You are encouraged to read the entire announcement before you submit your application package. Your application may not receive full consideration if you do not follow the instructions as outlined.
This position is within the Bureau for Legislative and Public Affairs, Office of Strategic Communications (LPA/SC) at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). LPA is responsible for managing all aspects of the Agency's legislative and public affairs matters.
Summary
You are encouraged to read the entire announcement before you submit your application package. Your application may not receive full consideration if you do not follow the instructions as outlined.
This position is within the Bureau for Legislative and Public Affairs, Office of Strategic Communications (LPA/SC) at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). LPA is responsible for managing all aspects of the Agency's legislative and public affairs matters.
USAID is using this vacancy announcement to recruit under the following areas of consideration: a) All U.S. Citizens (no prior Federal experience required); and b) Status Candidates (on career or career-conditional appointments), including former Federal employees with reinstatement eligibility, those eligible for CTAP; ICTAP, VEOA; special hiring programs under a non-competitive appointment authority; Executive Order 12721, and individuals on interchange agreement with Other Merit Systems.
Developing and maintaining USAID branding standards -- in accordance with federal law and Agency policy that apply to both Washington offices and field missions, as well as to organizations that partner with the Agency.
Providing leadership on critical policy issues surrounding branding issues and providing senior leadership with advice and recommendations to move the Agency’s branding initiatives forward.
Updating branding policy directives in coordination with USAID’s Office of the General Counsel and Office of Acquisition and Assistance; reviewing/approving exceptions and waivers; and designing/leading training sessions for Agency communicators.
Coordinating closely with LPA’s web management team to ensure a cohesive and consistent application of branding guidelines on external and internal platforms.
Serving as a resource to review design, branding and marking strategies and implementation plans for compliance, while supporting others in building capacity correctly and efficiently.
Preparing contract specifications for productions as needed and serving as project manager/contracting officer’s technical representative (COR/AOR) for all bureau contracts and purchase orders concerning branding.
Must be able to obtain and maintain a Secret security clearance.
Males born after 12/31/1959 must be registered with the Selective Service.
Direct Deposit/Electronic Funds Transfer is required.
If you have no prior Federal experience or are selected under Delegated Examining procedures, you will be required to serve a one-year probationary period.
If you select to be considered under Merit Promotion requirements, you must meet the Time-in-Grade requirements before the closing date of this vacancy announcement.
These are Testing Designated Positions (TDP's) under the Agency's approved Drug-Free Work Place Program. All applicants selected for this position will be subject to random drug testing once they begin working for the Agency.
Qualifications
Specialized Experience:
GS-13: You MUST have one year of specialized experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GS-12 level in the Federal service. One year of experience refers to full-time work; part-time work is considered on a prorated basis. Examples of qualifying specialized experience at the next lower level for this position include:
Contributing to the oversight of branding and marking at high-visibility project sites;
Contributing to the design of branding and marking strategies with implementation plans for compliance, and supporting others in building capacity; AND
Providing input on broad strategies and specific outreach plans designed to strengthen the exchange of information between organizations and targeted audiences.
GS-14: You MUST have one year of specialized experience at a level of difficulty and responsibility equivalent to the GS-13 level in the Federal service. One year of experience refers to full-time work; part-time work is considered on a prorated basis. Examples of qualifying specialized experience at the next lower level for this position include:
Overseeing branding and marketing at high-visibility project sites;
Designing branding and marking strategies with implementation plans for compliance, while supporting others in building capacity; AND
Managing input on broad strategies and specific outreach plans designed to strengthen the exchange of information between organizations and targeted audiences.
This position includes a Selective Placement Factor (skill, knowledge, ability or other worker characteristic basic to - and essential for - satisfactory performance of the job). Selective Placements Factors are a prerequisite to appointment and represent minimum requirements for a position. Applicants who do not meet it are ineligible for further consideration. NOTE: Experience must be documented in your resume.
SELECTIVE PLACEMENT FACTOR for this position is: Experience overseeing international branding strategies for an agency or organization, adhering to legislative requirements.
Experience must be demonstrated on your resume. 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 relevant to the position's duties to be filled, including volunteer experience.
