This position is located in the Office of External Relations of the U.S. International Trade Commission. We are seeking a candidate who has a strong public affairs background and is detail-oriented, collaborative and has strong writing skills.
Summary
This position is located in the Office of External Relations of the U.S. International Trade Commission. We are seeking a candidate who has a strong public affairs background and is detail-oriented, collaborative and has strong writing skills.
This position is in the U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC or Commission), Office of External Relations. The mission of the Office of External Relations is to develop and maintain an effective liaison program between the USITC and its varied external customers and manage the public information activities for the agency. The office is the focal point for contacts with the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) and other executive branch agencies, Congress, foreign governments, international organizations, the public, and the international, national, and local news media.
The incumbent oversees the Commission's public affairs program. Accomplishes wide-ranging and special projects and initiatives related to public affairs and external communications with primary responsibility of researching, planning, executing, and evaluating complex public affairs operations, programs, policies, and strategies of significant importance and which affect functional areas and multiple organizational levels.
Serves as the primary media spokesperson for the Commission.
Prepares news releases, public information/education materials, web content, and other informational materials pertaining to the Commission, Commissioners, personnel (when appropriate), and Commission determinations and activities.
Publicizes Commission public hearings and performs public affairs activities in conjunction with out-of-town hearings, roundtables, and meetings by the Commissioners and senior staff.
Investigates new communication tools and recommends how and whether Commission should use them, including working with attorneys, information technology team, and contracting officials to manage legal, operational, and procurement issues.
Develops new methods for analytical work and leverages media tools to analyze media exposure and coverage trends of Commission proceedings, determinations, and reports.
Monitors news media coverage of Commission activities and personalities and manages the distribution of daily news clips to Commissioners and senior staff.
Manages Commission official portraiture and photography of key events and activities.
Gathers and synthesizes information and produces informational materials concerning departmental policies, programs, and activities for dissemination to the news media, as appropriate.
Establishes and maintains effective working relationships with all media, both foreign and domestic, and develop and disseminate informational materials to pertinent publics through the media.
Provides information to the public and assists them in their understanding of and participation in proceedings before the Commission. Produces Commission materials and public information sheets for publication to the Commission website and manages distribution on request.
Serves as a liaison with and responds to inquiries from news media (international, national, and local), stakeholders, and other U.S. Government agencies' public affairs offices that have an international trade mandate.
Assists public and stakeholders with questions regarding the organization's mission and operations; serves as the Office of External Relations POC/Liaison for various systems, programs and units; and performs the role of quality assurance manager, as needed.
Participates as the Office of External Relations' representative on the Information Technology Committee, as well as other Commission working groups related to information technology and public information platform development.
Counsels and provides training and guidance to Commissioners, senior management, and staff on public and media relations matters.
You will be required to successfully complete a background investigation.
You may be required to serve a one-year probationary period.
You are required to register for Selective Service if you are a male born after 12/03/1959.
You may be required to submit a Financial Disclosure Statement.
You must be able to obtain and maintain a Secret clearance.
Qualifications
You must meet all the requirements below by the closing date of the announcement and they must be clearly identified in your application, resume, or supporting documents. This includes any general and specialized experience, education, and/or selective placement factors mentioned. These are used to determine if you possess the knowledge, skills, and/or abilities to successfully perform in this position.
To qualify at the GS-14 level, you must have one-year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-13 obtained in the federal or private sector which demonstrates all of the following:
Assisting in the implementation of communications strategies and outreach initiatives to effectively convey complex information on critical issues; AND
Establishing and maintaining productive relationships with national or international media representatives; AND
Assisting in development of innovative methods and plans to disseminate information about agency programs, while evaluating the effectiveness of various communication methods (i.e., web, social media, streaming/video, etc.); AND
Independently preparing press materials and informational materials for distribution to news media and to the public, including news releases, publications, web and digital content, reports, brochures, presentations, announcements, speeches, visual data products and other informational content on matters specific to an organizations mission.
