This GS-1035-12 Public Affairs Specialist position will work for the Division of Interpretation & Visitor Services at Zion National Park, in Springdale, Utah. This is a permanent, full-time position.
Be a successful applicant. Watch this 5-minute video to learn how to create or improve your federal resume.
Summary
This GS-1035-12 Public Affairs Specialist position will work for the Division of Interpretation & Visitor Services at Zion National Park, in Springdale, Utah. This is a permanent, full-time position.
Be a successful applicant. Watch this 5-minute video to learn how to create or improve your federal resume.
This position serves as the Public Affairs Specialist for the National Park Service (NPS) at Zion National Park, Division of Interpretation & Visitor Services, and will serve on the Park Executive Team (PET) leading and advising on a wide range of public affairs issues.
Media Relations:
Serves as the park's Public Affairs Specialist. Advises the park subject matter experts, Park Executive Team (PET), and Superintendent on all aspects of media relations. Has lead responsibility in developing and maintaining positive professional relationships with the local, national, and international media (print, television, radio, and digital).
Develops, produces, and distributes news releases in a variety of formats on issues and activities.
Reaches out to media representatives to assure coverage of Park stories; this includes providing informational tours and briefings, targeting specific reporters for stories, working with state agencies and partner organizations.
Serves as the park's Freedom of Information Acti (FOIA) officer, coordinating park responses for FOIA requests. Leads or assists Cedar Breaks and Pipe Spring National Monuments with FOIA requests.
Community Outreach and Engagement:
Supports the Park Executive Team (PET) to increase awareness and support for park management among leaders in the State and members of communities in the area by serving as a park representative within organizations. This includes but is not limited to assisting with the planning and delivery of public meetings on issues of concern to the park.
Develops and implements communications strategies for outreach during incidents, special events, etc. and is recognized as a national communications resource to turn to for incident/event communication expertise.
Legislative and Intergovernmental Relations:
Supports the Department of the Interior (DOI) and NPS by preparing briefing statements on Park issues for internal NPS officials and external legislative offices. Provides issue briefings and printed materials on Park issues for the staff of elected officials and visiting dignitaries and provides for informational exchange and dialog. Provides technical assistance and expertise to other parks with similar programs and requests.
Internal Communications:
Has lead responsibility for developing methods to improve the flow of information from the PET to employees at all levels throughout the park, and laterally between park offices and programs. Works collaboratively with subject matter experts and oversees the development and the dissemination of information to park and partner staff.
Supervisory:
The incumbent develops and sets annual and long-range workplans and assures implementation of established goals and objectives.
Physical Demands: This work is usually performed at a desk; however, there are frequent visits to outdoor sites for events or media interviews, which may expose the employee to inclement weather or require movement over rough or uneven terrain. Long or unpredictable hours and stressful situations are common.
Working Conditions: The work environment involves everyday risks typical of office settings and travel in vehicles such as planes, trains, buses, or automobiles and requires normal safety precautions. The regular work area is adequately lighted, heated/cooled, and ventilated. However, the incumbent will be required to work outside in all weather conditions to address emerging issues, breaking news, and to support special events. In addition, the incumbent may be called to work unscheduled hours at all times of the day or night and may be expected to support events that occur on
holidays and weekends.
Appointment subject to background investigation and favorable adjudication.
Meet Selective Service Registration Act requirement for males.
DIRECT DEPOSIT: Selectee will be required to participate in the Direct Deposit Electronics Funds Transfer Program.
DRIVER'S LICENSE: You will be required to operate a government (or private) motor vehicle as part of your official duties; a valid driver's license is required. You will be required to submit a Motor Vehicle Operator's License and Driving Record. You must also submit (within a State sealed envelope or submitted directly by the State authorities), and at your own expense, all certified driving records from all States that disclose all valid driver's licenses, whether current or past, possessed by you.
UNIFORM: You will be required to wear a uniform and comply with the National Park Service uniform standards. A uniform allowance will be provided.
WORK SCHEDULE: You may be required to work evenings, weekends, holidays, and overtime.
PROBATIONARY PERIOD: If you are a new employee or supervisor in the Federal government, you will be required to complete a one-year probationary period.
TRAVEL: You may be required to travel overnight away from home, occasionally, depending on events or incidents that may occur in or near the park requiring public affairs support. You must obtain a government charge card for travel purposes.
