Clarification from the agency

All U.S. Citizens, Senior Executive Service, and those Federal Employees in an Excepted or Competitive Service Status.

As the federal agency whose mission is to ensure the fair and impartial administration of justice for all Americans, the Department of Justice is committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive work environment. To build and retain a workforce that reflects the diverse experiences and perspectives of the American people, we welcome applicants from the many communities, identities, races, ethnicities, backgrounds, abilities, religions, and cultures of the United States who share our commitment to public service.

The Deputy Director, Public Affairs will serve as an advisor to the Director and Department leadership on the formulation, articulation, and implementation of an overall approach to communications issues impacting Department priorities; planning, designing, and overseeing Department-wide policies, programs, and procedures governing information dissemination on legal and law enforcement-related matters; and acting as a national on-the-record spokesperson, providing on-the-record statements to national and international media on a variety of law enforcement cases and initiatives. More specifically, the Deputy Director will:

1. Plan, design, and oversee Department-wide policies, programs, and procedures governing information dissemination functions for significant and/or controversial decisions or actions that directly affect the Department.
2. Serve as a senior advisor, providing oversight, recommendations and strategies to senior Department leadership and Department components on all aspects of the Department's public affairs programs.
3. Provide advice and guidance to public affairs specialists in the Office and in other Department Components on issues involving the application of communications practices in developing or enhancing public affairs matters involving Department senior leadership.
4. Identify important and potentially controversial issues related to media activities and clearly conveys the significance of these issues to the Director, other senior Department staff, as well as to subordinate staff, when appropriate.
5. Communicate with national and internationally known groups or individuals, such as prominent members of the news and others to explain, defend, or present Department positions on important and high-profile federal law enforcement-related programs.
6. Exercise supervisory responsibility of staff to carry out the mission of the Office.
7. Provide direction pertaining to daily operations and program management in the Office, including scheduling work assignments, setting priorities, and directing work; managing attendance and leave, including approval of sick and annual leave; preparing and advising employees of their performance elements and standards and keep them informed individually of their performance; providing recognition and rewards for effective performance; assisting employees to improve their job performance and taking corrective actions when problems arise; resolving employee complaints; fostering consensus building with subordinates; creating a work environment where individuals are treated fairly; and complying with EEO requirements.

Conditions of employment

Conditions of Employment:

1. You must be a United States Citizen or National.
2. Selective Service registration is required for males born on, or after, December 31st, 1959. Those not registered should have an approved exemption on file.
3. You will be required to complete a pre-employment security investigation and background check for the security level designated for this position.
4. You will be required to undergo a drug screening and obtain favorable results prior to being appointed.
5. You may be subject to a one-year probationary period effective from the date in which you are appointed.
6. This position requires you to submit a Public Financial Disclosure Report (OGE 278) upon entry, and annually thereafter in accordance with DOJ and Federal ethics guidelines.
7. You must meet all minimum qualifications to be deemed eligible. Only experience obtained by closing date of this announcement will be considered.

As a basic requirement for entry into the SES, applicants must provide evidence of progressively responsible leadership experience that is indicative of senior executive level management capability and directly related to the skills and abilities outlined under the Mandatory Technical Qualifications and Executive Core Qualifications.

Note regarding COVID-19: To ensure compliance with an applicable preliminary nationwide injunction, which may be supplemented, modified, or vacated, depending on the course of ongoing litigation, the Federal Government will take no action to implement or enforce the COVID-19 vaccination requirement pursuant to Executive Order 14043 on Requiring Coronavirus Disease 2019 Vaccination for Federal Employees. Federal agencies may request information regarding the vaccination status of selected applicants for the purposes of implementing other workplace safety protocols, such as protocols related to masking, physical distancing, testing, travel, and quarantine.

Qualifications

The application process used to recruit for this position is TRADITIONAL METHOD. The applicant must address the Mandatory Technical Qualifications (MTQs) as separate narrative statements not to exceed 2 pages per MTQ. Applications without separate narrative statements will not be considered.

