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Public Affairs Specialist

Department of Homeland Security
Federal Emergency Management Agency
This job announcement has closed

Summary

This position is being announced under FEMA's Incident Management Cadre of On-call Response/Recovery Employee (IM-CORE) Program.  This is a temporary appointment in the Excepted Service, not to exceed 2 years, with the option to extend based on workload and funding availability. Veterans Preference does not apply in selections of IM-CORE employees.

View common definitions of terms found in this announcement.

Overview

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Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
09/08/2021 to 09/15/2021
This job will close when we have received 100 applications which may be sooner than the closing date. Learn more
Salary
$38.09 to - $58.50 per hour
Pay scale & grade
IT 04
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Location Negotiable After Selection, United States
Telework eligible
No
Travel Required
76% or greater - IM-CORE employees are hired to work on temporary duty assignments in deployed positions anywhere that FEMA responds to a disaster declaration. FEMA has established 300 days per year as the targeted number of days of disaster duty assignments. IM-CORE employees are assigned to duty stations at their home address for pay purposes and for the location of their non-deployed work assignments, to include on-boarding related work assignments.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Term
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Excepted
Promotion potential
NA
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
Yes
Security clearance
Other
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Moderate Risk (MR)
Trust determination process
Announcement number
FEMA-21-AME-484885-IMCORE
Control number
613423500

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

This job is open to: U.S. Citizens

Duties

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The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is calling on those who want to help protect American interests and secure our Nation. DHS Components work collectively to prevent terrorism; secure borders and our transportation systems; protect the President and other dignitaries; enforce and administer immigration laws; safeguard cyberspace; and ensure resilience to disasters. We achieve these vital missions through a diverse workforce spanning hundreds of occupations. Make an impact; join DHS.

When disaster strikes, America looks to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Now FEMA looks to you. Join our team and use your talent to support Americans in their times of greatest need. FEMA prepares the nation for all hazards and manages Federal response and recovery efforts following any national incident. We foster innovation, reward performance and creativity, and provide challenges on a routine basis with a well-skilled, knowledgeable, high performance workforce. Please visit www.fema.gov for additional information.

EMERGENCY ASSIGNMENT: Every FEMA employee has regular and recurring emergency management responsibilities, though not every position requires routine deployment to disaster sites. All positions are subject to recall around the clock for emergency management operations, which may require irregular work hours, work at locations other than the official duty station, and may include duties other than those specified in the employee's official position description. Travel requirements in support of emergency operations may be extensive in nature (weeks to months), with little advance notice, and may require employees to relocate to emergency sites with physically austere and operationally challenging conditions.

In this position, you will serve as a member of the Region Two, Office of External Affairs (OEA) Branch.  Typical assignments include:

• Developing communication strategies in alignment with Emergency Support Function 15 External Affairs SOP.
• Defining objectives, overall operating procedures, and exercises related to Emergency Support Function 15 External Affairs SOP.
• Ensuring implementation of goals as coordinated with the FCO, Regional EA Director, and OEA.
• Acting SME on communication principles, and protocols associated with elected on-line media practices and stakeholder organization communications.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • You must be a U.S. citizen to be considered for this position.
  • You must successfully pass a background investigation.
  • Travel will be required.
  • You must be able to obtain and maintain a Government credit card.
  • Selective service registration is required for males born after 12/31/59.
  • Please review "Other Information" section for additional key requirements.

To ensure the accomplishment of our mission, DHS requires every employee to be reliable and trustworthy. To meet those standards, all selected applicants must undergo, successfully pass, and maintain a background investigation for a Moderate Risk Public Trust as a condition of placement into this position. This may include a credit check after initial job qualifications are determined, a review of financial issues, such as delinquency in the payment of debts, child support and/or tax obligations, as well as certain criminal offenses and illegal use or possession of drugs (please visit: Mythbuster on Federal Hiring Policies for additional information). For more information on background investigations for Federal jobs please visit OPM Investigations.

