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Public Affairs Specialist (Direct Hire)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Goddard Space Flight Center
This job announcement has closed

Summary

You will serve as a Public Affairs Specialist in the Office of Communications. Performs work involved in establishing and maintaining mutual communication between NASA and the general public and various other pertinent publics including internal or external, foreign or domestic audiences. Advises on the public affairs programs and/or organizations within NASA.

Overview

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Hiring complete
Open date: 12/10/2021
Closed date: 12/14/2021
Location
2 vacancies in the following location:
Work site options
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Salary
$60,129 - $113,362 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 9 - 12
Promotion potential
12
Pay scale and grade determines the salary of the job.
Work schedule
Full-time
Travel Required
Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Appointment type
Term - Not to Exceed (NTE) 2 Years; may be extended up to 6 years
Occupations and job series
Supervisory status
No
Federal service type
This job is in the Competitive Service
Drug test
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Jobs require a background check and some require a security clearance. The type depends on the job.
Background check type
Announcement number
GSFC-22-DE-11318862-JK
Control number
626221700

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Duties

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  • Duties described below are at the full-performance level. Duties assigned at a lower grade level will be of more limited scope, performed with less independence and limited complexity; duties will be commensurate with the grade of selected employee.
  • Plans, initiates, and implements comprehensive public affairs campaigns to enhance the understanding of the agency's programs among the general public and specialized groups and organizations.
  • Employs social media tools and platforms in support of agency and center communications goals and objectives.
  • Develops and disseminates informational digital/multimedia materials to communicate agency program objectives to the general public or specialized target groups domestic and/or foreign.
  • Advises NASA management officials on the possible public and media reactions to proposed policy statements or agency actions.
  • Establishes and maintains effective working relationships with all media, both foreign and domestic, and develops and disseminates informational materials to pertinent publics through the media.
  • Serves as contact at a NASA Center for public outreach and/or engagement programs involving multiple organizations across assigned Center as well as external partners and entities.
  • Develops and disseminates a wide range of information and data concerning the nature and objectives of NASA programs and missions.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • This position is open to U.S. citizens, nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S
  • Position subject to pre-employment background investigation
  • You must meet qualifications requirements by the closing date of this announcement
  • Please see the "Additional Information" section for important information about COVID-19 vaccination requirements for federal employees.
  • A one-year trial period may be required.

Qualifications

You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade, which has equipped you with the particular competencies needed to successfully perform the duties of the position described above.

To qualify at the GS-09 level, you must have:
a) One year of directly related specialized experience equivalent to the GS-07 level, utilizing digital media tools; working with teams in support of public affairs or outreach activities; and providing communications support to customers.
OR
b) Completed all requirements for a master's or equivalent graduate degree in an appropriate field
OR
c) Completed 2 full academic years of progressively higher graduate education in an appropriate field; or LL.B or J.D, if related
OR
d) Have an equivalent combination of experience and graduate study as discussed in a), b) and c) above

To qualify at the GS-11 level, you must have:
a) One year of directly related specialized experience equivalent to the GS-09 level, utilizing digital medial tools and platforms to share organizational objectives; communicating public affairs program objectives and/or events to target audiences and; collaborating with internal/external organizations to foster relationships.
OR
b) Completed all requirements for a doctoral degree (i.e., Ph.D. or equivalent) in an appropriate field
OR
c) Completed 3 full academic years of progressively higher level graduate education in an appropriate field; or LL.M., if related
OR
d) Have an equivalent combination of experience and graduate study as discussed in a), b) and c) above

To qualify at the GS-12 level, you must have one year of directly related specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 level, utilizing digital/multimedia tools and techniques to develop digital media and web strategies for external and internal communication; recommending methods and techniques for disseminating information that will increase public awareness of programs and; providing consultation to managers on developing and/or revising policies, communications activities.

Your resume must include a clear and detailed narrative description, in your own words, of how you meet the required specialized experience. Experience statements copied from a position description, vacancy announcement or other reference material constitutes plagiarism and may result in disqualification and losing consideration for the job.

