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Public Affairs Specialist

Department of Energy
Department of Energy - Agency Wide
Office of Environmental Management - Carlsbad Field Office
This job announcement has closed

Summary

This position is part of the Office of Environmental Management - Carlsbad Field Office, Department of Energy. As a Public Affairs Specialist, you serve in a developmental capacity as the public affairs representative for the Carlsbad Field Office (CBFO) with responsibility for supporting, planning, developing, implementing and maintaining an effective information/communication program between the organization and its various publics on related problems, activities or issues.

Overview

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Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
05/30/2024 to 06/13/2024
This job will close when we have received 75 applications which may be sooner than the closing date. Learn more
Salary
$59,966 to - $94,317 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 9 - 11
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
Carlsbad, NM
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
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
Moderate Risk (MR)
Trust determination process
Announcement number
24-CB-00193-12416909-DE
Control number
793341200

Duties

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As a Public Affairs Specialist, you will:

  • Draft new information materials including news releases, fact sheets, brochures, booklets, broadcast spots, etc., that clarify activities and policies, and that increase communication and understanding with the organizations various publics.
  • Perform recurring and well precedented assignments relative to the preparation of public affairs communication materials.
  • Apply communication and analytical practices, methods and techniques to solve or make recommendations to solve public affairs problems.
  • Prepare and/or present informational material to achieve understanding of various points of view or concepts from publics with varying levels of understanding and different interests and perspectives on organizational programs.
  • Assist in providing timely and accurate information to the media, other Federal agencies, private entities, and other impacted individuals or groups.
  • Draft briefings tailored to a variety of internal and external audiences to communicate the DOE mission and assists with other assignments, as directed.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • Must be a U.S. Citizen or National.
  • This employer participates in the e-Verify program.
  • Males born after 12/31/1959 must be registered for Selective Service.
  • Suitable for Federal employment, as determined by a background investigation.
  • May be required to successfully complete a probationary period.
  • Occasional travel may be required.

Qualifications

SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS:

For the GS-9:
A qualified candidate's online application and resume must demonstrate at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-07 level. Specialized experience for this position is defined as meeting ALL of the following:

  1. Writing news or informational articles suitable for internal audiences; AND
  2. Assisting in the development and design of communication products to include presentations and brochures; AND
  3. Researching and analyzing information to prepare written documents.
OR YOU MAY QUALIFY FOR THE GS-9 BASED ON EDUCATION: Master's or equivalent graduate degree or 2 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree in business administration, business management, communications, public policy, or similarly related major that provided the knowledge, skills, or abilities to perform the work of this position or LL.B. or J.D.

OR YOU MAY QUALIFY FOR THE GS-9 BASED ON A COMBINATIN OF EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE: You may qualify on a combination of education and experience, the total percentage of experience at the required grade level compared to the specialized experience requirement, as well as the percentage of completed education compared to the educational requirement must equal at least 100 percent. Only graduate level education in excess of the first 18 semester hours (27 quarter hours) may be combined to be considered for qualifying education.

For the GS-11: A qualified candidate's online application and resume must demonstrate at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-09 level. Specialized experience for this position is defined as meeting ALL of the following:
  1. Drafting a variety of products, such as fact sheets, informational brochures and papers, PowerPoint briefings, articles, press releases and other content, to convey an organizations programs and accomplishments to external audiences; AND
  2. Assisting senior Public Affairs Specialists in reviewing current communication strategies, plans, and the design of new or revised communication approaches and outreach efforts; AND
  3. Planning and executing information sessions and other professional or public events/meetings to discuss an organizations programs and objectives.

OR YOU MAY QUALIFY FOR THE GS-11 BASED ON EDUCATION: Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or 3 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree in business administration, business management, communications, public policy, or similarly related major that provided the knowledge, skills, or abilities to perform the work of this position or LL.M.

OR YOU MAY QUALIFY FOR THE GS-11 BASED ON A COMBINATIN OF EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE: You may qualify on a combination of education and experience, the total percentage of experience at the required grade level compared to the specialized experience requirement, as well as the percentage of completed education compared to the educational requirement must equal at least 100 percent. Only graduate level education in excess of the first 36 semester hours (54 quarter hours) may be combined to be considered for qualifying education.

"Experience" refers to paid and unpaid experience. Examples of qualifying unpaid experience may include: volunteer work done through National Service programs (such as Peace Corps and AmeriCorps); as well as work for other community-based philanthropic and social organizations. 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.

CTAP/ICTAP candidates: To be considered "well qualified" you must (1) meet all of the requirements as described in this section; and 2) be rated "well-qualified", which is defined as scoring in the in Well Qualified category (or higher).

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

Education

If substituting education for specialized experience you must submit proof of your qualifying education. Failure to provide college transcripts may result in a rating of 'Ineligible'. Education must be obtained from an accredited institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Foreign education must be reviewed by an organization recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For special instructions pertaining to foreign education and a list of organizations that can evaluate foreign education, see the Department of Education website.

Additional information

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, your resume and supporting documentation will be used to determine whether you meet the job qualifications. If you are minimally qualified for this job, your responses to the self-assessment questions (True/False, Yes/ No, Multiple Choice questions) will be evaluated and you will be placed into one of three pre-defined quality categories under Category Rating procedures. These categories are "Best Qualified", "Well Qualified", and "Qualified. If you rate yourself higher than is supported by your application materials, your responses may be adjusted and/or you may be excluded from consideration for this job.

Your qualifications will be evaluated on the following competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities and other characteristics):

  • Communications and Media
  • Planning and Evaluating
  • Strategic Thinking
  • Technical Competence
  • Written Communication


Application of Veterans' Preference: If you are a preference eligible candidate, you will be listed at the top of whichever quality category your rating places you in. CP/CPS veterans are placed at the top of the highest category for all positions except professional and scientific positions at GS-9 and higher.

Career Transition Assistance Programs: To receive selection priority for this position, you must: 1) meet the eligibility criteria; and 2) be rated "well-qualified", which is defined as scoring in the Well Qualified category (or higher).

You must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date (06/13/2024) of this announcement.

To preview the Assessment Questionnaire, click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12416909

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