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Public Affairs Specialist

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

Summary

This position is located in the Bureau of Global Public Affairs, Office of Global Communication Strategy (GPA/SOE/GCS). The incumbent serves as a Public Affairs Specialist, responsible for designing and drafting strategy and communications plans that support the Department’s domestic and international major messaging campaigns and events. 

Overview

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Reviewing applications
Open & closing dates
09/12/2024 to 09/25/2024
Salary
$99,200 to - $128,956 per year
Pay scale & grade
GS 12
Location
3 vacancies in the following location:
Washington, DC
3 vacancies
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—as determined by the agency policy.
Travel Required
Occasional travel - Occasional domestic/international travel may be required.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
13
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Top Secret
Drug test
Yes
Position sensitivity and risk
Critical-Sensitive (CS)/High Risk
Announcement number
HRSC/GPA-2024-0027
Control number
809024300

Duties

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  • Designs and drafts strategy and communications plans for implementation in coordination with other offices within the GPA Bureau, other Department bureaus, and other agencies.
  • Works with GPA leadership to manage the implementation of major programs or policy decisions affecting GPA activities.
  • Identifies and analyzes foreign affairs policy information that could have long term or short -term impact on the Department communications efforts.
  • Recommends new or enhanced services designed to effectively engage and inform public audiences, both domestically and abroad, about Department programs, plans, and policies.

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.
  • 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 qualification requirements described below by the closing date of this announcement.

Applicants must have 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 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 using a wide variety of communications strategies, techniques and dissemination methods.

  • Experience establishing and maintaining relationships with public affairs units from relevant entities (for example: Professional organizations, Non-government organizations (NGO) , think tanks, or universities).

  • Experience analyzing and evaluating materials as they relate to public affairs issues and media engagement.

There is no substitute of education for specialized experience for the GS-12 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 to one of three quality categories:

  1. Qualified - In addition to meeting minimum qualifications, applicants must demonstrate a basic level of the required competencies (knowledge, skills and abilities) for the position.
  2. Well Qualified - In addition to meeting minimum qualifications, applicants must demonstrate proficiency in some but not all of the required competencies (knowledge, skills, and abilities) for the position.
  3. Highly Qualified - In addition to meeting minimum qualifications, applicants must fully demonstrate proficiency in all of the required competencies (knowledge, skills and abilities) for the position.

Highly Qualified applicants may be referred to the hiring manager for further consideration and possible interview.  The category assignment is a measure of 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:

  • Skill in developing and implementing outreach strategies and communications plans.
  • Knowledge of media/public relations methods and techniques.
  • Ability to analyze communications or media relations strategy, policy, or programs.
  • Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships.
  • Ability to analyze and evaluate information derived from a variety of sources.

Veterans: Qualified veterans who have a compensable service-connected disability of at least 10% are listed in the Highly Qualified category [,except when the position being filled is scientific or professional at the GS-09 grade level, or higher. Other 10-point preference eligible and veterans with 5-point preference who meet the eligibility and qualification requirements are placed above non-preference eligible applicants within the category in which they qualify.  View information on veterans' preference on OPM’s Fed Hire Vets website.

Agency and Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (CTAP and ICTAP) Eligibles: If you have never been a Federal employee, you are not CTAP or ICTAP eligible. View information about CTAP and ICTAP eligibility on OPM's Career Transition Resources website. You must be rated in the Well-Qualified category for this position and submit the supporting documents listed under the required documents section of this job announcement to receive consideration for selection priority. 


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