Incumbent is the Team Leader of the Outreach Team for the Bureau for the Middle East (ME), Office of Strategic Planning and Operations (SPO). The Middle East provides overall leadership for Agency programs in that region and is crucial to the U. S. foreign policy agenda. The area faces many challenges: poverty, environmental degradation, instability and conflict, illiteracy, an expanding HIV/AIDS pandemic, corruption and trafficking in persons. USAID programs focus on supporting economic growth through agriculture, trade, investment and workforce development; improving health and nutrition; improving conservation and management of natural resources' strengthening democracy building human capacity; and promoting security.
As a Public Affairs Specialist (Outreach Team Leader), you will:
Be responsible for designing and implementing a communications strategy to raise awareness of USAID's work in the Middle East Region and for providing support and advice to ME/Washington and field mission staff on outreach initiatives, including ones in rural areas prone to insurgency. S/he is a member of the Strategic Planning and Operations (SPO) office in the Bureau for the Middle East.
Have primary responsibility for Middle East Bureau's outreach and communication activities and is the point of contact for the field missions and the Legislative and Public Affairs (LPA) Bureau on outreach and communication matters. The outreach Team Leader directs the work of the Legislative Coordinator, Outreach Specialist, and Outreach coordinator for Press/Events/Social media.
In close coordination with the Bureau for Legislative Affairs (LPA), manage public and community relations concerning controversial issues. The Outreach Team Lead designs written (hard copy) and content for IT-based systems to complement face-to-face communications and assure real-time communications Bureau-wide, agency-wide, and worldwide regarding USAID/ME programs.
Serve as a senior liaison between the Middle East and congressional staff; ensure timely and accurate information dissemination and responses to inquiries regarding the Middle East programs; coordinate content for print, web and other IT based Middle East documentation strategies to ensure common theme and content through all modes. Use program documents to develop materials for the public, USAID, inter-Agency, and Congressional audiences.
Manage public relations programs involving issues that are controversial. Handle queries from elected officials, other government agencies, community organizations and the public about Middle East activities that could significantly affect the public view of the Agency or prompt Congressional action. Develop policies and make recommendations regarding the dissemination of information to correct misperceptions and enhance public understanding. Coordinate the Middle East Bureau outreach team and interfaces with the Middle East mission-based Development Outreach and Communications Specialists in the field.
In close coordination with the LPA Bureau, draft speeches, talking points, statements, and other related documents for use by Middle East officials when addressing Senior Agency management, external international development organizations, and with Members of Congress and congressional staff, by gathering program and budget information from the Middle East Offices and Missions.
Examine reports, documents, correspondence, memoranda, and other material submitted by other offices for completeness and conformity with requests made and directives issued. Monitor and communicate USAID programs and activities of legislative, oversight, and representational interest. Review and draft press releases relating to congressional matters.
Write, rewrite and edit complex public information. In cooperation with the LPA Bureau, the Team Leader will engage on all aspects of Middle East programming to increase public understanding and support agency policy, programs, and activities. Identify opportunities for planning and executing external communication and media opportunities to spotlight and explain the Middle East programs. Ensure that timely and accurate program and budget information is disseminated to and responses made to Agency stakeholders, particularly members of the media, other USG agencies (State Department and the National Security Council), other donors, international organizations, potential private sector partners and others with high interest in the program.
Must be able to obtain and maintain a security clearance.
Males born after 12/31/1959, must be registered with the Selective Service.
You will be required to serve a one year probationary period.
Direct Deposit/Electronic Funds Transfer is required.
Note: Your answers to the assessment questionnaire must be supported in your resume.
Qualifications
GS-15: You are required ti have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-14 level in the Federal service. One year of experience refers to full-time work; part-time work is considered on a prorated basis. Examples of qualifying specialized experience at the next lower level for this position include experience: a) managing public relations programs involving issues that are controversial; handling queries from elected officials and member of Congress; b) drafting speeches, talking points, statements, and other related documents for use by Middle East officials when address Senior Agency managers; and c) guiding the work of print and/or electronic media reporting.
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, relevant to the duties of the position to be filled, including volunteer experience.
