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Communications & Outreach Specialist

Legislative Branch
Architect of the Capitol
This job announcement has closed

Summary

This position is located in the Architect of the Capitol (AOC), Office of the Architect of the Capitol, Office of the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO), AOC University Division. The incumbent serves as Communications and Outreach Specialist, responsible for leading and managing all aspects of AOC University’s internal and external communications.  

Overview

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Reviewing applications
Open & closing dates
07/17/2024 to 08/01/2024
Salary
$99,200 to - $153,354 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 12 - 13
Location
1 vacancy in the following location:
2nd and D Street, S.W.
Washington DC, DC
1 vacancy
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
Not required
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent - Permanent, Full Time
Work schedule
Full-time - This is an Excepted Service position and does not require or confer Civil Service Competitive Status
Service
Excepted
Promotion potential
13
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
Yes
Position sensitivity and risk
Non-sensitive (NS)/Low Risk
Trust determination process
Announcement number
AOC-2024-379
Control number
800265700

This job is open to

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Clarification from the agency

Applications will be accepted from all U.S. Citizens. Please be advised that federal retired annuitant candidates may only be considered as a temporary employee if the role can be filled in that capacity.

Duties

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The incumbent will build relationships between AOC University and internal stakeholders as well as external partners, including other federal agencies, universities and colleges, vocational schools, trade, and professional organizations, and community entities to leverage internal and external resources and opportunities. The incumbent is a skilled communicator, developing a range of marketing and communication materials and products for a variety of audiences and delivered through print, electronic, and social media platforms.

The duties listed below are at a GS-13 level.

Major Duties:

External Networking, Outreach, and Partnership-Building

  • Builds partnerships with colleges and universities, vocational institutions and programs, community-based partners, government agencies and training vendors to leverage external partners’ Subject Matter Expertise, professional development offerings, and/or experiential learning and training opportunities for AOC staff.
  • Serves as the primary advisor for all AOC University internal and external communications. Develops or adapts communications and outreach strategies as needed to account for newly emerging business priorities and needs.
  • Consults with senior management on program goals related to networking and partnership. Maintains current knowledge of training and development opportunities available within the university.
  • Assesses the relevance and quality of potentially new and currently existing partners to meet AOC workforce training and development needs.
  • Formalizes relationships with partners by creating a shared vision and agreement that are beneficial to both AOC University and the partner.
  • Collaborates with the Office of the General Counsel, the Chief Administrative Officer and Human Capital Management Division, Office and Jurisdiction leadership, and other agency stakeholders to develop and execute partnership agreements, as relevant.

Internal Networking, Marketing and Communications

  • Stays abreast of AOC organizations’ current and future workforce training and development needs through networking with key agency leaders and stakeholders, and reviewing training needs assessment data to ascertain the need for new or continuing partnerships.
  • Provides authoritative recommendations to AOC University senior management on communications related to training, learning, and employee development.
  • Plans, designs and executes a program to inform and educate the agency’s workforce about AOC’s training activities, opportunities and accomplishments.
  • Assesses short- and long-term communication needs for AOC University.
  • Designs, develops and implements an internal marketing and communication strategy for AOC University. Serves as an internal expert and technical resource in assessing, planning, developing, coordinating, implementing and evaluating new or novel communication strategies for dissemination of training information between employees, leaders, Offices and Jurisdictions through a variety of print, Web-based and audio-visual media outlets.
  • Designs, develops and implements internal learning and development marketing initiatives for AOC’s diverse workforce to strengthen, facilitate, and integrate relevant training and development programs and opportunities.
  • Develops and oversees the quality of content for the agency’s internal-facing training webpages and sites.
  • Supports the development of visual materials and messaging, including infographics, for AOC training courses to facilitate concise and effective communication of learning objectives.
  • Evaluates communication effectiveness and implements changes for improvement. 
  • Delivers clear, effective communications and takes responsibility for understanding others.

Training Support and Collaboration 

  • Collaborates with other members of AOC University to support various functions for AOC University. Develops and coordinates training and development opportunities for employees across AOC in specific and general skill sets to support AOC University's mission.
  • Develops a wide variety of in-person and online curricula and programs based on feedback from supervisors, leadership, and employees and results from training needs assessments. 

University Knowledge Management

  • Briefs AOC University and AOC leadership and staff as needed on partnership outreach, marketing and communication strategy and progress.
  • Supports the transfer of knowledge and retention of institutional memory by creating, facilitating and/or supporting cross-organizational and cross-agency networking and/or development opportunities among staff.
  • Assists with the development and maintenance of records and files of training communication and outreach content for institutional memory and quick staff access.
  • Conducts background studies and collects necessary data relevant to training projects and plans programs or strategies to meet intended needs.
  • Performs other duties as assigned.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • You must be able to pass a drug test.
  • Your resume and question responses must demonstrate job-related elements.
  • You must meet the definition of specialized experience.

“To be employed by the Architect of the Capitol in a paid position, an individual must meet
one of the categories below:

  • A citizen of the United States;
  • A person who is lawfully admitted for permanent residence and is seeking citizenship as outlined in 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3)(B);
  • A person who is admitted as a refugee under 8 U.S.C. 1157 or is granted asylum under 8 U.S.C. 1158 and has filed a declaration of intention to become a lawful permanent resident and then a citizen when eligible;
  • A person who owes allegiance to the United States (nationals of American Samoa, Swains Island, and the Northern Mariana Islands, and nationals who meet other requirements described in 8 U.S.C. 1408); or
  • A person who is currently an officer or employee of the Government of the United States.”

