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Public Affairs Specialist

Department of the Army
U.S. Military Entrance Processing Command
HQ, USMEPCOM is located on the shore of Lake Michigan, 45 minutes north of Chicago.
This job announcement has closed

Summary

About the Position: The U.S. Military Entrance Processing Command, headquartered in North Chicago, IL, is a jointly staffed command, staffed by representatives of all branches of the Armed Forces. The command, through its 67 military processing locations (Military Entrance Processing Stations (MEPS)/Remote Processing Stations (RPS)), determines whether applicants are qualified for enlistment based on standards set by each of the services.

These positions will be filled on a permanent basis.

Overview

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Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
05/05/2023 to 05/18/2023
Salary
$63,633 to - $82,270 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 9
Location
North Chicago
2 vacancies
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—Situational telework as determined by the agency policy. This is NOT a remote work position.
Travel Required
Occasional travel - Business travel is approximately 5%
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
None
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process
Announcement number
NCBG232975404893D
Control number
723630300

Duties

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  • As a Public Affairs Specialist, you will:
  • Research, collect, analyze and select information from a variety of sources to develop the full range of written products for the organization.
  • Produce visual media and content to support organization's messaging efforts.
  • Develop visual information products to support written work.
  • Utilize desktop publishing tools to produce items for publication.
  • Serve as a photographer for photo/video editor for organization.
  • Write news stories, feature articles, speeches, biographies, and other communication products.
  • Ensure accurate use of grammar, syntax, spelling and style of products.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • Appointment may be subject to a suitability or fitness determination, as determined by a completed background investigation.
  • This position has been designated as non-sensitive and requires a personnel security background check.

Qualifications

**Telework eligible position - Position has an official duty location of North Chicago, IL and is eligible for Situational Telework at the discretion of the Command. This position is NOT eligible for remote work (remote duty location). If telework is approved, selectees will be required to report to their official duty location as outlined in their telework agreement.**

Who May Apply: US Citizens

In order to qualify, you must meet the experience and/or education requirements described below. 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). You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Your resume must clearly describe your relevant experience; if qualifying based on education, your transcripts will be required as part of your application. Additional information about transcripts is in this document.

Specialized Experience for GS-9: To qualify based on your work experience, your resume must clearly describe at least one year of experience, at the next lower grade or equivalent, which prepared you to do the work in this job. Specialized experience is defined as experience that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled including: Writing documents (such as: news stories, feature articles, speeches, biographies, and other communication products); Researching information provided for publication to ensure accuracy and factuality of information; Utilizing desktop publishing tools to layout and design publications; Recommending avenues for product distribution to reach intended audiences and meet specified communication goals; Supporting development of communication plans for the organization. This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the next lower grade/level position in the federal service (GS-07).

OR

Education Substitution for Specialized Experience for GS-09: Successful completion of at least a master's or equivalent graduate degree or two (2) full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree in a field which demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to perform the work of the position, such as: Journalism, Public Affairs, Communication, Media, Writing, Rhetoric, English, History, Literature, Marketing. (Note: You must attach a copy of your transcripts.)

OR

Combining Education and Experience for the GS-09: If you have some, but not all, of the experience or education described above by combining the amount of creditable experience and education. To compute the percentage, divide your total months of qualifying experience by 12. Then divide your semester hours of graduate education in excess of 18 hours (total semester hours minus 18) by 18. Add the two percentages. The total percentage must equal at least 100 percent to qualify. (Note: You must attach a copy of your transcripts.)

You will be evaluated on the basis of your level of competency in the following areas:

  • Attention to Detail
  • Communications and Media
  • Planning and Evaluating
  • Technology Application

Education

FOREIGN EDUCATION: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. For further information, visit: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html

In order to qualify for this position, based on your education, education substitution, or combination of education and experience, you must have either completed the education requirement, or will complete this requirement within 30 days from the closing date of this announcement. If you will not complete this requirement within 30 days from the closing date of this announcement, you will be rated as Not Qualified for this position.

You must provide appropriate documentation to reflect when you will meet the education requirement. Appropriate documentation includes: (1) Resume indicating your projected completion/graduation date; (2) Transcripts indicating your projected completion/graduation date; (3) A letter signed by the institution's registrar indicating your projected completion/graduation date.

Additional information

  • Male applicants born after December 31, 1959, must complete a Pre-Employment Certification Statement for Selective Service Registration.
  • You will be required to provide proof of U.S. Citizenship.
  • One year trial/probationary period may be required.
  • Direct Deposit of Pay is required.
  • Selection is subject to restrictions resulting from Department of Defense referral system for displaced employees.
  • If you have retired from federal service and you are interested in employment as a reemployed annuitant, see the information in the Reemployed Annuitant information sheet.
  • This is a Career Field (CF) 22 - position
  • You may claim military spouse preference.
  • If a MSP applicant is determined best qualified and selected, placement must be at the full performance level for priority consideration.
  • Multiple positions may be filled from this announcement.
  • Salary includes applicable locality pay or Local Market Supplement.
  • Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP). If you are a Federal employee in the competitive service and your agency has notified you in writing that you are a displaced employee eligible for ICTAP consideration, you may receive selection priority for this position. To receive selection priority, you must: (1) meet ICTAP eligibility criteria (2) be rated well-qualified for the position and; (3) submit the appropriate documentation to support your ICTAP eligibility. To be considered well-qualified and receive selection priority applicants must satisfy all qualification requirements for the position and receive a score of 90 or above. Additional information about the program is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website.
  • Payment of Permanent Change of Station (PCS) costs is not authorized, based on a determination that a PCS move is not in the Government interest.
  • Due to COVID-19, the agency 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 a designated time frame identified by the organization. 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.
  • 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.

  • This position is in the AFGE Bargaining Unit.
  • This is not a drug testing position.
  • This is not an emergency essential position.
  • Equal Employment Opportunity Policy: The United States Government does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service, or other non-merit factor. To learn more, please consult the following resources: Equal Employment (EEO) Office at OPM or Office of Equal Opportunity.

How you will be evaluated

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

Once the announcement has closed, a review of your application package (resume, supporting documents, and responses to the questionnaire) will be used to determine whether you meet the qualification requirements listed on this announcement. If you are minimally qualified, your résumé and supporting documentation will be compared against your responses to the assessment questionnaire to determine your level of experience. If, after reviewing your résumé and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and/or experience, you may lose consideration for this position. Please follow all instructions carefully when applying, errors or omissions may affect your eligibility.

You should list any relevant performance appraisals and incentive awards in your resume as that information may be taken into consideration during the selection process. If selected, you may be required to provide supporting documentation.

Basis for Rating: Qualified candidates will be assigned to one of three quality categories: Best Qualified, Highly Qualified and Qualified. Veteran preference eligibles are listed ahead of non-preference eligibles within each quality category.

  • Best Qualified. Candidates in this category possess exceptional skills and experience to exceed well above the minimum requirements for the announced position.
  • Highly Qualified. Candidates in this category possess good skills and experience above the minimum requirements for the announced position.
  • Qualified. Candidates in this category meet the minimum experience requirements for the announced position.

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