CTAP/ICTAPcandidates will be referred to the selecting official if they are found well qualified. Well-qualified means an eligible applicant with the knowledge, skills, and abilities that clearly exceed the position's minimum requirements. In addition, a well-qualified employee must meet the qualification and eligibility requirements of the position, including any medical qualifications, suitability, and minimum education and experience requirements, meet all selective factors (where applicable); meet quality ranking factors and are assigned to the Silver Category or higher Category; be physically qualified with reasonable accommodation to perform the essential duties of the position; meet any special qualifying U.S. OPM-approved conditions; AND be able to satisfactorily perform the duties of the position upon entry without additional training.
A well-qualified candidate will not necessarily meet the definition of highly or best qualified when evaluated against other candidates who apply for a particular position. Therefore, selecting officials will document the job-related reason(s) for qualification determinations without selective and quality ranking factors.
Education
This position does not have a positive education requirement. Therefore, no transcripts are required.
Additional information
USAID is an independent Federal Government agency that receives overall foreign policy guidance from the Secretary of State. With headquarters in the District of Columbia, we operate in more than 100 countries worldwide, playing an active and critical role in the promotion of U.S. foreign policy interests. When crisis strikes, when rights are repressed, when hunger, disease, and poverty rob people of opportunity, USAID acts on behalf of the American people to help expand the reach of prosperity and dignity to the world's most vulnerable people. USAID employees and contractors must commit to maintaining a workplace free of sexual misconduct, including harassment, exploitation, and abuse, and adhere to USAID's Counter-Trafficking in Persons Code of Conduct. For information on the effort to counter all forms of human trafficking, including the procurement of commercial sex acts and the use of forced labor, visit http://www.state.gov/g/tip. For more information about USAID, visit http://www.usaid.gov.
If an HR Specialist determines you are among the best-qualified applicants for this position(s), our Office will share your application with multiple hiring managers for consideration. You agree to share your application for similar jobs within USAID by submitting your application to this advertisement.
Moving and relocation expenses are not authorized.
It is the Government's policy not to deny employment simply because an individual has been unemployed or has had financial difficulties that have arisen through no fault of the individual. USAID will use information about an individual's employment experience only to determine their qualifications and assess their relative level of knowledge, skills, and abilities. Although an individual's personal conduct may be relevant in any employment decision, including conduct during periods of unemployment or evidence of dishonesty in handling financial matters, financial difficulty that has arisen through no fault of the individual will generally not be the basis of an unfavorable suitability or fitness determination.
Reasonable Accommodation Policy:
USAID is committed to equal employment opportunity; therefore, reasonable accommodations are available to applicants and employees with disabilities. If you need an accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify the Reasonable Accommodation Division in the Office of Civil Rights at reasonableaccommodations@usaid.gov. Reasonable accommodation decisions are made on a case-by-case basis. To learn more about the Reasonable Accommodation Division, please visit our website at: https://www.usaid.gov/careers/reasonable-accommodations.
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.
This vacancy may be used to fill multiple vacancies depending on the needs of the Agency.
After the advertisement closes, a subject matter expert will review your application package to ensure you meet the job and eligibility requirements, including the education and/or experience required for this position. If you meet the minimum qualifications stated in the vacancy announcement, we will compare your resume, optional cover letter, and supporting documentation to your responses on the scored occupational questionnaire (True/False, Yes/ No, Multiple Choice questions) and place you in one of three pre-defined categories. If your resume does not reinforce your responses to the online assessment questionnaire, it will affect your eligibility for further consideration. You may be found "not qualified" if you do not possess the minimum competencies required for the position. If your application is incomplete, we will rate you as ineligible.
Under Delegated Examining (All U.S. Citizens) procedures, these categories are Gold (90 points or more), Silver (80-89 points), and Bronze (70-79 points). However, your resume and/or optional cover letter must support your responses to the scored occupational questionnaire, or an HR Specialist may lower your score. Candidates placed in the "Gold" category will be identified for referral to the hiring manager.
How you will be evaluated for preference eligibility: Within each category, those entitled to veterans' preference will be listed at the top of the pre-defined category for which they are placed. Preference eligibles with a service-connected disability of 10% or more will be listed at the top of the highest quality category (Gold), depending on the position and grade level of the job. (You must provide proof of disability rating with a letter from the Veteran's Administration showing disability percentage rating).
Under Merit Promotion (Status Candidates) procedures, we will refer all candidates we rank as Highly Qualified to the hiring manager. They may invite the referred applicants for an interview.
The scored occupational questionnaire will evaluate you on the following competencies:
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.
