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Public Affairs Specialist

Department of the Interior
Bureau of Land Management
Wyoming State Office
This job announcement has closed

Summary

Explore a new career with the BLM - where our people are our most precious resource.

This is not a virtual/remote position. The selectee will be expected to report to the duty station on a regular recurring basis.

This position is located in Cheyenne, WY.

We expect to fill one vacancy at this time; however, additional positions may be filled from this announcement if they become available.

Overview

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Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
01/23/2024 to 02/09/2024
Salary
$49,025 to - $77,955 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 7 - 9
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Cheyenne, WY
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
No
Appointment type
Recent graduates
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Excepted
Promotion potential
11
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Other
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Noncritical-Sensitive (NCS)/Moderate Risk
Trust determination process
Announcement number
WYPTHWYS-24-12281823-ML
Control number
772519800

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

All U.S. Citizens - No previous Federal service is required Recent Graduates who in the previous 2 years have completed a degree or certificate from a qualifying educational institution. Veterans precluded by a military service obligation have up to 6 years after completion of degree or certificate to apply. This is a target GS-11 position.

Duties

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  • Web lead for BLM Wyoming responsible for content management, design, structure and integration of approved content for the BLM Wyoming Internet/Intranet (SharePoint) websites.
  • Researches, drafts, and distributes informational materials and products, like press releases, social media content, and web content, designed to further public, employee, and customer understanding of BLM's mission and projects.
  • In consultation with the supervisor or higher graded specialists, assists with the production of a broad range of creative, informative print, electronic and digital products (web and social media) in support of the BLM's communication objectives.
  • Reviews photographs and artwork for quality and composition. May take photographs or video for use in print or digital media products.
  • Drafts public affairs plans and strategies designed to inform the public about issues or projects.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • U.S. Citizenship is required upon conversion.
  • Be sure to read the How to Apply and Required Documents Sections.
  • You cannot hold an active real estate license; nor can you have an interest or hold stocks in firms with interest in Federal Land.
  • Direct Deposit Required.
  • Appointment will be subject to a favorably adjudicated background/suitability investigation/determination.
  • Your resume must contain enough information to show that you meet the qualification requirements as defined in the announcement. In addition, your responses to the questions must adequately reflect in your resume.
  • Recent Graduates serve a trial period for the entire duration of their excepted service appointment.
  • You must submit a transcripts.
  • You must meet all qualification requirements upon the closing date of this announcement.

Qualifications

This is a developmental GS-07/09/11 position.

To be eligible, an applicant must:

Recent Graduates
A Recent Graduate who has obtained a qualifying associates, bachelors, masters, professional, doctorate, vocational or technical degree or certificate from a qualifying educational institution within the previous 2 years or other applicable period.

Other applicable period may include: (1) Certain veterans precluded from applying within the timeframe described above due to a military service obligation, shall have a full 2-year period of eligibility upon his/her release or discharge from active duty. However, in no event, may the individual's eligibility period extend beyond 6 years from the date on which the individual completed the requirements of an academic course of study; and (2) Applicants who completed their educational program requirements after December 27, 2010 will have a full 2 years of eligibility beginning on the date the final regulations became effective, July 10, 2012.

To qualify for the GS-7, you must meet the requirement below:

Specialized Experience: One (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-5 level or pay band in the Federal service that includes performing the following duties: Updating websites, writing, developing and finalizing articles, feature stories, news releases, and social media posts; composing reports, talking points, briefing packets and power point presentations; planning, designing, and preparing visual informational material (i.e., infographics, brochures, or interpretive panels) related to a program. Developing and executing communications plans and strategies. Providing guidance and oversight on communication programs. Communicates in a timely fashion with diverse audiences and the media and establishes and maintains effective working relationships. Analyzing and evaluating data and making appropriate recommendations and implementing plans to resolve public affairs programs in various program areas.

OR

1 full year of graduate level education

or

superior academic achievement (see education below for further details)

To qualify for the GS-9, you must meet the requirement below:

Specialized Experience: One (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-7 level or pay band in the Federal service that includes performing the following duties: Updating websites, writing, developing and finalizing articles, feature stories, news releases, and social media posts; composing reports, talking points, briefing packets and power point presentations; planning, designing, and preparing visual informational material (i.e., infographics, brochures, or interpretive panels) related to a program. Developing and executing communications plans and strategies. Providing guidance and oversight on communication programs. Communicates in a timely fashion with diverse audiences and the media and establishes and maintains effective working relationships. Analyzing and evaluating data and making appropriate recommendations and implementing plans to resolve public affairs programs in various program areas.


OR

master's or equivalent graduate degree

or

2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree

or

LL.B. or J.D., if related

NOTE: Equivalent combinations of education and experience are qualifying for all grade levels for which both education and experience are acceptable.