Qualifications
All qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement-04/30/2024-unless otherwise stated in this vacancy announcement.
Credit will be given for all appropriate qualifying experience. To receive credit for experience, your resume MUSTCLEARLY (1) indicate the nature of the duties and responsibilities for each position, (2) with starting and ending dates of employment (month/year), and (3) the resume must reflect full and/or part-time or total number of hours worked (i.e., work 40+ hours a week, rather than indicating full-time). If part-time, the hours must be annotated to be able to pro-rate the amount of qualified specialized experience. You will not receive any credit for experience that does not indicate exact hours per week or is listed as "varies", "summer", "seasonal", etc..
To qualify for this position at the GS-12 grade level, you must possess the following qualifications:
SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE: At least one full year (52 weeks) of specialized experience comparable in scope and responsibility to the GS-11 grade level in the Federal service (obtained in either the public or private sectors). You must include hours per week worked, as stated above.
Specialized experience includes activities such as, but not limited to:
Recognizing and using correct English grammar, punctuation, and spelling;
Communicating information (for example, facts, ideas, or messages) in a brief, clear, and organized manner;
Producing written information, which may include technical material, that is appropriate for the intended audience;
Writing and editing documents, including press releases, articles, management documents, and outreach materials for the press, without grammar, punctuation, or spelling errors;
Editing documents created by others;
Producing, communicating, and disseminating information and ideas to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media; and/or
Experience with all aspects of media relations, including strategies in on-camera and on-mic ability.
Volunteer Experience: 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
There is no substitution of education for experience at the grade level of this announcement.
Additional information
Zion National Park is located in southwestern Utah. The climate is generally hot with daytime high temperatures ranging from 95 to 110 degrees in the summer, and 55 to 10 degrees in the winter. Nighttime lows range from 65 degrees in the summer to 10 degrees in the winter. Minimal shopping is available in Springdale, Utah, located two (2) miles from Park Headquarters. A full range of shopping, medical, dental, religious, and recreational facilities are available in Hurricane (25 miles), St. George, (45 miles), and in Cedar City, (63 miles), Utah. Elementary school (grades K-5) is available in Springdale, with bus service provided. Junior high and high school is available in Hurricane, with bus service provided. Utah Tech University is located in St. George, and Southern Utah University is located in Cedar City. **Due to the desirable nature of the area surrounding Zion National Park, please be sure to research and understand the limited housing options and the area's cost-of-living.**
Park/Government housing is not available for this position.
Travel, transportation, and relocation expenses will be paid if the selectee lives outside the local commuting area and is otherwise eligible for reimbursement of relocation expenses in accordance with the Federal Travel Regulation.
Employer paid and reimbursed relocation expenses are considered taxable income. The NPS does not provide tax, legal or accounting advice. Employees should consult professional tax, legal and accounting advisors regarding concerns about the financial implications of a Permanent Change of Station (PCS).
A selectee receiving a first appointment to the Federal Government (Civil Service) is entitled only to the lowest step of the grade for which selected. The display of a salary range on this vacancy shall not be construed as granting an entitlement to a higher rate of pay.
This announcement may be used to fill additional positions if identical vacancies occur within 90 days of the issue date of the referral certificate.
The National Park Service has determined that the duties of this position may be suitable for telework with supervisory approval.
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
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 based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement. Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), the responses you provide on the application questionnaire, and the result of the additional assessments required for this position. A review of your resume and supporting documentation will be made and compared against your responses to the Assessment Questionnaire to determine if you are qualified for this job. If your resume is incomplete or does not support the responses provided in the Assessment Questionnaire, or if you fail to submit all required documentation, you will be rated 'ineligible', 'not qualified', or your score will be adjusted accordingly. If a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications or experience, you can lose consideration for this position. Please follow all instructions carefully; errors or omissions can affect your rating.
Candidates will be rated and ranked using Category Rating procedures. These procedures place candidates with veteran's preference above non-preference eligibles within each category. Veterans with a service connected disability of at least 10 percent are listed in the highest quality category, except when the position being filled is scientific or professional at the GS-09 grade level or higher. Under Category Rating, candidates will be rated and ranked into one of three categories:
Best Qualified - applicants possessing experience that substantially exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors and are highly proficient in all requirements of the job and can perform effectively in the position
Well Qualified - applicants possessing experience that exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors and are proficient in most of the requirements of the job
Qualified - applicants possessing experience that meets the minimum qualifications of the position including all selective factors and are proficient in some, but not all of the requirements of the job.
