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Public Affairs Specialist

Department of Agriculture
Forest Service
This job announcement has closed

Summary

This is an open and continuous announcement. See Additional Information section for more information. Applications will expire every 90 days. To remain active for consideration, applicants must resubmit their application. Positions may be filled at one or more of the duty locations included in this announcement.

Final determination of the duty location will be made at the time of the job offer.

Overview

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Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
10/30/2023 to 07/03/2024
Salary
$69,107 to - $107,680 per year

Salary wage as shown is for Rest of the U.S. For more information, refer to the Office of Personnel Management, Salary and Wages web page.

Pay scale & grade
GS 11 - 12
Locations
Many vacancies in the following locations:
Hoonah, AK
Juneau, AK
Ketchikan, AK
Petersburg, AK
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
Occasional travel - You may be expected to travel for this position.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
Yes—A recruitment or relocation incentive, or reimbursement of relocation expenses may be authorized at the discretion of management in accordance with agency policy.
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
12
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
24-CHI-OCR-12184277-DP
Control number
757632800

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Duties

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  • Duties listed are at the full performance level.
  • Leads the strategic development and implementation of a comprehensive public affairs program.
  • Manages the Forest website and social media management.
  • Plans and implements communication campaigns to address critical issues and to explain Forest Service policies, programs, and activities.
  • Serves as primary contact for news reporters, and coordinates congressional inquiry responses.
  • Provides fire information support for wildland fires and other incidents.
  • Serves as Forest's Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) coordinator.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • Must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
  • Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered for Selective Service or exempt.
  • Subject to satisfactory adjudication of background investigation and/or fingerprint check.
  • Successful completion of one-year probationary period, unless previously served.
  • Per Public Law 104-134 all Federal employees are required to have federal payments made by direct deposit to their financial institution.
  • Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit E-Verify.

Qualifications

In order to qualify, you must meet the eligibility and qualifications requirements as defined below by the closing date of the announcement. For more information on the qualifications for this position, visit the Office of Personnel Management's General Schedule Qualification Standards.

Your application and resume must clearly show that you possess the experience requirements. Transcripts must be provided for qualifications based on education. Provide course descriptions as necessary.

Specialized Experience Requirement:
For the GS-11
: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-9 grade level. Examples of specialized experience include one (1) or more of the following:

  • Responding in oral and written form, to requests for information by determining the nature of the data required and collecting and assembling the material using the appropriate format and style based on needs and organization practices;
  • Assisting in evaluation and analysis of public comments on management issues;
  • Identifying areas to be addressed, characteristics and needs of the target audience, and communication techniques most appropriate;
  • Developing recommended approaches and drafting material for supervisor's approval; and/or
  • Developing and presenting informational audio-visual material using new technologies and social media.
-OR-
Ph.D. or equivalent Doctoral degree or 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.M., if related;

-OR-
An appropriate combination of specialized experience and graduate level education (beyond what is required for a Master's degree, i.e., more than 36 semester hours leading to a Ph.D.)

For the GS-12: Applicants must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-11 grade level. Examples of specialized experience include one (1) or more of the following:
  • Preparing written materials to promote an organization's position on a variety of sensitive and controversial issues;
  • Incorporate situation analysis, target publics identification, media and message strategies, and evaluation of effectiveness and costs in each communications initiative;
  • Establishing and maintaining working relationships with media representatives, local leaders, congressional representatives, and/or representatives of special interest groups; and/or
  • Designing and tailoring meetings and public involvement strategies to audiences that involved a degree of controversy.
Work Experience: Your resume must clearly document the following for each block of work experience; the beginning day, month and year the work assignment started and ended; the hours worked per week; position title, and series and grade if applicable; and description of duties performed. This information must be provided for each permanent, temporary, or seasonal appointment/work assignment or volunteer work and should be clearly documented as a separate block of time. Incomplete, inaccurate, or conflicting work history may not be credited for qualifications purposes. This can result in an applicant not being considered for the position.

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.

Education

See above for education that may be qualifying for the specific grade level.

Additional information

The USDA Forest Service has legislative authority to recruit and fill Permanent (Career/Career-Conditional), Temporary, and Term Appointments under the USDA Demonstration Project. Under this authority, any U.S. citizen may apply.

Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP), Reemployment Priority List (RPL), or Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP): To exercise selection priority for this vacancy, CTAP/RPL/ICTAP candidates must meet the basic eligibility requirements and all selective factors. CTAP/ICTAP eligibles must meet the agency's definition for a quality candidate as provided in the How You Will Be Evaluated section of this announcement to be considered.


If you are selected for a position with further promotion potential, you will be placed under a career development plan, and may be non-competitively promoted if you successfully complete the requirements and if recommended by management. However, promotion is not guaranteed.


This position may be eligible to telework up to four days per week, based upon the duties of the position. This position may also be eligible for flexible work arrangements as determined by agency policy and any applicable collective bargaining agreements.

The Forest Service may use certain incentives and hiring flexibilities, currently offered by the Federal government, to attract highly qualified candidates. Additional information is available at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/pay-and-leave-flexibilities-for-recruitment-and-retention/

Positions filled from this announcement may be a bargaining or a non-bargaining unit position represented by either NFFE, AFGE or NAGE.

Forest Service daycare facilities may be available.

Government Housing may be available.
THIS IS AN OPEN CONTINUOUS ANNOUNCEMENT. This type of announcement provides the Forest Service with a readily available source of applicants when vacancies occur. Eligibility and qualifications will be verified when there is a vacancy for the location and grade for which you applied. Information on specific locations where jobs are being filled and the dates when applications are due for these locations can be found at https://fsoutreach.gdcii.com/Outreach.

How you will be evaluated

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

You will be evaluated in accordance with the category rating procedure as defined in the USDA Demonstration Project Plan. Applicants who meet the basic minimum qualification requirements established for the position will be placed in the Eligible category. You will be further evaluated against criteria for placement in the Quality category. This evaluation is based on the level of your experience, education, and/or training as determined by your responses to the Assessment Questionnaire. Individuals with veterans' preference are listed ahead of applicants who do not have veterans' preference within each category.

Note: If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and or experience, your score may be adjusted to more accurately reflect your abilities, or you may be found ineligible. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating. Providing inaccurate information on Federal documents could be grounds for non-selection or disciplinary action up to including removal from the Federal service.

To view the application form, visit: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12184277

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