Combining Education and Experience: Combinations of successfully completed post-high school education and experience may be used to meet total qualification requirements for the grade levels specified in the table, and may be computed by first determining the applicant's total qualifying experience as a percentage of the experience required for the grade level; then determining the applicant's education as a percentage of the education required for the grade level; and then adding the two percentages. The total percentages must equal at least 100 percent to qualify an applicant for that grade level. Only graduate education in excess of the amount required for the next lower grade level may be used to qualify applicants for positions at grades GS-9 and GS-11. (When crediting education that requires specific course work, prorate the number of hours of related courses required as a proportion of the total education to be used.)

Graduate Education: Education at the graduate level in an accredited college or university in the amounts shown in the table meets the requirements for positions at GS-7 through GS-11. Such education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work.

One year of full-time graduate education is considered to be the number of credit hours that the school attended has determined to represent 1 year of full-time study. If that information cannot be obtained from the school, 18 semester hours should be considered as satisfying the 1 year of full-time study requirement.


You must meet all eligibility and qualification requirements by the closing date of the announcement.

USA Hire Assessment Link Please refer to the job opportunity announcement or your acknowledgement letter for more information concerning the assessment(s) or other application requirements. If you encounter issues logging in to complete the online assessment(s), you should log in from a different computer. Security restrictions on work computers may impede applicants from logging in to complete their online assessment(s).For additional information about the assessments, or to submit a help desk ticket, review the following resources: https://help.usastaffing.gov/Apply/index.php?title=USA_Hire_Assessments.If you have any questions about the assessments, please submit a helpdesk ticket at https://apply.usastaffing.gov/HelpTicket. To determine if you require a Reasonable Accommodation in order to complete the assessment(s), please review the information here: https://help.usastaffing.gov/Apply/index.php?title=Reasonable_Accommodations_for_USA_Hire.

Education

Superior Academic Achievement (S.A.A)

NOTE: In order to be creditable under this provision, superior academic achievement must have been gained in a curriculum that is qualifying for the position to be filled.

S.A.A. is based on (1) class standing, (2) grade point average, or (3) honor society membership.

1. Class standing

Applicants must be in the upper third of the graduating class in college, university or major subdivision, such as the College of Liberal Arts or the School of Business, based on completed courses.

2. Grade point average (G.P.A.)

Applicants must have a grade-point average of:

  1. 3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B" or better) as recorded on official transcript, or as computed based on 4 years of education, or as computed based on courses completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum; or
  2. 3.5 or higher out of a possible 4.0 ("B+" or better) based on the average of the required courses completed in the major field or the required courses in the major field completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum.

Grade point averages are to be rounded to one decimal place. For example, 2.95 will round to 3.0 and 2.94 will round to 2.9.

The G.P.A. is credited in a manner that is most beneficial to the applicant. For example, applicants may list their G.P.A. as recorded on their final transcript, or they may choose to compute their G.P.A. The specific provisions are detailed below:

  • G.P.A. as recorded on the final transcript. The final transcript must cover the period being used to determine G.P.A., i.e., all 4 years or last 2 years.
  • G.P.A. including course work after bachelor's degree. Undergraduate course work obtained after an applicant has received a bachelor's degree can be credited in computing the G.P.A. of applicants who need those courses to meet minimum qualification requirements, i.e., the courses are required by the standard or by the individual occupational requirement. They are treated as described in the following example:
    • An applicant for a Biologist position has a bachelor's degree that included no biology course work, but has taken 24 semester hours in undergraduate biology courses after obtaining the bachelor's degree. The grades earned in the biology courses should be included in the computation to determine this applicant's eligibility for GS-7 under the Superior Academic Achievement provision. These courses should be counted in determining (1) the overall grade-point average, (2) the average obtained during the final 2 years of the undergraduate curriculum, and/or (3) the average in the major field of study. For purposes of this example, biology would be considered the major field of study.
  • G.P.A. excluding pass/fail courses. Applicants usually cannot claim credit based on their overall G.P.A. if more than 10 percent of their total credit was based on pass/fail or similar systems rather than on traditional grading systems. However, if they can document that only their freshman-year courses (25 percent or less of their total credit) were credited on a pass/fail or similar system, they can use their overall G.P.A. to claim Superior Academic Achievement. If 10 percent or fewer credits or only freshman-year courses were based on pass/fail or similar systems, such credits can be ignored and the G.P.A. computed on the graded courses. Applicants can, however, still claim credit based on their last 2 years if 10 percent or fewer credits were based on pass/fail or similar systems. Applicants who cannot claim credit under the G.P.A. requirements may claim credit for superior academic achievement only on the basis of class standing or honor society membership.

