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Public Affairs Specialist

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

Summary

This position is in the Bureau of Arms Control, Deterrence, and Stability; Office of Verification, Planning, and Outreach (ADS/VPO). 

VPO leads Bureau efforts on strategic communications, planning, and work to develop novel verification capabilities. The Office coordinates the annual Compliance Report and manages the Key Verification Assets Fund. VPO also leads external, multi-stakeholder engagement and manages the Secretary of State’s International Security Advisory Board (ISAB).

Overview

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Job canceled
Open & closing dates
06/27/2024 to 07/08/2024
Salary
$139,395 to - $181,216 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 14
Location
Washington, DC
1 vacancy
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
Occasional travel - Occasional international and/or domestic travel may be required.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
14
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Top Secret
Drug test
Yes
Position sensitivity and risk
Special-Sensitive (SS)/High Risk
Announcement number
HRSC/T/ADS-2024-0017
Control number
797474200

Duties

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  • Develops messaging strategies to explain and promote arms control and international security policy.
  • Manages outreach program services and communication strategies designed to engage ADS audiences in the promotion of U.S. foreign policy objectives and priorities.
  • Represents the Department with outside constituencies (e.g. congressional staff, the press, and public groups) and in appropriate interagency fora to support the Department's foreign affairs objectives.
  • Evaluates contemporary public affairs and public diplomacy emergent issues, gaps, trends, and conditions in arms control.
  • Reviews assessments and recommends changes to enhance the accuracy, timeliness, and reliability of ADS efforts domestically and abroad.

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 Top Secret security clearance.
  • Obtain/maintain eligibility to access Sensitive Compartmented Information
  • 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 required qualification requirements described below by the closing date of this announcement. 

NOTE: Applicants must meet time-in-grade and time after competitive appointment requirements, by the closing date of this announcement.

Time-In-Grade Requirements: Federal applicants must have served 52 weeks at the next lower grade to satisfy time-in-grade restrictions, per 5CFR 300, Subpart F.

Applicants must have 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-13 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 developing and implementing messaging and public diplomacy strategies to achieve U.S. foreign policy objectives.
  • Experience developing recommendations for media or public communication strategies.
  • Experience leading outreach activities in support of U.S. foreign policy objectives.

There is no substitute of education for specialized experience for the GS-14 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 agreements 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 a score between 70 and 100.  The assessment is used to measure 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 advise on current foreign policy trends and affairs.
  • Knowledge of public relations tools and techniques.
  • Skill in written communication sufficient to prepare briefing points, speeches, press guidance, etc.
  • Skill in developing public outreach programs and strategies.
  • Knowledge of media technologies.
  • Skill in consensus-building.

Applicants found to be among the top qualified candidates will be referred to the hiring official for further consideration and possible interview.  Qualified non-competitive candidates must be deemed best qualified based on the applicant assessment in order to be referred to the hiring official for further consideration and possible interview.

Agency Career and Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP and ICTAP) candidates must be rated "Well Qualified" for the position and earn a score of at least 85 (when applicants are rated in a range of 70 to 100) to receive consideration for selection priority.


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