific regions in support of the Decennial Census.
4. Develop presentations, give briefings, conduct meetings and promote partnerships with various governments, local businesses and community groups.
5. Present information to audiences that predominately speak Spanish and translate and develop targeted informational and promotional materials from Spanish to English and English to Spanish when necessary.

Conditions of employment

• U.S. citizen and must be 18 years or older to be hired.
• Suitability/background investigation for Federal employment.
• Registered for Selective Service if a male born after 12/31/59.
• A trial period may be required.
• This is a non-bargaining unit position.

Applicants must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

Qualifications

Applicants are responsible for insuring that the application submitted clearly indicates that they meet the qualifications listed below. To be eligible for this position, you must have the specialized experience, education, or a combination as indicated below.

Selective Factor: This is a bilingual position. Applicants will be required to self-certify proficiency in Spanish as a condition of employment. To be considered proficient you must be able to speak, read, and write in English and Spanish. All applicants must have the ability to converse and translate fluently from Spanish into English and from English to Spanish and accurately reflect the intent and meaning of the original material.

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.

The ideal candidate for the position of Partnership Specialist would have deep ties to, and in-depth knowledge of, the community in which the position is located.  Ideally he/she would be involved with community organizations in an effort to develop professional partnerships/connections with community leaders, professionals and centers of influence at all levels. 

Examples of specialized experience or education sought for this opportunity may include:

GG-0301-09:
Specialized Experience:  For the GG-09, you must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the grade 07 level in the Federal service.  Experience for this position includes assisting with planning, implementing, and evaluating the goals and objectives of a nationwide and/or regional outreach program.  Experience assisting with communication principles, methods, and techniques for the development of campaigns and experience assisting with editing and explaining technical material for targeted audience.  Experience interacting and dealing with the public, including media, state, and local government officials, community, businesses, and organization program officers.

 OR

EDUCATION: Master's or equivalent graduate degree OR Two full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree OR LL.B. OR J.D., if related.  Such education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work.  

GG-0301-11:
Specialized Experience: For the GG-11, you must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the grade 09 level in the Federal service.  Experience for this position includes planning, implementing, and evaluating the goals and objectives of a nationwide and/or regional outreach program.  Experience applying analytical techniques and interpersonal relations when dealing with targeted audience, the public, media, state and local government officials, communities and businesses.  Experience analyzing the views and opinions from organizations and developing recommendations for stimulating interest in activities.  Experience developing communication material, principles, and techniques for the development of campaigns.  Experience explaining in-depth technical material for targeted audience.   

 OR

EDUCATION: Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree OR three full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree OR LL.M., if related.  Such education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work.   

GG-0301-12:
Specialized Experience:  For the GG-12, you must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the grade 11 level in the Federal service.  Experience for this position includes planning, implementing, and evaluating the goals and objectives of a nationwide and/or regional outreach program.  Experience conducting public affairs programs involving public information community relations activities and seeking cooperation.  Experience developing and explaining in-depth technical material for a targeted audience.  Experience and the ability to present information, program objectives and activities to internal and external groups, inclusive of the public, media, state, and local government officials, community businesses, and organization program officers.

 OR

EDUCATION:  No substitution of education for experience is permitted.

How you will be evaluated

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

Your resume, optional cover letter and supporting documentation will be reviewed to determine if you meet the minimum qualifications for the position. If you meet the minimum qualifications stated in the job opportunity announcement, we will compare your resume, optional cover letter and supporting documentation to your responses on the scored occupational questionnaire (True/False, Yes/No, Multiple Choice questions) and place you in one of three pre-defined categories. These categories are "gold," "silver," and "bronze." Your resume and/or optional cover letter must support your responses to the scored occupational questionnaire, or your score may be lowered. Candidates placed in the "gold" category will be identified for referral to the hiring manager and may be invited for an interview.

How you will be evaluated for preference eligibility: Within each category, those entitled to veterans' preference will be listed at the top of the pre-defined category for which they are placed. Preference eligibles with a service-connected disability of 10% or more will be listed at the top of the highest quality category (gold).

The scored occupational questionnaire will evaluate you on the following competencies; please do not provide a separate written response.

The following competencies are desirable at the full performance level of this position (FPL 12):

1. Ability to manage partnership agreements, resolve problems, and address questions and/or concerns.
2. Knowledge of Federal, state, local, and tribal governments' and/or local business and community groups organizational structures and functions.
3. Skills in negotiating, with sometimes reluctant, Federal, state, local, and tribal governments and/or local businesses and community groups in order to receive their support in the Decennial Census through partnerships.
4. Knowledge of presentation methods and techniques such as use of Microsoft PowerPoint.
5. Knowledge of basic technology skills and use of a laptop or tablet.
6. Knowledge of the language listed in the Job Announcement Summary in order to speak, read, and write fluently.  

For more information on category rating, please go to: http://www.hr.commerce.gov/s/groups/public/@doc/@cfoasa/@ohrm/documents/content/prod01_009474.pdf

We recommend that you preview the online questions for this announcement before you start the application process.