3. Election to membership in a national scholastic honor society

Applicants can be considered eligible based on membership in one of the national scholastic honor societies listed below. Membership in a freshman honor society cannot be used to meet the requirement of this provision.

Note: If you are a member of an Honor Society not listed below you may still qualify for SAA based on class standing or GPA.

Recent Graduates Program
Recent Graduates who in the previous 2 years have completed a degree or certificate from a qualifying educational institution. Veterans precluded by a military service obligation have up to 6 years after completion of degree or certificate to apply.

Recent Graduates
This position is for Recent Graduates who have completed a qualifying associates, bachelors, masters, professional, doctorate, vocational or technical degree or certificate from a qualifying educational institution within the previous 2 years. Note: (1) Certain veterans precluded from applying within the timeframe due to a military service obligation have up to 6 years from completing their education to apply; (2) Applicants who completed their educational program requirements after December 27, 2010 will have a full 2 years of eligibility beginning on the date the final regulations became effective, July 10, 2012.

This is an excepted service, developmental experience appointment expected to last only 1 year under the BLM Pathways Recent Graduates Program. The BLM will require the selected applicant to complete a Participant Agreement in which it shall document the anticipated start and end dates for this developmental appointment.

The agency may noncompetitively convert a Recent Graduate who is a U. S. citizen to a term or permanent appointment in the competitive service, as long as the Recent Graduate successfully completes the BLM's 1 year developmental program and meets the OPM Qualification Standards for the targeted occupational series.

Pathways participants must be U.S. Citizens in order to be eligible for conversion to permanent positions.

Additional information

You must submit copies of all transcripts or a list of college courses that include hours and grades from an accredited U.S. college/university. See Required Documents section for more information.

All academic degrees and coursework must be completed at an institution that has obtained accreditation or pre-accreditation status from an accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. For a list of schools that meet this criteria, see http://www.ed.gov

Foreign Education Note: You may use foreign education to meet qualification requirements if you send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency in with your transcript. It is your responsibility to timely provide such evidence by submitting proof of creditability of education as evaluated by a credentialing agency with your application materials. More information may be found at http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html. All documentation must be in English or include an English translation.

DOI uses E-Verify to confirm employment eligibility of all newly hired employees. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, please visit E-Verify.

Males born after 12/31/59 must be registered for Selective Service

Travel and relocation expenses will not be paid by the Department of the Interior. Any travel, transportation and relocation expenses associated with reporting for duty in this position will be the responsibility of the selected employee.

The official worksite for the selectee is the duty station identified in this vacancy announcement. The selectee will typically report to this duty location on a regular and recurring weekly basis. The selectee may be allowed to telework with supervisor approval.

Certain incentives (such as Recruitment, Relocation or Student Loan Repayment) may be authorized to eligible selectees. If eligible and qualified, you may be offered a recruitment or relocation incentive. The decision to offer an incentive will be made on a case-by-case basis and is neither promised nor guaranteed. For information visit: Recruitment Incentive or Relocation Incentive or Student Loan Repayment.

How you will be evaluated

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

Once the application process is complete, we will review your application to ensure you meet the job requirements. To determine if you are qualified for this job, a review of your resume, supporting documentation and responses to the online questionnaire will be made. Your responses to the online questionnaire will be used to measure the degree to which your background matches the requirements for this position. Qualified applicants will be placed in one of three predefined categories: Best Qualified, Well Qualified and Qualified. However, your resume must support your responses to the scored occupational questionnaire, or your score may be lowered. Within these categories, applicants eligible for veteran's preference will receive selection priority over non-veterans. Candidates placed in the Best Qualified category will be identified for referral to the hiring manager and may be contacted for an interview.

Recent Graduates
Once you complete and submit your application package, a review of your application will be made to ensure you meet the eligibility and minimum qualification requirements for the job. Your eligibility and qualification status will be based on a human resources assessment conducted using qualification standards, your responses to the job-related questions, information provided in your resume, and required supporting documents (see the Required Documents section). Veteran's preference applies to the selection for positions in the Pathways Programs. The examination and selection of applicants will be made in accordance with requirements of the 5 CFR Part 302.

Eligible and qualified applicants who receive a score that ranges 70 to 100 will be placed in one of three categories: Best Qualified, Highly Qualified, or Qualified. Within these categories, applicants eligible for veteran's preference will receive selection priority over non-veterans. In addition, interviews may be conducted for this position. The job related questions align with the following knowledge, skills and abilities required to perform the duties of this position.

Your answers to the online assessment will be used to evaluate your competencies in the following areas:
Attention to Detail, Communications and Media, Customer Service, Flexibility, Information Management, Integrity/Honesty, Interpersonal Skills, Learning, Reading Comprehension, Reasoning, Self-Management, Stress Tolerance, Teamwork, and Technology Application


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