Clarification from the agency

U.S. Citizens and Pathways Recent Graduate eligible

Joining the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) means being part of the team focused on securing the Nation's physical and cyber infrastructure against threats to public health and safety, economy, and national security. Within CISA, the Office of External Affairs provides communications strategy, message coordination, analyses and guidance, relationship-building and decision-making support on Agency policies, plans, programs, key initiatives and actions across all external stakeholders, including the media, Congress and industry.

Visit www.dhs.gov/cisa to learn more about CISA and how you can be part of the team to Defend Today; Secure Tomorrow.

In this position, you will contribute to the Agency's social media efforts. Typical work assignments include:

• Assists with maintaining the Agency's overall presence across social media channels.
• Assist in development of talking points and messaging strategy to support CISA.
• Preparing reports to convey communications activity and success.
• Supporting External Affairs' public affairs staff produce high-quality and timely information through the use of social media content.
• Support public affairs staff in tracking and responding to media inquiries as required.
• Regularly monitor social media channels across agency, including mentions and replies.
• Maintain a strong understanding of agency mission, message and ongoing events.
• Researches and identifies opportunities to use social media channels to publicize CISA's mission, programs and initiatives.
• Assists in deploying strategies to support the Agency's overall communication efforts, and specifically those of the Office of External Affairs, to provide crucial, useful and relevant information to the public, key stakeholders and Agency customers.
• Supports External Affairs' strategic communications staff and program liaisons efforts to produce and convey high-quality and timely information through the use of effective social media content.
• Executes and maintains standard operating procedures and work processes to ensure that social media channels and delivery strategies are utilized effectively and efficiently.
• Assists with the implementation and evaluation of digital engagement strategies to communicate the Agency's mission and programs to external partners.

Conditions of employment

PROGRAM COMPLETION AND CONVERSION: Individuals who successfully complete the program can be converted into either a time-limited or permanent appointment within 120 days of successful completion of the program. Eligibility for conversion does not guarantee that CISA will offer conversion. To be eligible for conversion, the Recent Graduate must:

• Complete all the requirements of the Program successfully;
• Demonstrate successful job performance consistent with the applicable performance appraisal program;
• Meet the OPM qualification standard for the position to which the Recent Graduate will be converted.

• You must be a U.S. citizen to apply for this position.
• You must successfully pass a background investigation.
• Selective Service registration required.
• You must be able to obtain and hold a secret security clearance.
• If selected, you must sign the Pathways Internship Participant agreement
• Complete the initial online assessment and USAHire Assessment, if required.
• You must submit to a drug test and receive a negative test result prior to appointment to this position. After appointment, you may be subject to periodic random drug testing.
• Relocation expenses are not authorized. Other recruitment incentives may be authorized.
• This position has been designated excluded from bargaining unit representation under the national security provision of 5 USC Section 7112(B)(6).
• All employees are required to participate in Direct Deposit/ Electronic Funds Transfer for salary payments.
• This position may be designated as essential personnel.
• Interviews may be required for this position. Failure to complete the interview may result in removal from further consideration. The interview process may consist of in-person or phone panel interview.
• Applying to this announcement certifies that you give permission for DHS to share your application with others in DHS for similar positions.
• You must submit to a drug test and receive a negative test result prior to appointment to this position. After appointment, you may be subject to periodic random drug testing.
• The duration of the Recent Graduates appointment in the excepted service is a trial period.
• New employees must serve a one year probationary period.
• If Recent Graduate successfully completes the internship requirements and converted to competitive service, time spent in trial period will count towards the required one year probationary period.

Qualifications

Pathways Recent Graduate Eligibility -This announcement is being opened under the Pathways Program - Recent Graduates option. The Pathways Program offers opportunities to grow in your career through formal training and mentorship while earning valuable real-world experience. While the Pathways appointment is one year in length, individuals who successfully complete the program can be converted into either a time-limited or permanent appointment.

Pathways Recent Graduate Program Eligibility To be eligible, applicants must meet ONE of the following requirements:

1. Completed within the last two years a qualifying associates bachelors, masters, professional, doctorate, vocational or technical degree or certificate from a qualifying educational institution.
2. A preference eligible veteran who was precluded from applying within the last two years due to military service obligations. You must have completed a qualifying associates, bachelors, masters, professional, doctorate, vocational or technical degree or certificate from a qualifying educational institution within the last six years. (Please note that your two year window of eligibility begins once you have been discharged or released from active duty.)

