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Public Affairs Specialist

Department of Transportation
Federal Transit Administration
This job announcement has closed

Summary

This position is located in the Office of Communications and Congressional Affairs (TCA), Federal Transit Administration. TCA is responsible for the leadership and management of all aspects of external and internal communication, public engagement, correspondence management and control, as well as the agency's legislative affairs activities.

Overview

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Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
01/05/2022 to 01/21/2022
Salary
$106,823 to - $138,868 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
Not required
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time - Full Time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
13
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Other
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process
Announcement number
FTA.TCA-2022-0002
Control number
629817600

Duties

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The Public Affairs Specialist:

  • Plans, coordinates, and interacts with stakeholders regarding FTA sponsored, co-sponsored or those transit-related industry conferences, meetings, public events and special projects in which FTA officials are participating to determine objectives and requirements. 
  • Exercises a high level of independence in analyzing and evaluating current agency and departmental programs and initiatives. Firm command of event logistics. 
  • Develops factually accurate and thoroughly researched communications tools, including reports, testimonies, speeches/remarks, fact sheets, policy documents, briefing papers, official written correspondence and various communication instruments including news releases and all forms of social media to ensure messages relating to FTA programs, policies, grants and initiatives are clear, convincing and meet FTA’s quality standards.
  • Ensures the logic, clarity, consistency, grammatical accuracy, and appropriate tone of FTA written and digital products.

The ideal candidate will have experience working for or with a news organization or public affairs firm in developing and executing strategic communications.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • You must be a U.S.Citizen and eligible for consideration.
  • You must meet specialized experience to qualify.
  • Required documents must be submitted by the closing date.
  • Submit application and resume online by 11:59 PM EST on the closing date.

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT:

  • SELECTIVE SERVICE: Males born after 12/31/1959 must be registered for the Selective Service.
  • PCS/RELOCATION/RECRUITMENT: Permanent Change of Station (PCS), Relocation, and Recruitment Incentive authorization varies by position/selection.
  • TELEWORK: In response the COVID-19 pandemic, the employee in this position will remain in maximum telework status until the Department of Transportation returns employees to the workplace once public health conditions allow for a safe return.  Once maximum telework ends, this position is eligible for telework at a minimum of 2 days per week. As approved by management, this position may be eligible for additional telework, up to 3 – 4 days per week.
  • PROBATIONARY PERIOD: You must complete a one-year probationary period (unless already completed).
  • TIME-IN-GRADE: Federal applicants must have served 52 weeks at the next lower grade in the competitive or excepted service in the executive branch to satisfy time-in-grade restrictions contained in 5 CFR 300, Subpart F.
  • DEU REQUIREMENTS: Applicants selected under delegated examining procedures may be required to successfully complete a one-year probationary period (unless already completed).

Qualifications

To meet the minimum qualifications for this position, you must meet the specialized experience requirements.

To qualify for the Grade 13, you must have at least one year of experience equal or equivalent to the GS-12, it must include:

  • Experience in the use information channels, written and social media to disseminate public, congressional office, and policy-related material.
  • Experience writing and editing briefings, policy documents, public affairs-related documents, and other executive-level communications for internal and external audiences.
  • Experience researching and analyzing policy and programs to develop informational materials for dissemination.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES (KSAs): Your qualifications will be evaluated on the basis of your level of knowledge, skills, abilities and/or competencies in the following areas:

  • Public Affairs Knowledge
  • Skill in oral and written communication

For all types of consideration, 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.

For additional information about applying to Federal positions, please click on the following link:  https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-policies/#url=e4

All applicants must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

Additional information

PLEASE NOTE: This is a Bargaining unit position represented by the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), Local 3313.

COVID VACCINATION: 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 only to 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 before appointment or onboarding with the agency.  The agency will provide additional information regarding what information or documentation will be needed and how you can request a legally required exception from this requirement.

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

How you will be evaluated

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

DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE: PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. If your resume/ application does not support your questionnaire answers, we will not allow credit for your response(s). Your resume must contain sufficiently detailed information upon which to make a qualification determination. 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, and if the position is/was in the Federal government, you should provide the position series and grade level. 


To compete with U.S. Citizens:  If you meet the qualification requirements, your application will be placed in one of two categories: Qualified and Well Qualified which is based upon your responses to the vacancy questions. Within these categories, applicants eligible for veteran's preference that have provided supporting documents will receive selection priority over non-veterans. The top rated applications will be reviewed for the quality of your experience, education and training relevant to the position.


To compete with other competitive status government employees: If you meet the qualification requirements, your application will be scored based upon your responses to the vacancy questions. The top rated applications will be reviewed for the quality of your experience, education and training relevant to the position. If referred, all relevant documents including performance appraisals and awards submitted with your application package will be forwarded to the hiring official for review.

Eligible Federal employees also seeking consideration for noncompetitive reassignment for this position, must indicate interest in the assessment. In eligibility question 14: select Yes/Other/Former Incumbency of a Position brought into the Competitive Service. Noncompetitive federal candidates must have competitive status on a SF-50, meet minimum qualifications, have served at the same grade or higher, and held or exceeded the promotion potential of this position.

All applicants:  Your application will be rated on the extent and quality of your experience, education and training relevant to the position. The answers you select in the on-line process must be substantiated in your application package.  If upon review, it is determined that your described work history, competencies, and/or supporting documents do not support your answer choices, your application may be updated on your behalf or you may not be referred to the selecting official. Please ensure that your work history provides enough details to support your answers. The Automated Staffing Office is ultimately responsible for determining your final rating.


To preview questions please click here.

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