Skip to main content
U.S. flag
Back to results

Public Affairs Specialist

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

Summary

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

This position is located in Phoenix, AZ. Information about Phoenix, AZ and the surrounding area can be found at: Greater Phoenix Chamber - Fostering Regional Growth.

We expect to fill 1 vacancy at this time; however, additional positions may be filled from this announcement if they become available.

Overview

Help
Hiring complete
Open & closing dates
06/13/2024 to 06/23/2024
This job will close when we have received 50 applications which may be sooner than the closing date. Learn more
Salary
$90,833 to - $118,079 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 12
Location
Phoenix, AZ
1 vacancy
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
None
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
High Risk (HR)
Trust determination process
Announcement number
AZDE-24-12439019-MDT
Control number
795405800

This job is open to

Help

Clarification from the agency

All U.S. Citizens - No previous Federal Service is required. CTAP and ICTAP candidates in the local commuting area.

Duties

Help
  • The incumbent assists with developing strategies and practices to effectively communicate with federal, state, local, and tribal agencies and elected officials.
  • Advises line managers, program leaders, and staff on potential public reaction to BLM policies, decisions and activities.
  • Creates, writes and distributes a wide variety of materials to communicate information about BLM issues, programs and activities to key publics.
  • Provides quality control oversight and conforms to BLM and DOI branding, layout and design standards.
  • Develops and maintains professional, proactive, credible relationships with media outlets, including traditional and new media outlets.
  • Ensures compliance with, or development of, appropriate protocols and management direction to assure a quality and professional image and to advance public understanding of, and engagement in, important BLM public policy initiatives.
  • During high profile or crisis incidents, utilizes social media platforms to share critical public information and key messages, while quelling rumors and misinformation with responsive, factual social media engagement.
  • Reviews web and social media analytics to measure reach and effectiveness of video products and uses that information to tailor approach for future video projects and communications campaigns.

Requirements

Help

Conditions of employment

  • U.S. Citizenship is required.
  • 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 Lands.
  • 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.
  • May require a one year probationary period.
  • This is a Bargaining Unit position.

Qualifications

In order to be rated as qualified for this position, we must be able to determine that you meet the qualification requirements - please be sure to include this information in your resume. No assumptions will be made about your experience.

To qualify for the GS-12 level: You must possess one (1) full year of specialized experience at or equivalent to the GS-11 level that is equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the duties of a public affairs specialist. Specialized experience at this level must include: Preparing and implementing outreach strategies to improve understanding by various audiences; Responding to inquiries and coordinating interview requests from local and regional media outlets; Building effective working relationships with representatives of the news media, other federal agencies and nongovernmental organizations; Developing communication plans in close coordination with senior public affairs specialists on potentially controversial and sensitive matters; Writing, editing, and producing professional-quality communication products for print, video, web, social media and multimedia such as talking points or key messages, news releases, and feature stories; serves as a spokesperson in a variety of settings.

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.

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

Education

There is no substitution of education for experience at the GS-12 and above grade levels.

Additional information

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

Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP)/lnteragency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP): These programs apply to employees who have been involuntarily separated from a Federal service position within the competitive service or Federal service employees whose positions have been deemed surplus or no longer needed. To receive selection priority, you must: 1) meet CTAP or ICTAP eligibility criteria; 2) be rated well qualified for the position with a score of 85 or above; and 3) submit the appropriate documentation to support your CTAP or ICTAP eligibility. For more information: CTAP or ICTAP

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.

This announcement is being advertised concurrently under number AZMP-24-12437369-MDT, for status candidates and special hiring authority eligible. You must apply to each announcement separately if you wish to be considered under both recruitment methods.

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.

You will be evaluated based on how your application materials reflect the qualification requirements of this position.

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.

Your answers to the online questionnaire will be used to evaluate your competencies in the following areas:

Writing: Recognizes or uses correct English grammar, punctuation, and spelling; communicates information (for example, facts, ideas, or messages) in a brief, clear, and organized manner; produces written information, which may include technical material, that is appropriate for the intended audiences.
Communications and Media: Knowledge of the production, communication, and dissemination of information and ideas to inform and entertain via written, oral, and visual media.
Multimedia Technologies: Knowledge of the principles, methods, tools, and techniques of developing or applying technology using text, audio, graphics, or other media.
Oral Communication: Expresses information (for example, ideas or facts) to individuals or groups effectively, taking into account the audience and nature of the information (for example, technical, sensitive, controversial); makes clear and convincing oral presentations; listens to others, attends to nonverbal cues, and responds appropriately.

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 the following additional assessment: Subject Matter Expert Resume Panel Review. These assessments measure the critical competencies listed above that are required to successfully perform the job.

Your session is about to expire!

Your USAJOBS session will expire due to inactivity in 8 minutes. Any unsaved data will be lost if you allow the session to expire. Click the button below to continue your session.