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Public Affairs Specialist, ZA-1035-II (GS-9/11 equivalent)

Department of Commerce
National Institute of Standards and Technology
This job announcement has closed

Summary

This position is located in the Public Affairs Office at NIST.

Are you ready to explore your future with NIST?

Your application package may be shared with other selecting officials at NIST with opportunities like the one you are applying to. Additional selections may be made through this vacancy. 

This announcement will close at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on the date the first 150 applications are received or April 7, 2020, whichever comes first.

Overview

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Reviewing applications
Open & closing dates
03/24/2020 to 04/07/2020
This job will close when we have received 150 applications which may be sooner than the closing date. Learn more
Salary
$59,534 to - $93,638 per year
Pay scale & grade
ZA 02
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Gaithersburg, MD
1 vacancy
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
Occasional travel - Boulder, CO and other conferences as appropriate.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-Time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
03
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Other
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Moderate Risk (MR)
Trust determination process
Announcement number
NISTOD-2020-0005
Control number
563583600

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Duties

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The conference coordinator in the NIST Conference Program Office will work with a team of conference specialists to provide conference planning services to NIST Laboratories and Major Programs. The candidate will support the agency's Conference Program Office in supporting NIST's scientific and technical collaborations and dissemination activities. The candidate will be responsible for conducting pre-conference meetings with NIST Technical Point of Contacts to obtain conference requirements, provide guidance, and develop conference budgets. The candidate will be responsible for coordinating a wide range of services, which include: creating and managing online registration sites, webpages and applications; coordinating audio-visual services, food and beverage functions, meeting room setups, and hotel room blocks; and distributing event materials. The candidate will be responsible for maintaining a positive client relationship with NIST Technical Point of Contacts and vendors by responding in a timely manner to inquiries regarding NIST conferences and conference planning services. The candidate will be responsible for writing requirements documents and conducting market research for contracted services, as well as preparing presentations and communication materials regarding conference policy and planning services to a wide range of audiences.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • You must be a U.S. citizen
  • You must be registered for Selective Service if applicable (www.sss.gov)
  • You must be suitable for Federal Employment
  • Merit applicants must meet time-in-grade/band requirements, as applicable
  • If selected you will be required to complete a financial disclosure form.

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

Time-in-grade/band requirements must be met by the closing date of the announcement unless eligible for special hiring authority, reinstatement eligible, non-current Federal employee applying as a VEOA eligible which do not require time-in-grade/band.

Qualifications

Applicants must possess one year (52 weeks) of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-7 (ZA-I at NIST) in the federal service. Specialized experience is defined as experience supporting conferences, such as booking meeting room space, coordinating AV services and food beverage services requests, working knowledge of technologies that support conferences (webpages, online registration systems, conference apps) with the ability to assist in troubleshooting technical issues, maintaining client and customer satisfaction by responding to requests in a timely manner and resolving issues, making recommendations in processes and operations, strong organizational skills with the ability to prioritize tasks, and proven writing skills to communicate policy and services to NIST leadership, technical staff, registrants, and the general public. 

OR

Master's or equivalent graduate degree

OR

2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree

OR

LL.B. or J.D., if related

IN ADDITION TO THE BASIC REQUIREMENTS: Applicants must meet the following selective placement factor:  Ability to write clearly, concisely, and grammatically correct.  Applicants are required to submit two originally written professional documents that demonstrate the ability to write clearly concisely, and grammatically correct. A sample that is clear, concise, and grammatically correct will be written in a manner that is logical, not overly wordy, and contain no more than four grammatical errors as evidenced in the two writing samples.


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.

Qualification requirements in the vacancy announcement are based on the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Qualification Standards Handbook, which contains Federal qualification standards. This handbook is available on the OPM website located at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/

Applicants may request reconsideration of their qualifications determination within three business days from the date their applicant status was changed. Applicants should email the Agency Contact listed in this vacancy announcement with their written request listing the announcement number; explaining why the original determination was improper; what factors were not considered; and, should provide any other pertinent information that would enable reevaluation. 

Education

This position allows you to qualify and be considered based on your education. To receive this consideration, please submit a copy of your transcripts to document that you have met the education requirement. Unofficial transcripts will be accepted in the application package. However, official transcripts will be required prior to a final offer of employment.

Foreign education: Individuals educated in whole or in part in foreign countries must submit sufficient evidence, including transcripts, to an accredited private organization for a U.S. equivalency evaluation of course work and degree. View a listing of these accredited organizations from the Department of Education's website. Provide a copy of the letter containing the results of the equivalency evaluation with a course by course listing.

Additional information

A probationary period may be required.

Applicants must meet the following selective placement factor:  Ability to write clearly, concisely, and grammatically correct.  Applicants are required to submit two originally written professional documents that demonstrate the ability to write clearly concisely, and grammatically correct. A sample that is clear, concise, and grammatically correct will be written in a manner that is logical, not overly wordy, and contain no more than four grammatical errors as evidenced in the two writing samples.

This position is covered by an Alternative Personnel Management System (APMS). This system replaces the General Schedule (GS) pay plan and grade with career paths and pay bands. For information regarding how the pay bands correspond to the General Schedule, click here.

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). Your resume and/or optional cover letter must support your responses to the scored occupational questionnaire, or your score may be lowered. 

Please ensure that your resume contains specific information such as position titles, beginning and ending dates of employment for each position, average number of hours worked per week, salary, duties performed for each position, and if the position is/was in the Federal government, you should provide the position series and grade level/pay band.

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

* Knowledge and experience with event/meeting planning and timelines.
* Experience in web-based data entry and reporting systems.
* Ability to prioritize and execute tasks and problem solve effectively.
* Ability to write clearly, succinctly and in a manner that appeals to a wide audience, adjusting communication style to suit the size and type of audience.
* Skill in verbal communications, preparing presentations, and ability to adjust style to suit the size and type of audience.
* Ability to respond in a timely and thorough manner to client requests and inquiries, to maintain a professional composure while working under pressure, to adapt easily if project changes scope.


To preview questions please click here.

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