CTAP/ICTAP candidates will be referred to the selecting official if they are found well qualified. Well-qualified means an eligible employee who possesses the knowledge, skills, and abilities which clearly exceed the minimum requirements of the position. A well-qualified employee must meet the qualification and eligibility requirements of the position, including any medical qualifications, suitability, and minimum education and experience requirements, meet all selective factors (where applicable); meet quality ranking factors and are assigned a score of 85 or higher; be physically qualified with reasonable accommodation to perform the essential duties of the position; meet any special qualifying U.S. OPM-approved conditions; AND be able to satisfactorily perform the duties of the position upon entry without additional training. A well-qualified candidate will not necessarily meet the definition of highly or best qualified when evaluated against other candidates who apply for a particular position. In the absence of selective and quality ranking factors, selecting officials will document the job-related reason(s) for qualification determinations.
A well-qualified candidate will not necessarily meet the definition of highly or best qualified when evaluated against other candidates who apply for a particular position. In the absence of selective and quality ranking factors, selecting officials will document the job-related reason(s) for qualification determinations.
Education
This position does not have a positive education requirement. Therefore, no transcripts are required.
Additional information
This announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.
These are Testing Designated Positions (TDP’s) under the Agency’s approved Drug Free Work Place Program. All applicants selected for this position will be subject to random drug testing once they begin working for the Agency.
Direct Deposit/Electronic Funds Transfer is required.
Moving and relocation expenses are not authorized.
It is the policy of the Government not to deny employment simply because an individual has been unemployed or has had financial difficulties that have arisen through no fault of the individual. Information about an individual’s employment experience will be used only to determine the person’s qualifications and to assess his or her relative level of knowledge, skills, and abilities. Although an individual’s personal conduct may be relevant in any employment decision, including conduct during periods of unemployment or evidence of dishonesty in handling financial matters, financial difficulty that has arisen through no fault of the individual will generally not itself be the basis of an unfavorable suitability or fitness determination.
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Working for USAID offers comprehensive benefits including paid vacation, sick leave, holidays, life and health insurance, and the Federal Employees Retirement System. You can explore the benefits offered to most Federal employees at http://www.opm.gov/insure/health/. USAID's headquarters is in downtown Washington, D.C., at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center on 14th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., on the Federal Triangle Metro Blue, Silver, and Orange Lines. The office is within walking distance of restaurants, shops, museums, and the Washington Monument. A physical fitness facility and food court are on site. You may be eligible for telework per Agency policy.
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
How you will be evaluated
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
We will review your application package to ensure you meet the job and eligibility requirements, including the education and/or experience required for this position. If you meet the minimum qualifications stated in the vacancy 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.” However, 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) depending on the position and grade level of the job. (You must provide proof of disability rating with a letter from the Veteran's Administration showing disability.)
The scored occupational questionnaire will evaluate you on the following competencies:
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Working for USAID offers comprehensive benefits including paid vacation, sick leave, holidays, life and health insurance, and the Federal Employees Retirement System. You can explore the benefits offered to most Federal employees at http://www.opm.gov/insure/health/. USAID's headquarters is in downtown Washington, D.C., at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center on 14th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., on the Federal Triangle Metro Blue, Silver, and Orange Lines. The office is within walking distance of restaurants, shops, museums, and the Washington Monument. A physical fitness facility and food court are on site. You may be eligible for telework per Agency policy.
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
If seeking eligibility based on any other special hiring authority (e.g. disabled veteran, Schedule A, special hiring programs).
CTAP/ICTAP Eligibles: Must submit a copy of the appropriate documentation such as a reduction-in-force (RIF) separation notice, a SF-50 reflecting your RIF separation, or a notice of proposed removal for declining a direct reassign or transfer of function to another commuting area. You MUST also submit documentation to reflect your current (or last) performance rating of record of at least "fully successful" (Level III) or equivalent, along with your application/resume package.
If this position requires proof of higher education, you must submit a copy of your transcript(unofficial transcript) or a list of courses that includes the following information: name of accredited institution, grades earned, completion dates, and quarter and semester hours earned. Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the requirements. Please refer to http://www.opm.gov/qualifications/policy/ApplicationOfStds-04.asp for more information. Please be advised that an official transcript will be required if you are selected for the position.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
The following instructions outline our application process. You must complete this on-line application process and submit any applicable required documents by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the closing date of this announcement. If applying on-line poses an extreme hardship, you must notify the agency contact name herein office no later than two business days prior to the closing date of this vacancy announcement. You will be provided an alternative application method. After this time, requests to apply via alternative methods may not be granted.
Please note that all required documents must be received by the closing date, via online or alternative methods, and that we will determine your eligibility and qualifications based solely on the materials received by the closing date.