To qualify at the GS-15 level, you must have one-year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-14 obtained in the federal or private sector which demonstrates all of the following:
Providing leadership in the development and implementation of communications strategies and outreach initiatives to effectively convey complex information on critical significant issues; AND
Establish and maintaining productive relationships with national or international media representatives; AND
Developing innovative methods and plans to disseminate information about agency programs, while evaluating the effectiveness of various communication methods (i.e., web, social media, streaming/video, etc.); AND
Managing the preparation of and independently preparing press materials and informational content for distribution to news media and to the public, including news releases, publications, web and digital content, reports, brochures, presentations, announcements, speeches, visual data products and other informational materials on matters of international trade and competitiveness.
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.
Education
There is no education requirement for this position.
Additional information
Selective Service: If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, you must certify that you are registered with the Selective Service or are exempt under Selective Service regulations. For additional information concerning Selective Service requirements, please visit https://www.sss.gov
This position may be designated as essential personnel. Essential personnel must be able to serve during continuity of operation events without regard to declarations of liberal leave or government closures due to weather, protests, and acts of terrorism or lack of funding. Failure to report for or remain in this position may result in disciplinary or adverse action in accordance with applicable laws, rules, and regulations (5 U.S.C. ยง 7501-7533 and 5 CFR Part 752, as applicable).If you are selected, travel, transportation, and relocation expenses will not be paid by the Commission. Any travel, transportation, and relocation expenses associated with reporting to work in this position will be your responsibility.
Except in special circumstances, those new to the federal government will be hired at the starting salary (step 1) of the applicable grade range listed in the Overview section.
Reasonable accommodations: This agency provides reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application and hiring process, please notify the contact listed on the vacancy announcement. The decision to grant a reasonable accommodation is made on a case-by-case basis.
Verification of information: Any information claimed on your resume and in application materials, such as education, credentials, employment history, etc., will be verified as part of the security clearance process.
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.
Your application will be rated by our applications system using the Category Rating procedure. A quality review will then be conducted by the HR Office and/or Subject Matter Expert (SME). Your qualifications will be evaluated on the basis of your level of knowledge, skills, abilities and/or competencies in the following area:
Communication and Media
Written and Oral Communication
Customer Service and Problem Solving
Strategic Thinking, Data Gathering and Analysis
Teamwork, Project Accomplishment and Organization
We will evaluate each applicant who meets the basic qualifications and/or education on the information provided and evaluate your relevant education and/or work experiences as it relates to fundamental competencies, competencies/knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) mentioned above.
Based on the results of this evaluation, you will be placed in one of the following quality categories:
Best: Placement in this category indicates you have the type and quality of experience and/or education that substantially exceeds the minimum qualifications of the position, including any selective placement factors and/or appropriate quality ranking factor(s).
Better: Placement in this category indicates you have the type and quality of experience and/or education that exceed the minimum qualifications of the position.
Good: Placement in this category indicates you meet the minimum qualifications and/or education of the position and are proficient in some, but not all, of the requirements of the position. You may require extensive training and/or orientation in order to satisfactorily perform the duties of the position.
Candidates in the Best category will be the first ones sent to the hiring manager for interview consideration. Within each category, those with veterans' preference eligibility will receive selection priority over non-veterans.
We will evaluate your relevant education and/or work experience as they relate to the competencies, knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) mentioned above. 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
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.
To receive consideration, you must complete the occupational questionnaire and submit the documentation specified below by 08/29/2024
1. Resume: Your resume serves as the basis for qualification determinations and must highlight your most relevant and significant work experience(s) as it relates to this job opportunity. In order to fully evaluate your application and receive proper credit, your resume should include: (1) paid and non-paid experience, job title, dates held (month and year for qualifying purposes to receive credit), number of hours worked per week, and salary (2) knowledge of the subject matter and technical skills pertinent to this position; (3) specific duties performed that fully detail the level and complexity of the work; and (4) names and phone numbers of your current and/or previous supervisor(s). Your resume should contain sufficient information to make a valid determination that you fully meet the basic/specialized experience requirements as stated in this job opportunity announcement for each grade level(s) for which you are applying.