Resume with relevant experience; a cover letter is optional. On your resume, you should list your work experience and, if applicable, your education. For each job, you should include the start and end dates (mm/dd/yyyy) and the hours you worked each week. For any period of Federal service, you must list the occupational series and grade level(s). USAID will use your resume to check your answers on the assessment tool(s).
Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50). If you are a current Federal employee and choose to have your application considered under Merit Promotion procedures, you must submit the most recent copy of your SF-50; your document must reflect grade, step, tenure code "1" (Career) or "2" (Career-Conditional), and type of position occupied.
If seeking eligibility based on any other special hiring authority (e.g., disabled veteran, Schedule A, Peace Corps, special hiring programs) include supporting documentation.
CTAP/ICTAP Eligibles: Must submit a copy of the appropriate documentation such as a reduction-in-force (RIF) separation notice, an SF-50 reflecting your RIF separation, or a notice of proposed removal for declining a direct reassign or transfer of function to another commuting area. You MUST also submit documentation to reflect your current (or last) performance rating of record of at least "fully successful" (Level III) or equivalent, along with your application/resume package.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
You must complete the online application/Occupational Questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below to apply for this position. To view the Occupational Questionnaire, click the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12433869
A complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on the announcement's closing date to receive consideration.
To begin, click Apply to access the online application. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account to apply. If you do not have a USAJOBS account, you must create one before beginning the application.
Follow the prompts to select your resume and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package. You will have the opportunity to upload additional documents to include in your application before it is submitted. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
After acknowledging you have reviewed your application package, complete the Include Personal Information section as you deem appropriate and click to continue with the application process.
The system will take you to the online application you must complete to apply for the position. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation is included with your application package, and apply.
To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account (https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login), all of your applications will appear on the Welcome screen. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/.
Bureau for Legislative and Public Affairs
1300 Pennsylvania Ave NW
Washington, DC 20523
US
Next steps
You will receive a notification if you are referred to a hiring manager for further consideration. Due to the high volume of applications, we are unable to respond individually to application status inquiries. You may check the status of your application for this position at any time by logging onto the USAJOBS "My Account" tab and clicking on "Application Status."
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
Resume with relevant experience; a cover letter is optional. On your resume, you should list your work experience and, if applicable, your education. For each job, you should include the start and end dates (mm/dd/yyyy) and the hours you worked each week. For any period of Federal service, you must list the occupational series and grade level(s). USAID will use your resume to check your answers on the assessment tool(s).
Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50). If you are a current Federal employee and choose to have your application considered under Merit Promotion procedures, you must submit the most recent copy of your SF-50; your document must reflect grade, step, tenure code "1" (Career) or "2" (Career-Conditional), and type of position occupied.
If seeking eligibility based on any other special hiring authority (e.g., disabled veteran, Schedule A, Peace Corps, special hiring programs) include supporting documentation.
CTAP/ICTAP Eligibles: Must submit a copy of the appropriate documentation such as a reduction-in-force (RIF) separation notice, an SF-50 reflecting your RIF separation, or a notice of proposed removal for declining a direct reassign or transfer of function to another commuting area. You MUST also submit documentation to reflect your current (or last) performance rating of record of at least "fully successful" (Level III) or equivalent, along with your application/resume package.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
You must complete the online application/Occupational Questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below to apply for this position. To view the Occupational Questionnaire, click the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12433869
A complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on the announcement's closing date to receive consideration.
To begin, click Apply to access the online application. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account to apply. If you do not have a USAJOBS account, you must create one before beginning the application.
Follow the prompts to select your resume and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package. You will have the opportunity to upload additional documents to include in your application before it is submitted. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
After acknowledging you have reviewed your application package, complete the Include Personal Information section as you deem appropriate and click to continue with the application process.
The system will take you to the online application you must complete to apply for the position. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation is included with your application package, and apply.
To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account (https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login), all of your applications will appear on the Welcome screen. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/.
Bureau for Legislative and Public Affairs
1300 Pennsylvania Ave NW
Washington, DC 20523
US
Next steps
You will receive a notification if you are referred to a hiring manager for further consideration. Due to the high volume of applications, we are unable to respond individually to application status inquiries. You may check the status of your application for this position at any time by logging onto the USAJOBS "My Account" tab and clicking on "Application Status."
Fair and transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