Qualifications

You must meet the United States Office of Personnel Management's (OPM) qualification requirements (including specialized experience and/or educational requirements) for the advertised position. You must meet all eligibility and qualifications requirements by the closing date of the job announcement. Additional information on the qualification requirements is outlined in the OPM Qualifications Standards Handbook of General Schedule Positions. It is available for your review on the OPM web site at http://www.opm.gov/qualifications.
 
Specialized experience is experience that has equipped you with the particular knowledge, skills and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the position to be filled. To be creditable, specialized experience must have been equivalent to at least the next lower grade level.
 

Candidates for the GS-12 grade level must have at least 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 grade level in the Federal service.

Specialized experience for this position includes:

  • Demonstrated experience networking with representatives from educational and professional programs to establish long-term partnerships;
  • Experience advising on internal and external communications for a major organization;
  • Experience liaising with community partners such as vocational schools, trade organizations, universities, community colleges, and/or local, state, and federal agencies;
  • Demonstrated experience developing and executing marketing initiatives and creating promotional materials across a variety of mediums, especially for learning and/or human resource development programs;
  • Experience developing and creating original marketing materials for a variety of print, web-based, and audio-visual outlets;

Applicants must meet a minimum of 3 of the above specialized experience.

Candidates for the GS-13 grade level must have at least 52 weeks of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-12 grade level in the Federal service.

Specialized experience for this position includes:

  • Demonstrated experience networking with representatives from educational and professional programs to establish long-term partnerships;
  • Demonstrated experience advising on internal and external communications for a major organization;
  • Experience liaising with community partners such as vocational schools, trade organizations, universities, community colleges, and/or local, state, and federal agencies;
  • Demonstrated experience developing and executing marketing initiatives and creating promotional materials across a variety of mediums, especially for learning and/or human resource development programs;
  • Demonstrated experience developing and creating original marketing materials for a variety of print, web-based, and audio-visual outlets;
  • Experience assessing marketing needs and selecting the best methods of communication internally and externally.

Applicants must meet a minimum of 4 of the above specialized experience.

Education

This job does not have an education qualification requirement.

Additional information

Welcome Veterans. The Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) gives veterans' preference rights in the legislative branch to certain veterans as applied by the Congressional Accountability Act. Veterans' preference is applied on this vacancy announcement. If you are a veteran and have been separated under honorable conditions, you must submit a copy of your DD-214 or other proof of eligibility; SF-15, if applicable; and Department of Veterans Affairs documentation of disability, if applicable. For more information, please visit http://www.opm.gov/veterans/html/vetguide.asp#6.

If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, you must certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System. If you are exempt from registration under Selective Service Law, you must provide appropriate proof of exemption. Please visit the Selective Service System website for more information.

DRUG TESTING: The Architect of the Capitol (AOC) is a Drug Free Workplace. As part of the AOC’s suitability assessment, a candidate tentatively selected for a position who is not currently an AOC employee is required to submit to screening for illegal drug use. Satisfactory completion of a drug test is a condition of employment with the Agency. A candidate must test negative prior to being eligible for appointment into a position. We will schedule, provide and cover the cost for the drug test.

The selectee(s) under the vacancy announcement for this position is subject to a criminal record check by the U.S. Capitol Police and satisfactory adjudication to be eligible for employment at the Architect of the Capitol.

The Architect of the Capitol is an E-VERIFY Participant. E-VERIFY is an Internet-based system that compares information from an employee's Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, to data from U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Social Security Administration records to confirm employment authorization in the United States. If you are selected for this position, the documentation that you present for purposes of completing the DHS Form I-9 will be verified through the DHS "E-VERIFY" electronic system. For more information on E-Verify, please visit http://www.dhs.gov/files/programs/gc_1185221678150.shtm

The Architect of the Capitol is an Equal Opportunity Employer and prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, age, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information and/or disability.

This agency provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify the agency. The decision on granting reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis.

Moving expenses are not authorized.

Relocation expenses are not authorized.

Probationary Period - A newly appointed selectee is subject to the completion of a one-year trial/probationary period, regardless of whether or not a trial/probationary period has been completed previously with the Architect of the Capitol or another Federal agency.

This vacancy announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies in any of the jurisdictions of the Architect of the Capitol.

All application materials become the property of the Architect of the Capitol.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Review your resume and responses carefully. Your eligibility for consideration and qualifications for the position will be determined based upon a review of your detailed resume and your responses to job specific self-assessment questions. 

Your resume will be evaluated based on evidence of your ability to demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) for this position, possession of any specialized experience, and how well your background and experience relates to the self-assessment questions in the job announcement. The self-assessment questions relate to the following knowledge, skills, abilities, and competencies:

KSA 1: Planning and Evaluating

KSA 2: Analytical Skill

KSA 3: Oral Communication

KSA 4: Technology

Your responses to the self-assessment questions serve as the basis for your initial rating. You will receive a numerical score based on your responses to these questions.  Next, your responses will be evaluated by a Human Resources Specialist and/or a subject matter expert against the information provided in your resume and optional cover letter. Your resume must support your answers to the self-assessment questions. Falsifying your background, education and/or experience is cause for non-selection or disqualification from further consideration.

Please note that a complete application is required for consideration. (Please review the “Required Documents” section of this job announcement to see what must be included in a complete application).


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