You qualify for the GS-07 grade level (starting salary $47,016.00 ) if you possess one of the following:


A. Have a bachelor's degree and meet at least one of the requirements for superior academic achievement (SAA): 1. Class standing -- Applicants must be in the upper third of the graduating class in the college, university, or major subdivision, such as the College of Liberal Arts or the School of Business Administration, based on completed courses. 2. Grade-point average (G.P.A.) -- Applicants must have a grade-point average of 3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B" or better) as recorded on their official transcript, or as computed based on 4 years of education, or as computed based on courses completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum; or 3.5 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B+" or better) based on the average of the required courses completed in the major field or the required courses in the major field completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum. (Grade-point averages are to be rounded to one decimal place. For example, 2.95 will round to 3.0 and 2.94 will round to 2.9.) 3. Election to membership in a national scholastic honor society -- Applicants can be considered eligible based on membership in one of the national scholastic honor societies. Membership in a freshman honor society cannot be used to meet the requirements of this provision.


B.Have successfully completed at least one full year of graduate level study, or possess a master's or higher degree, in a field that provided the knowledge, skills, and abilities to do the work of the position. Such fields include business administration and public administration. (One year of graduate education is considered to be the number of credit hours that your graduate school has determined to represent one academic year of full-time study. Such study may have been performed on a full-time or part-time basis. If you cannot obtain your graduate school's definition of one year of graduate study, 18 semester hours (or 27 quarter hours) is considered as satisfying the requirement for one year of full-time graduate study.)

C. Have at least one year of full-time specialized experience equivalent to the GS-5 grade level in the federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors) performing all of the following duties:

• Maintaining awareness of current issues and events to develop relevant content to contribute to social media channels.
• Assisting in the development of social media strategies to build audiences.
• Developing social media content based on program and communication needs.

D. Have less than one year of specialized experience as described in C and less than one year of graduate education as described in B that when combined totals to at least one year. (To compute, divide your total months of qualifying experience by 12. Then divide your semester hours of graduate education by 18. Add the two percentages. The total percentage must equal at least 100 percent to qualify.)


NOTE: You must submit a copy of your college transcripts (official or unofficial) to document meeting this requirement.

ESSENTIAL PERSONNEL: This position may be designated as essential personnel. Essential personnel must be able to serve during continuity of operation events without regard to declarations of liberal leave or government closures due to weather, protests, and acts of terrorism or lack of funding. Failure to report for or remain in this position may result in disciplinary or adverse action in accordance with applicable laws, rules, and regulations (5 U.S.C. § 7501-7533 and 5 CFR Part 752, as applicable).

National Service Experience (i.e., 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.Current or Former Political Appointees: The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the Human Resources Office.

Current or Former Political Appointees: The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the Human Resources Office.

Qualifications Must Be Met The qualification requirements listed above must be met by the closing date of this announcement.

Note about the information provided in your resume and supporting documentation: Your experience (paid and unpaid), education, awards, training and self-development will be evaluated as it relates to the position based upon the information provided in your resume/application and any other supporting documents.

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
• Creative Thinking
• Flexibility
• Information Management
• Integrity/Honesty
• Interpersonal Skills
• Self-Management
• Stress Tolerance

• Decision Making
• Reading
• Reasoning

In order 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.

Category Rating Procedures: If you meet the minimum qualifications, you will be placed in one of the following categories:

1. Best-Qualified: Applicants possessing experience that substantially exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position and demonstrate high proficiency in all of the critical competencies, including all Selective Placement Factors (SPF) and appropriate Quality Ranking Factors (QRF) as determined by the job analysis.
2. Well-Qualified: Applicants possessing experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position and demonstrates acceptable proficiency in all of the critical competencies, including all SPFs and appropriate QRFs as determined by the job analysis.
3. Qualified: Applicants possessing experience that meets the minimum qualifications of the position and demonstrate basic proficiency in most of the critical competencies, including all SPFs and appropriate QRFs as determined by the job analysis.

Veterans: Qualified veterans who have a compensable service-connected disability of at least 10% are listed in the best-qualified category, except when the position being filled is scientific or professional at the GS-09 grade level, or higher. This position is not considered scientific/professional. Other 10-point preference eligibles and veterans with 5-point preference who meet the eligibility and qualification requirements are placed above non-preference eligibles within the category in which they qualify. View information on www.fedshirevets.gov


If you are determined qualified, you may be referred to the hiring manager for consideration and may be called for an interview. Preview the Assessment Questionnaire, click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/10633683