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Public Affairs Specialist

Department of State
Department of State - Agency Wide
This job announcement has closed

Summary

This position is located in the Bureau of Global Health Security and Diplomacy (GHSD). GHSD leads U.S. diplomatic engagement and supports programmatic efficiency to strengthen the global health security architecture and prevent, detect, control, and respond to infectious diseases, including HIV/AIDS. 

Overview

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Reviewing applications
Open & closing dates
03/06/2024 to 03/20/2024
Salary
$99,200 to - $128,956 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 12
Location
Washington, DC
1 vacancy
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
25% or less - Occasional domestic and overseas travel may be required.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
12
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Secret
Drug test
Yes
Position sensitivity and risk
Noncritical-Sensitive (NCS)/Moderate Risk
Trust determination process
Announcement number
S/ES-2024-0077
Control number
780154200

Duties

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  • Drafts, edits, and clears media notes, talking points, press guidance, and responses to media inquiries.
  • Coordinates press events for senior GHSD officials. Liaises with the State Department's Bureau of Public Affairs to create and pursue speaking opportunities that reach a large number of targeted audiences.
  • Develops communication plans by considering such items as specific topics or aspects to emphasize, identifying the most effective media to use in communicating with intended audiences.
  • Coordinates with management and other program specialists to assist with interpreting policy and obtaining the scientific program information and policies for use in writing blogs, news releases, articles, statements, and other communications.
  • Develops and maintains relationships within GHSD, the Department and external stakeholders.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • U.S. Citizenship is required.
  • Incumbent will be subject to random drug testing.
  • Must be able to obtain and maintain a Secret security clearance.
  • Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit: www.dhs.gov/E-Verify/

Qualifications

Applicants must meet all the qualification requirements described below by the closing date of this announcement. 

Applicants must have 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 level in the Federal service which provided the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to perform the duties of the position.

Qualifying specialized experience must demonstrate the following:

  • Experience drafting press guidance and other public affairs materials for delivery.
  • Experience preparing briefing materials and talking points for senior officials.
  • Experience using appropriate tact and discretion to convey information to media, the public, and senior officials verbally.

There is no substitute of education for specialized experience for the GS-12 position.

Education

Education requirements do not apply to this vacancy announcement.

Additional information

  • For reasonable accommodation at the U.S. Department of State, please contact the Office of Accessibility and Accommodations at (202) 663-3474 or OAA@state.gov.
  • If eligible, telework may be permitted with supervisory approval.  
  • Multiple positions may be filled from this announcement.  If eligible, applicants to this announcement may be referred to other similar positions in other Bureaus/Offices in the Department for up to 240 days.  Telework eligibility and security clearance requirements may vary for such similar positions. 

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, a review of your resume will be conducted and compared against your responses to the assessment questions to determine if you are qualified for this job.  Note:  Responses to questions that are not fully supported by the information in your resume may result in adjustments to your rating. 

Applicants who meet the minimum qualification requirements, as described in the “Qualifications” section of this announcement, will be assigned to one of three quality categories:

  1. Qualified - In addition to meeting minimum qualifications, applicants must demonstrate a basic level of the required competencies (knowledge, skills and abilities) for the position.
  2. Well Qualified - In addition to meeting minimum qualifications, applicants must demonstrate proficiency in some but not all of the required competencies (knowledge, skills, and abilities) for the position.
  3. Highly Qualified - In addition to meeting minimum qualifications, applicants must fully demonstrate proficiency in all of the required competencies (knowledge, skills and abilities) for the position.

Highly Qualified applicants may be referred to the hiring manager for further consideration and possible interview.  The category assignment is a measure of the degree in which your background matches the competencies (knowledge, skills, and abilities) required for this position. Your qualifications will be evaluated on the following competencies:

  • Ability to understand conflicting positions.

  • Knowledge of the media environment as well as the principles and techniques of journalism.

  • Ability to identify problems and recommend solutions.

  • Ability to meet deadlines.

  • Ability to communicate effectively at all levels of the organization.

Veterans: Qualified veterans who have a compensable service-connected disability of at least 10% are listed in the Highly Qualified category.  Other 10-point preference eligible and veterans with 5-point preference who meet the eligibility and qualification requirements are placed above non-preference eligible applicants within the category in which they qualify.  View information on veterans' preference on OPM’s Fed Hire Vets website.

Agency and Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP and ICTAP) Eligibles: If you have never been a Federal employee, you are not CTAP or ICTAP eligible. View information about CTAP and ICTAP eligibility on OPM's Career Transition Resources website. You must be rated in the Well-Qualified category for this position and submit the supporting documents listed under the required documents section of this job announcement to receive consideration for selection priority. 


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