Step 1 - Review the Job Announcement Before you apply, we suggest you review the entire job announcement. Pay close attention to the Major Duties section and the How You Will Be Evaluated section where you will see the areas upon which your application will be evaluated and a link for previewing online questions.
-Create or upload a resume in USAJOBS. You may wish to customize your resume to ensure it supports your responses to the online questions and addresses the competencies listed in the How You Will Be Evaluated section of the job announcement. For resume tips, click here.
-Although you must enter your Social Security Number (SSN) for USAJOBS, we will only see the last four digits for identification purposes.
Step 3 - Apply Online Click the "Apply Online" button on this announcement and then select the resume you wish to submit with your application. You will be redirected to the Department of the Treasury's CareerConnector website to complete the application process.
Step 4 - Answer the Online Questions and Submit Your Online Application If this is your first time on Treasury's CareerConnector website, you will be prompted to register by answering questions related to your eligibility for Federal employment. The system will save these responses and take you back to the main screen so that you can answer the job-specific questions. Select "Take me to the assessment" and click on the "Next" button to answer the job-specific questions. You must answer all the questions and click the "Finish" button.
Step 5 - Review and Confirm Your Submission You will now have the option to upload a document or print fax cover-sheets for documents (see Step 6 for details). Once you click "Done," you will see a summary of your application for your review. You may also print a copy for your records. When you click "Finish" at the bottom of the page, you will then be directed back to USAJOBS where you can confirm that your application has been submitted and track your application status.
Step 6 - Submit Documents You can submit any applicable required or optional documents (see below) by document upload, fax, or e-mail. Whichever method you choose, please include the job announcement number with your documents. To protect your privacy, we encourage you to remove your SSN from any documents that you submit.
Document Upload: You may upload documents in one of two ways: 1. Once you finish answering the questions in the job announcement, you will be prompted to upload your document(s) to your application. You will be given the choice to either upload the document as part of the application process or you can select a document that you've already loaded on USAJOBS. Or
2. You can upload a document to an existing application by logging into your USAJOBS account profile. Click on "My Applications" and search for the vacancy. Once you've located the vacancy, click on the vacancy and select "Apply Online." Move through your existing application to the Documents page and select Upload in order to add a document to your application. Be certain to review your complete application for confirmation that the document uploaded. In the Application Review section, you may verify acceptance of your documents in Career Connector if you see them listed on the "Vacancy Documents" screen. Then, click on "Finished" to be returned to USAJOBS.
Fax: Print a fax cover-sheet in Career Connector by following the "Faxing Supporting Documentation" instructions. The fax number will be provided on the cover-sheet.
If you are having difficulty within the Career Connector system and need technical assistance please email the help desk at careerconnectorhelp@treasury.gov. The help desk is available to assist you during the hours of 8:00 am- 4:30 pm EST daily, excluding Federal holidays.
United States Agency for International Development
1300 Pennsylvania Ave NW
Washington, District of Columbia 20523-0016
United States
Next steps
Applicants are evaluated using an automated applicant assessment system. After determining basic eligibility and qualifications, the supplemental questionnaire will be used to identify the best qualified applicants to be referred to the hiring manager for consideration and possible interviews. We will notify you of the outcome after each of these steps. After making a tentative job offer, we will conduct a suitability/security background investigation. A final job offer is contingent upon a favorable suitability determination and a favorable (TOP SECRET) level security clearance investigation and determination.
You may check the status of your application for this position at any time by logging onto the USAJOBS "My Account" tab and clicking on "Application Status." You will receive final notification via email when this vacancy has been filled. Please notify us if your contact information changes after the closing date of the announcement. Also, note that if you provide an email address that is inaccurate or if your mailbox is full or blocked (e.g., spam-blocker), you may not receive important communication that could affect your consideration for this position.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
If seeking eligibility based on any other special hiring authority (e.g. disabled veteran, Schedule A, special hiring programs).
CTAP/ICTAP Eligibles: Must submit a copy of the appropriate documentation such as a reduction-in-force (RIF) separation notice, a SF-50 reflecting your RIF separation, or a notice of proposed removal for declining a direct reassign or transfer of function to another commuting area. You MUST also submit documentation to reflect your current (or last) performance rating of record of at least "fully successful" (Level III) or equivalent, along with your application/resume package.