You will be evaluated on the following competencies:
Communications and Media
Customer Service
Interpersonal Skills
Oral Communication
Organizational Awareness
Writing
In order to be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and application questionnaire, this position requires successful completion of additional assessments, including a subject matter expert resume review. These assessments measure the critical competencies listed above that are required to successfully perform the job.
A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.
Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.
THE FOLLOWING DOCUMENTS ARE REQUIREDand must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 04/30/2024:
Resume which includes a list of all significant jobs held and duties performed, dates specified in month and year format, and the resume must reflect full and/or part-time or total number of hours worked (i.e., work 40+ hours a week, rather than indicating full-time). If part-time, the hours must be annotated to be able to pro-rate the amount of qualified specialized experience. If military or civilian, please include your rank and/or grade.
Complete All Required Assessments (all questions in the questionnaire).
Other Supporting Documents, if applicable, such as:
If you are a Discharged, Non-Disabled Veteran, you must submit a copy of your DD-214 showing character of discharge (Member 4 copy), or other Documentation of Service and Separation under Honorable Conditions, as listed on the SF15. If you don't have your DD-214, you may request it after discharge from the National Archives.
If you are a veteran within 120 days of discharge, you must submit signed documentation from the Armed Forces certifying: 1) your expected release/retirement from active duty, 2) under honorable conditions, 3) your pay grade/rank/rate at time of discharge, 4) dates of active duty service, 5) any campaign or expeditionary medals received, & 6) dated within 120 days of your separation.
If you are a Disabled Veteran, Purple Heart Recipient, orMother or Spouse of a Disabled or Deceased Veteran, you must submit all additional proof required by the SF15, and if applicable, a completed SF15. You may request a copy of your Department of Veterans Affairs letter from www.ebenefits.va.gov or call 1-800-827-1000 to establish proof of disability.
Documentation for Interagency/Career Transition Assistance Plan consideration if you are a displaced Federal employee within the local commuting area. You must include: 1) Proof you are a displaced Federal employee, e.g., RIF Separation Notice, Notice of Proposed Removal, etc; 2) SF-50s (Notifications of Personnel Action) showing career/conditional tenure competitive status, promotion potential and duty location; and 3) your most recent performance appraisal. To exercise selection priority, displaced or surplus Federal employees must be rated well-qualified or above 80 on the rating criteria for this position.
Do not submit photographs with your application package. Documents with photographs may not be seen by hiring officials - you must remove your image from any badges, licenses, etc.
Do not upload Adobe "Portfolio" documents. Adobe portfolio documents are not viewable by our agency's staffing offices.
To apply for this position: You must complete the occupational questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section above. To receive consideration, the complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 04/30/2024. You must provide documentation to support your claim for each eligibility selected. Please review the required documentation listed in the eligibilities language to ensure you submit the appropriate information. Note: You will only be marked eligible for those eligibilities that you selected and provided the appropriate supporting documentation.
WE DO NOT ACCEPT HARD-COPY OR E-MAIL APPLICATION PACKAGES.
Select Apply. If you are not logged in, you will be prompted to login or create an account.
Prompted to Start the Application Process by selecting "Start Application."
Select documents you want included in this application.
Review package to acknowledge your documents were reviewed.
Select if you want to include your demographic information.
After reading and certifying the application is true and submitted in good faith, select "Continue to Agency Site."
Follow onscreen prompts and instructions to complete your application.
Add the supporting documents by indexing your documents with the dropdown.
Upload any missing required documents or optional documents.
Review and Submit Application.
While logged in, you can check the status of your application by selecting "+" next to the job title for this position.
You can review or revise your application at any point during the open period of the announcement.
To update an application, you should log into your USAJOBS account and select "+" next to the job title for this position. Select "Update Application" for this job.
Note: When you click Update Application, you will be prompted to re-select your documents from USAJOBS. Documents submitted with the first application will no longer be associated with the applicant record. So it is important that you select all documents you want to use in the re-application.