Education

This job does not have an education qualification requirement.

Additional information

As required by Executive Order 14043, Federal employees are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 regardless of the employee's duty location or work arrangement (e.g., telework, remote work, etc.), subject to such exceptions as required by law. If selected, you will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and submit documentation of proof of vaccination by November 22, 2021 or before appointment or onboarding with the agency, if after November 22. We will provide additional information regarding what information or documentation will be needed and how you can request a legally required exception from this requirement.

Due to COVID-19, NASA is currently in an expanded telework posture. If selected, you may be expected to temporarily telework, even if your home is located outside the local commuting area. Once employees are permitted to return to the office, you will be expected to report to the duty station listed on this announcement within 30 days. At that time, you may be eligible to request to continue to telework one or more days a pay period depending upon the terms of the agency's telework policy.

Additional selections may be made for similar positions across NASA within the local commuting area(s) of the location(s) identified in this announcement. By applying, you agree to have your application shared with interested selecting official(s) within NASA. CTAP/ICTAP will be cleared for any additional selection from this announcement.

This appointment may be extended beyond the initial appointment date, for a period not to exceed a total of six years.

Current Federal civilian employees may apply for this position. If selected, a break in service of at least 4 calendar days may be required prior to appointment to this position.

If you have special priority selection rights under the Agency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP) or the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP), you must:
- Indicate your eligibility when applying for a position. The questionnaire asks you to identify your ICTAP/CTAP eligibility.
- Meet the minimum qualifications requirements for the position
-Submit proof that you meet the requirements for CTAP/ICTAP as indicated in 'Required Documents'

For additional information about CTAP/ICTAP eligibility, click here - https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/#ictap.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Direct Hire Authority: These positions will be filled through the Office of Personnel Management's Direct Hire Authority. Category rating and veterans' preference will not be considered in evaluating applicants. For more information on Direct Hire Authority, please see: OPM Direct Hire Fact Sheet.

Veterans: Under the provisions of Direct Hire Authority, veterans' preference does not apply. However, applicants who are eligible for veterans' preference are encouraged to include that information in their application and submit supporting documentation (i.e. DD-214, or other substantiating documents). For more information on please see: Veterans' Preference information on the FedsHireVets website.

You will be evaluated for this position based on how well you meet the qualifications and eligibility requirements listed in this vacancy announcement. To determine your qualifications and referral status, we may review your resume and supporting documentation and compare it against your responses to the vacancy questionnaire. Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration.

You will be assessed on the following competencies:

Communications and Media
Manages and Organizes Information
Multimedia Technologies
Public Communications and Outreach

NASA considers 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.

Goddard Space Flight Center

Explore the Extraordinary
Calling all the innovators, pioneers, visionaries, and adventurers! We are a diverse group of professionals united by a common purpose: to discover and expand knowledge for the benefit of humanity. We're building on our rich legacy by embarking on new and exciting missions, both on Earth and beyond and we're looking for fresh ideas to help us get there. Do you have a passion for exploration? Do you want your work to leave an enduring impact? Join us in a career that can take you farther than you can imagine. At NASA, our work is more than just a profession-it's a lifelong pursuit, a passion, and a chance to change the world. NASA is more than astronauts. We are scientists, engineers, IT specialists, human resources specialists, accountants, writers, technicians and many other kinds of people working together to break barriers to achieve the seemingly impossible.

Explore the extraordinary, every day; explore a career at NASA!

Agency contact information

NASA Shared Services Contact Center
Phone
1-877-677-2123
Fax
1-866-779-6772
Email
nssc-contactcenter@nasa.gov
Address
Goddard Space Flight Center
8800 Greenbelt Rd
Greenbelt, MD 20771
US

Visit our careers page

Learn more about what it's like to work at Goddard Space Flight Center, what the agency does, and about the types of careers this agency offers.

https://www.nasa.gov/careers

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