Your application must emphasize your level of responsibilities, the scope and complexity of the programs managed, and your program accomplishments, including the results of your actions. You will be evaluated to determine if you meet the minimum qualifications required of the position and on the extent your application demonstrates that you possess the knowledge, skills, and abilities required of the Deputy Director, Public Affairs. Please be sure to give concrete examples of your experience and demonstrate the complexity of the knowledge you possess.

MTQ 1: Expert level knowledge in the methods, practices, and techniques of public affairs, with emphasis on the ability to plan, implement, manage, and evaluate effective and creative communications and media strategies.

MTQ 2: Demonstrated experience in being a national spokesperson for a major government agency or like organization, with responsibility on advising staff members, management, and decision-makers on issues regarding the development, communication, strategy, or enhancement of public affairs matters involving interactions with internal and external entities in a national or international scale.

Additionally, your demonstrated leadership ability and evidence of the Executive Core Qualifications (ECQs) must be addressed as separate narrative statements not to exceed ten (10) pages. Applications without separate narrative statements will not be considered.

Note: Current career SES members, former career SES members with reinstatement eligibility, and SES Candidate Development Program graduates who have been certified by OPM do NOT need to address the ECQs.

ECQ 1: LEADING CHANGE. This core qualification involves the ability to bring about strategic change, both within and outside the organization, to meet organizational goals. Inherent to this ECQ is the ability to establish an organizational vision and to implement it in a continuously changing environment.

ECQ 2: LEADING PEOPLE. This core qualification involves the ability to lead people toward meeting the organization's vision, mission, and goals. Inherent to this ECQ is the ability to provide an inclusive workplace that fosters the development of others, facilitates cooperation and teamwork, and supports constructive resolution of conflicts.

ECQ 3: RESULTS DRIVEN. This core qualification involves the ability to meet organizational goals. Inherent to this ECQ is the ability to make decisions that produce high-quality results by applying technical knowledge, analyzing problems, and calculating risks.

ECQ 4: BUSINESS ACUMEN. This core qualification involves the ability to manage human, financial, and information resources strategically.

ECQ 5: BUILDING COALITIONS. This core qualification involves the ability to build coalitions internally and with other Federal agencies, State and local governments, nonprofit and private sector organizations, foreign governments, or international organizations to achieve common goals.

Please refer to OPM's Guide to the Senior Executive Service Qualifications for more detailed information. http://www.opm.gov/ses/recruitment/ecq.asp. Copies of the Office of Personnel Management's "Guide to Senior Executive Service Qualifications" may be obtained via the Internet at http://www.opm.gov/ses/references/GuidetoSESQuals_2012.pdf.

How you will be evaluated

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

Only experience obtained by the 11:59pm EST on the closing date (12/14/2022) of this announcement will be considered.

Once this announcement closes the following will occur:

1. A review of your resume, ECQs, MTQs, and supporting documentation will be conducted by the HR Specialist.
2. Applicants deemed minimally qualified will be referred to an Executive Resources Board (ERB) to further evaluate applications.
3. The ERB will further evaluate applications to determine the best qualified applicants for referral to the hiring official.
4. Best qualified applicants will be referred to the hiring official and may be invited to participate in a structured interview. Interviews may be in a virtual setting or in person at DOJ offices.
5. The selected individual will be further evaluated by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) as required by law. OPM must review the executive qualifications of each new career appointee to the Senior Executive Service (SES) prior to appointment.

NOTE: You MUST address all MTQs as required above, but do not need to address the ECQs if you:

1. Are currently serving under a career SES appointment;
2. Are eligible for reinstatement into the SES; or
3. Have successfully completed a SES Candidate Development Program and been certified by Office of Personnel Management (OPM).

Proof of Qualifications Review Board (QRB) certification must be provided in your application.