Zion National Park
State Route 9
Springdale, UT 84767
US
Next steps
Once the Occupational Questionnaire is received you will receive acknowledgement that your submission was successful. If you are among the most qualified candidates and your name is referred to the hiring official, you may be contacted directly for a possible interview. You will be notified of the status of your Application Package at the time candidates are referred for consideration, and when the selection process is complete.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
THE FOLLOWING DOCUMENTS ARE REQUIREDand must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 04/30/2024:
Resume which includes a list of all significant jobs held and duties performed, dates specified in month and year format, and the resume must reflect full and/or part-time or total number of hours worked (i.e., work 40+ hours a week, rather than indicating full-time). If part-time, the hours must be annotated to be able to pro-rate the amount of qualified specialized experience. If military or civilian, please include your rank and/or grade.
Complete All Required Assessments (all questions in the questionnaire).
Other Supporting Documents, if applicable, such as:
If you are a Discharged, Non-Disabled Veteran, you must submit a copy of your DD-214 showing character of discharge (Member 4 copy), or other Documentation of Service and Separation under Honorable Conditions, as listed on the SF15. If you don't have your DD-214, you may request it after discharge from the National Archives.
If you are a veteran within 120 days of discharge, you must submit signed documentation from the Armed Forces certifying: 1) your expected release/retirement from active duty, 2) under honorable conditions, 3) your pay grade/rank/rate at time of discharge, 4) dates of active duty service, 5) any campaign or expeditionary medals received, & 6) dated within 120 days of your separation.
If you are a Disabled Veteran, Purple Heart Recipient, orMother or Spouse of a Disabled or Deceased Veteran, you must submit all additional proof required by the SF15, and if applicable, a completed SF15. You may request a copy of your Department of Veterans Affairs letter from www.ebenefits.va.gov or call 1-800-827-1000 to establish proof of disability.
Documentation for Interagency/Career Transition Assistance Plan consideration if you are a displaced Federal employee within the local commuting area. You must include: 1) Proof you are a displaced Federal employee, e.g., RIF Separation Notice, Notice of Proposed Removal, etc; 2) SF-50s (Notifications of Personnel Action) showing career/conditional tenure competitive status, promotion potential and duty location; and 3) your most recent performance appraisal. To exercise selection priority, displaced or surplus Federal employees must be rated well-qualified or above 80 on the rating criteria for this position.
Do not submit photographs with your application package. Documents with photographs may not be seen by hiring officials - you must remove your image from any badges, licenses, etc.
Do not upload Adobe "Portfolio" documents. Adobe portfolio documents are not viewable by our agency's staffing offices.
To apply for this position: You must complete the occupational questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section above. To receive consideration, the complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 04/30/2024. You must provide documentation to support your claim for each eligibility selected. Please review the required documentation listed in the eligibilities language to ensure you submit the appropriate information. Note: You will only be marked eligible for those eligibilities that you selected and provided the appropriate supporting documentation.
WE DO NOT ACCEPT HARD-COPY OR E-MAIL APPLICATION PACKAGES.
Select Apply. If you are not logged in, you will be prompted to login or create an account.
Prompted to Start the Application Process by selecting "Start Application."
Select documents you want included in this application.
Review package to acknowledge your documents were reviewed.
Select if you want to include your demographic information.
After reading and certifying the application is true and submitted in good faith, select "Continue to Agency Site."
Follow onscreen prompts and instructions to complete your application.
Add the supporting documents by indexing your documents with the dropdown.
Upload any missing required documents or optional documents.
Review and Submit Application.
While logged in, you can check the status of your application by selecting "+" next to the job title for this position.
You can review or revise your application at any point during the open period of the announcement.
To update an application, you should log into your USAJOBS account and select "+" next to the job title for this position. Select "Update Application" for this job.
Note: When you click Update Application, you will be prompted to re-select your documents from USAJOBS. Documents submitted with the first application will no longer be associated with the applicant record. So it is important that you select all documents you want to use in the re-application.
Zion National Park
State Route 9
Springdale, UT 84767
US
Next steps
Once the Occupational Questionnaire is received you will receive acknowledgement that your submission was successful. If you are among the most qualified candidates and your name is referred to the hiring official, you may be contacted directly for a possible interview. You will be notified of the status of your Application Package at the time candidates are referred for consideration, and when the selection process is complete.
Fair and transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