If this position requires proof of higher education, you must submit a copy of your transcript(unofficial transcript) or a list of courses that includes the following information: name of accredited institution, grades earned, completion dates, and quarter and semester hours earned. Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the requirements. Please refer to http://www.opm.gov/qualifications/policy/ApplicationOfStds-04.asp for more information. Please be advised that an official transcript will be required if you are selected for the position.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
The following instructions outline our application process. You must complete this on-line application process and submit any applicable required documents by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on the closing date of this announcement. If applying on-line poses an extreme hardship, you must notify the agency contact name herein office no later than two business days prior to the closing date of this vacancy announcement. You will be provided an alternative application method. After this time, requests to apply via alternative methods may not be granted.
Please note that all required documents must be received by the closing date, via online or alternative methods, and that we will determine your eligibility and qualifications based solely on the materials received by the closing date.
Step 1 - Review the Job Announcement Before you apply, we suggest you review the entire job announcement. Pay close attention to the Major Duties section and the How You Will Be Evaluated section where you will see the areas upon which your application will be evaluated and a link for previewing online questions.
-Create or upload a resume in USAJOBS. You may wish to customize your resume to ensure it supports your responses to the online questions and addresses the competencies listed in the How You Will Be Evaluated section of the job announcement. For resume tips, click here.
-Although you must enter your Social Security Number (SSN) for USAJOBS, we will only see the last four digits for identification purposes.
Step 3 - Apply Online Click the "Apply Online" button on this announcement and then select the resume you wish to submit with your application. You will be redirected to the Department of the Treasury's CareerConnector website to complete the application process.
Step 4 - Answer the Online Questions and Submit Your Online Application If this is your first time on Treasury's CareerConnector website, you will be prompted to register by answering questions related to your eligibility for Federal employment. The system will save these responses and take you back to the main screen so that you can answer the job-specific questions. Select "Take me to the assessment" and click on the "Next" button to answer the job-specific questions. You must answer all the questions and click the "Finish" button.
Step 5 - Review and Confirm Your Submission You will now have the option to upload a document or print fax cover-sheets for documents (see Step 6 for details). Once you click "Done," you will see a summary of your application for your review. You may also print a copy for your records. When you click "Finish" at the bottom of the page, you will then be directed back to USAJOBS where you can confirm that your application has been submitted and track your application status.
Step 6 - Submit Documents You can submit any applicable required or optional documents (see below) by document upload, fax, or e-mail. Whichever method you choose, please include the job announcement number with your documents. To protect your privacy, we encourage you to remove your SSN from any documents that you submit.
Document Upload: You may upload documents in one of two ways: 1. Once you finish answering the questions in the job announcement, you will be prompted to upload your document(s) to your application. You will be given the choice to either upload the document as part of the application process or you can select a document that you've already loaded on USAJOBS. Or
2. You can upload a document to an existing application by logging into your USAJOBS account profile. Click on "My Applications" and search for the vacancy. Once you've located the vacancy, click on the vacancy and select "Apply Online." Move through your existing application to the Documents page and select Upload in order to add a document to your application. Be certain to review your complete application for confirmation that the document uploaded. In the Application Review section, you may verify acceptance of your documents in Career Connector if you see them listed on the "Vacancy Documents" screen. Then, click on "Finished" to be returned to USAJOBS.
Fax: Print a fax cover-sheet in Career Connector by following the "Faxing Supporting Documentation" instructions. The fax number will be provided on the cover-sheet.
If you are having difficulty within the Career Connector system and need technical assistance please email the help desk at careerconnectorhelp@treasury.gov. The help desk is available to assist you during the hours of 8:00 am- 4:30 pm EST daily, excluding Federal holidays.
United States Agency for International Development
1300 Pennsylvania Ave NW
Washington, District of Columbia 20523-0016
United States
Next steps
Applicants are evaluated using an automated applicant assessment system. After determining basic eligibility and qualifications, the supplemental questionnaire will be used to identify the best qualified applicants to be referred to the hiring manager for consideration and possible interviews. We will notify you of the outcome after each of these steps. After making a tentative job offer, we will conduct a suitability/security background investigation. A final job offer is contingent upon a favorable suitability determination and a favorable (TOP SECRET) level security clearance investigation and determination.
You may check the status of your application for this position at any time by logging onto the USAJOBS "My Account" tab and clicking on "Application Status." You will receive final notification via email when this vacancy has been filled. Please notify us if your contact information changes after the closing date of the announcement. Also, note that if you provide an email address that is inaccurate or if your mailbox is full or blocked (e.g., spam-blocker), you may not receive important communication that could affect your consideration for this position.
Fair and transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
