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Public Affairs Specialist

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

Summary

This position is located in the Office of Communications in the National Park Service's (NPS) National Capital Area headquarters. The office explains NPS policies and stewardship responsibilities and highlights the opportunities park and community programs make available to people in the region and visitors from around the world.

Overview

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Job canceled
Open & closing dates
01/17/2020 to 01/31/2020
Salary
$102,663 to - $133,465 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 13
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Washington, DC
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
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
Competitive
Promotion potential
13
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
Yes
Security clearance
Other
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process
Announcement number
NC-1616-NCRO-20-10688836-ST
Control number
555578600

Duties

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  • Serve as a primary agency spokesperson on a variety of complex, often controversial, issues with tight deadlines.
  • Develop and implement strategic communication plans in coordination with colleagues at the local, regional and national levels.
  • Develop, write, and disseminate communication products.
  • Research and respond to requests for information from the media.
  • Plan and execute complex public announcements and special events.
  • Supervise subordinate staff.

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
  • 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.
  • You may be required to operate a government (or private) motor vehicle as part of your official duties. Prior to your first official motor vehicle operation, and again every year thereafter (or more frequently if management determines such need exists), you will be required to sign an affidavit certifying to your possession of a valid State issued driver's license that is current and has not been revoked, suspended, canceled, or otherwise disqualified in any way to prohibit your operation of a motor vehicle. You will also submit a photocopy of your valid State issued driver's license prior to your first official motor vehicle operation, and again every year, or more frequently if management determines such need exists. Lastly, you may be required to 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 discloses all valid driver's licenses, whether current or past, possessed by you. Please indicate in your application whether you possess a valid State driver's license.
  • 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 on-call, evenings, weekends, holidays, overtime and shift work.
  • 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. 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.

Qualifications

All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement-01/31/2020-unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement.

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: At least one full year of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-12 grade level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). This experience includes activities such as: recommending communication strategies to management; serving as an on-the-record spokesperson on high-profile, sometimes controversial issues; implementing professional communication tactics; creating high quality communication products (e.g. news releases, communication plans, talking points); applying best practices in media relations (e.g. pitching stories, maintaining relationships, correcting inaccuracies). You must include hours per week worked.

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 either full-time or 40 hours per week. If a part-time work schedule is reflected, the hours must be annotated to ensure proper crediting of specialized experience.

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

This position is concurrently open to All United States Citizens under Announcement Number NC-1616-NCRO-20-10688835-DE.

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.

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

Physical Demands: The work is usually performed at a desk; however there are frequent visits to parks or historic sites for briefings, events, or media interviews. These visits may expose the employee to inclement weather and require movement up and down stairs and over rough or uneven terrain or through areas with low clearance, which would likely require bending and stooping. Long or unpredictable hours and stressful situations are common.

Working Conditions: The work environment involves everyday risks typical of an office setting 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. However, the incumbent will be required to work outside in all weather conditions to address emerging issues, breaking news, 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 or weekends.

The National Park Service has determined that the duties of this position are suitable for occasional 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 Assessment Questionnaire to determine if you are qualified for this job. If your resume is incomplete or does not support the responses provided in the Assessment Questionnaire, or if you fail to submit all required documentation, you will be rated 'ineligible', 'not qualified', or your score will be adjusted accordingly. If a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications or experience, you can lose consideration for this position. Please follow all instructions carefully; errors or omissions can 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 Strategy
  • Data Gathering and Analysis
  • Manage Human Resources
  • Message Delivery
  • Message Development


Please submit 1) a copy of your most recent performance appraisal/evaluation and 2) a list of any awards (e.g. superior performance awards, special act or achievement awards, quality step increase, etc.) you received in the last 5 years. Any performance appraisal/evaluation and award documentation you provide will be forwarded to the selecting official. The selecting official will review this documentation and give it due weight consideration during the overall selection process.

If you do not have your most recent performance appraisal/evaluation, please submit a statement as to why it is not available. Please indicate if any prior performance appraisals/evaluations were at an acceptable level.

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