2. Occupational Questionnaire: A complete job-specific occupational questionnaire submitted through your Application Manager account or faxed using the methods outlined in the How to Apply section.
3. Transcripts: You MUST submit a copy of your academic transcript(s), as specified under the Education section of this announcement. Unofficial transcripts are sufficient for application purposes, provided they show your classes, grades, dates of attendance and award of any degree. If selected, an official/sealed academic transcript(s) will be required to verify education prior to employment.
Foreign Education: You can use education you completed in a foreign college or university if you can show that the foreign education is comparable to that received in an accredited educational institution in the United States. You must provide an official statement certifying that your education is equivalent with your application package. The link contains a list of accredited organizations that specialize in interpreting of foreign education credentials: https://www.naces.org/members. If you are selected for a position, you must submit an official/sealed college transcript(s) prior to employment.
4. Veterans' Preference: There is no formal rating system for applying veterans' preference to direct hire positions; however, the Commission considers veterans' preference eligibility a positive factor in the hiring of all positions. Applicants eligible for veterans' preference must include such information in their cover letter, or resume, and submit supporting documents (e.g. DD Form 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active duty) as part of their application package. Although the point preference system is not used as in the competitive service, applicants eligible to claim a 10-point preference must submit a Standard Form 15 (SF-15), and documentation required for the specific type of preference claimed, as listed on the SF-15. Specific information is available on the Office of Personnel Management website at: http://www.opm.gov.
5. Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP)/Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) Eligibles. You must submit the following documents:
a copy of your agency notice;
a copy of your most recent performance rating; and
a copy of your most recent SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action, noting your current position, grade level, and duty location.
6. Cover Letter. This is optional.
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.
To apply for this position, you must complete the occupational questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below.
The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 08/29/2024 to receive consideration.
1. To begin, click Apply Online to create a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USAJOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire.
2. Click the Submit My Answers button to submit your application package. It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation are submitted prior to the closing date.
3. To verify that your application is complete, log into your USAJOBS account, https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login, select the Application Status link and then select the More Information link for this position. The Details page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and any correspondence the agency has sent related to this application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
4. To return to an incomplete application, log into your USAJOBS account and click Update Application in the vacancy announcement. You must re-select your resume and/or other documents from your USAJOBS account or your application will be incomplete.
Office of External Relations
500 E St SW
Washington, DC 20436
US
Next steps
You will receive an auto-generated e-mail from USAJOBS informing you of the receipt of your application. After the closing date of the announcement, your application package will be reviewed by the Human Resources Office for completeness and satisfaction of the basic qualification requirements for this position. Applicants who have complete applications and meet the qualification requirement are referred to the hiring official in accordance with the process outlined in the How You Will Be Evaluated section of this announcement.
Your application may also be reviewed by Subject Matter Expert(s). If you are selected for an interview, you can expect a structured interview process, which may include a meeting with 2 to 4 Commission staff members. You may also be subject to additional assessments during the selection process (e.g., technical writing sample or other work sample, job knowledge test, case scenario analysis, scientific data assessment, etc.).
We appreciate your interest in the Commission and commit to keeping you informed on the status of your application. You will be notified of the following major milestones:
Receipt of your application;
Determination whether your application shows you meet the minimum qualifications for the position;
Determination whether your application was in the group for referral to the hiring official; and
The final outcome of the vacancy.
These notices will be emailed and posted directly on your USAJOBS account.
You can always check the status of your application as the recruitment process moves along by:
1. Logging into your USAJOBS account;
2. Selecting Application Status; and
3. Reviewing the Status column.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
To receive consideration, you must complete the occupational questionnaire and submit the documentation specified below by 08/29/2024
1. Resume: Your resume serves as the basis for qualification determinations and must highlight your most relevant and significant work experience(s) as it relates to this job opportunity. In order to fully evaluate your application and receive proper credit, your resume should include: (1) paid and non-paid experience, job title, dates held (month and year for qualifying purposes to receive credit), number of hours worked per week, and salary (2) knowledge of the subject matter and technical skills pertinent to this position; (3) specific duties performed that fully detail the level and complexity of the work; and (4) names and phone numbers of your current and/or previous supervisor(s). Your resume should contain sufficient information to make a valid determination that you fully meet the basic/specialized experience requirements as stated in this job opportunity announcement for each grade level(s) for which you are applying.