Please ensure you meet the qualification requirements described below.

Qualifications

The qualification requirements listed below must be met within 30 days of the closing date of the announcement.

You qualify for this position at the IT-04 level (starting hourly rate $38.09) if you possess the following:  One full year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade (IT-03) in the Federal Service.  This experience may have been gained in the federal government, a state or local government, a non-profit organization, the private sector, or as a volunteer; however, your resume must clearly describe at least one year of specialized experience.  Specialized experience for this position includes: 

  • Analyzing problems, delegating authority to subordinates, monitoring accomplishment of work;
  • Resolving unprecedented or controversial problems;
  • Monitoring operations for favorable or adverse trends;
  • Provides planning, direction and oversight for evolving and innovative messaging methods and techniques.

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.

Your application must show that you meet all requirements for this position. You may be found “not qualified” if you do not possess the minimum competencies required for the position.

NOTE: Qualifications are based on breadth/level of experience. In addition to describing duties performed, applicants must provide the exact dates of each period of employment (from MM/DD//YY to MM/DD/YY) and the number of hours worked per week if part time. As qualification determinations cannot be made when resumes do not include the required information, failure to provide this information may result in disqualification. Applicants are encouraged to use the USAJOBS Resume Builder to develop their federal resume. For a brief video on How to Create a Federal Resume, click here. NOTE:  If you are using the USAJOBS Resume Builder, please insert the dates of employment in MM/DD/YY format at the top of the “Duties, Accomplishments, and Related Skills” text field for each period of employment included on your resume. 

Current or former FEMA Reservists/DAE employees: To accurately credit your experience for these intermittent positions, make sure to list the dates (from MM/DD/YY to MM/DD/YY) of each deployment, along with the job title and specific duties you were responsible for during each deployment.  Failure to provide this information may result in disqualification.

Education

This job does not have an education qualification requirement.

Additional information

  • If you receive a conditional offer of employment for this position, you will be required to complete an Optional Form 306, Declaration for Federal Employment, and to sign and certify the accuracy of all information in your application, prior to entry on duty. False statements on any part of the application may result in withdrawal of offer of employment, dismissal after beginning work, fine, or imprisonment.
  • DHS uses E-verify, an internet based system, to confirm the eligibility of all newly hired employees to work in the United States. Learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities.
  • This announcement may be used to fill one or more vacancies.
  • STAFFORD ACT EXCEPTED SERVICE APPOINTMENTS: Cadre On Call Response Employee (CORE) is an appointment type granted under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, Section 306 (b), which authorizes FEMA to appoint such temporary employees as necessary to accomplish work authorized under the Act. Appointments under this authority within FEMA are made to the excepted service and are nonpermanent in nature.
  • All candidates must be able to deploy with little or no advance notice to anywhere in the United States and its territories for an extended period of time. Deployments may include working in excess of eight hours a day, or in excess of 40 hours per week, including weekends and holidays, and under stressful, physically demanding, and austere conditions. When activated and deployed, you serve in a federal travel status and are entitled to lodging, transportation and per diem reimbursements for authorized expenses in accordance with federal travel regulations.
  • If selected for this position, you will be required to complete FEMA’s onboarding program and a subsequent orientation program.  Additional orientation information will be provided post selection.
  • Applying to this announcement certifies that you give permission for DHS to share your application with others in DHS for similar positions.
  • Technical expert on EA policy; a technical advisor to the FCO and Command and General Staff; and the primary liaison/spokesperson with media representatives, congressional staffers, FEMA Headquarters and agency stakeholders and DHS program goals.

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 resume, supporting documentation, and your responses to the occupational questionnaire to ensure you meet the minimum qualification requirements.  If you are qualified, you may be referred to a selection panel for consideration.

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

Interview Requirement.  Interviews may be required for this position.  Failure to complete the interview may result in removal from further consideration.


To preview questions please click here.

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