2. Occupational Questionnaire: A complete job-specific occupational questionnaire submitted through your Application Manager account or faxed using the methods outlined in the How to Apply section.
3. Transcripts: You MUST submit a copy of your academic transcript(s), as specified under the Education section of this announcement. Unofficial transcripts are sufficient for application purposes, provided they show your classes, grades, dates of attendance and award of any degree. If selected, an official/sealed academic transcript(s) will be required to verify education prior to employment.
Foreign Education: You can use education you completed in a foreign college or university if you can show that the foreign education is comparable to that received in an accredited educational institution in the United States. You must provide an official statement certifying that your education is equivalent with your application package. The link contains a list of accredited organizations that specialize in interpreting of foreign education credentials: https://www.naces.org/members. If you are selected for a position, you must submit an official/sealed college transcript(s) prior to employment.
4. Veterans' Preference: There is no formal rating system for applying veterans' preference to direct hire positions; however, the Commission considers veterans' preference eligibility a positive factor in the hiring of all positions. Applicants eligible for veterans' preference must include such information in their cover letter, or resume, and submit supporting documents (e.g. DD Form 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active duty) as part of their application package. Although the point preference system is not used as in the competitive service, applicants eligible to claim a 10-point preference must submit a Standard Form 15 (SF-15), and documentation required for the specific type of preference claimed, as listed on the SF-15. Specific information is available on the Office of Personnel Management website at: http://www.opm.gov.
5. Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP)/Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP) Eligibles. You must submit the following documents:
a copy of your agency notice;
a copy of your most recent performance rating; and
a copy of your most recent SF-50, Notification of Personnel Action, noting your current position, grade level, and duty location.
6. Cover Letter. This is optional.
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.
To apply for this position, you must complete the occupational questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below.
The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 08/29/2024 to receive consideration.
1. To begin, click Apply Online to create a USAJOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USAJOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire.
2. Click the Submit My Answers button to submit your application package. It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation are submitted prior to the closing date.
3. To verify that your application is complete, log into your USAJOBS account, https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login, select the Application Status link and then select the More Information link for this position. The Details page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and any correspondence the agency has sent related to this application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process.
4. To return to an incomplete application, log into your USAJOBS account and click Update Application in the vacancy announcement. You must re-select your resume and/or other documents from your USAJOBS account or your application will be incomplete.
Office of External Relations
500 E St SW
Washington, DC 20436
US
Next steps
You will receive an auto-generated e-mail from USAJOBS informing you of the receipt of your application. After the closing date of the announcement, your application package will be reviewed by the Human Resources Office for completeness and satisfaction of the basic qualification requirements for this position. Applicants who have complete applications and meet the qualification requirement are referred to the hiring official in accordance with the process outlined in the How You Will Be Evaluated section of this announcement.
Your application may also be reviewed by Subject Matter Expert(s). If you are selected for an interview, you can expect a structured interview process, which may include a meeting with 2 to 4 Commission staff members. You may also be subject to additional assessments during the selection process (e.g., technical writing sample or other work sample, job knowledge test, case scenario analysis, scientific data assessment, etc.).
We appreciate your interest in the Commission and commit to keeping you informed on the status of your application. You will be notified of the following major milestones:
Receipt of your application;
Determination whether your application shows you meet the minimum qualifications for the position;
Determination whether your application was in the group for referral to the hiring official; and
The final outcome of the vacancy.
These notices will be emailed and posted directly on your USAJOBS account.
You can always check the status of your application as the recruitment process moves along by:
1. Logging into your USAJOBS account;
2. Selecting Application Status; and
3. Reviewing the Status column.
Fair and transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
